The Position of Women in Islam: A Progressive View

4. Assessment of Some Alleged Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

21 4 Assessment of Some Alleged Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Some alleged sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have been used by antiwomen sections of Muslim society to curtail women’s rights. The alleged sayings have been used to maintain a false justification of the superiority of men over women. Eight of these alleged sayings, which are highly prejudicial to women, are given below and are then discussed to show why they should be rejected and why they cannot be accepted as authentic sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). 1. “I took a look at Paradise and I noted that majority of the people there were poor, I took a look at Hell, and noted that women were the majority.” (Bukhari) “I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell Fire were you (women).” (B 1:131) 2. Abdullah Ibne Umar narrated the following alleged saying of the Prophet (pbuh): “I do not leave after me any cause of trouble more fatal to man than woman.” (Bukhari) 3. “A woman cannot enter paradise if her husband is not pleased with her.” (Tabrizi 1973) 4. “Had Sajda (prostration) not been prohibited, I would have ordered women to perform Sajda to their husbands.” 5. Abu Hurayra narrated the following alleged saying of the Prophet (pbuh): “Three things bring bad luck: house, women and horse.” (Bukhari) 22 THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN ISLAM Abdullah Ibne Umar narrated the following alleged saying of the Prophet (pbuh): “Evil omen is in the women, the house, and the horse.” (B 7:030) 6. Abu Hurayra reported but subsequently retracted the following alleged saying of the Prophet (pbuh): “He whom the dawn finds sullied (janaban) (referring to being sullied by the sexual act) may not fast.” 7. “The dog, the ass and the women interrupt prayer if they pass in front of the believers, interposing themselves between them and qibla.” (Bukhari) 8. “I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you (women).” (B 1:301) The alleged Hadith to the effect that “the majority of the dwellers of paradise were poor and the majority of the dwellers of Hell were women” needs careful scrutiny as this alleged Hadith asks us to believe something that is unlikely for the Prophet (pbuh) to have said in view of his extreme regard and sympathy for women demonstrated by other authentic Hadith and by the history of his life. This alleged Hadith is definitely against one of the tests for an authentic Hadith, that is, it is unreasonable. One may ask how the Prophet (pbuh) could ever see all the inmates of heaven and hell and whether it was logistically possible for him to count these inmates to ascertain the majority and minority according to their sex and wealth. This alleged Hadith is also against the fundamental principle of equality of the sexes stated in the Quran and described in chapters 2 and 3 of this book. This alleged Hadith clearly fails the test of authenticating a Hadith as laid down by the Prophet (pbuh) when he said, “Compare what purports to come from me with the Book of God. What agrees with it, I have said; What disagrees with it, I have not said” (Shafii n.d.). In view of the above, it should be stated that despite allegedly being narrated by Ibne Umar and despite being part of the Sahih Bukhari, this alleged saying of the Prophet (pbuh) must be rejected as an authentic Hadith. Even Imam Bukhari did not claim infallibility and kept this alleged Hadith in his collection only on the basis of isnad (chain of authority). The Quran being infallible, this alleged statement cannot be accepted as an authentic Hadith as it contradicts the spirit and thrust of the Quran. The alleged Hadith, “I do not leave after me any cause of trouble more fatal to man than woman” is so outrageous and so discriminatory it does not need much study and research to reject it. It fails all the tests of 23 ASSESSMENT OF SOME ALLEGED SAYINGS an authentic Hadith mentioned in chapter 1. It also contradicts the Quranic verses mentioned in chapter 2 of this book. Besides, the memory and trustworthiness of those in its isnad (the chain of authority) of this alleged Hadith are questionable. Therefore, it is safe to reject this Hadith. Finally, this alleged saying of the...