List of Weak Hadith Pertaining to Women
List of Weak Hadith Pertaining to Women
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List of weak and forged hadith related to women's issues
Written by Kevin Abdullah Kareem
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Assalamu-alaikum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu. The position of women in Islam has been topic of debate for many years. Often we see that many hadith related to women's issues are quoted out of context, mistranslated or distorted by polemics against Islam in order to convince the reader that Islam is a religion that oppresses women. However there is another form of deception commonly used by polemics against Islam: "the use of fabricated hadith" . In this article we shall list and discuss fabricated and weak hadeeth [ related to women's issues ] that are often quoted by polemics against Islam. Each hadith will be discussed seperately.
Hadith 1
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The next saying is attributed to the Prophet [ saaws ] : "Women have ten 'awrat. When she gets married, the husband covers one, and when she dies the grave covers the ten"
1
This hadith is listed among the forgeries by al-Fattani in "Tadhkirat al-Mawdu`at".
Hadith 2
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The next saying is attributed to the Prophet [ saaws ] : "A straw mat in the corner of the house is preferable to a barren woman"
2
This hadith is listed among the forgeries by Ibn al Jawzi in "mawdu'at" and by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti in "Al-La'ali al-Masnu`ah"
Hadith 3
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Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn `Abd Allah ibn Mousa al-Kindi in his "Musannaf" reports the next hadith: "Umar [ one of the Khalifs ] was once talking when his wife interjected, so he said to her: 'You are a toy, if you are needed we will call you" 3
Comments by Shayk G.F. Haddad:
1
Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn `Abd Allah ibn Mousa al-Kindi [d. 557] is a complete unknown in hadith scholarship and so is his supposedly 42-volume Musannaf, although the fact that the Ministry of national patrimony and culture of Oman commissioned its 1989 publication indicates that he is a Kharijite. Kharijites strenuously deny the validity of hadith, and their treatment of women is entirely academic here.
2
The saying is in the Ihya' without chain and is evidently a forgery.
3
Critics of Islam generally cling to spurious sources and weird interpretations while they stay clear of the Qur'an and Sahihayn. The correct version of the above report is in al-Bukhari and Muslim, narrated from Ibn `Abbas, from `Umar, that the latter said: "In the Pre-Islamic Time of Ignorance we held women as nothing until Allah revealed what He revealed concerning them and assigned for them what He assigned. Once, as I was thinking over a certain matter, my wife said, 'I recommend that you do such-and-such.' I said to her, 'What have you got to do with the matter ? Why do you poke your nose in a matter which I want to see fulfilled ?' She replied, 'How strange you are, O son of Al-Khattab ! You want no argument while your daughter, Hafsa, surely argues with the Messenger of Allah!'
4
Hadith 4
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The next saying is attributed Amru Bin al-'Aas: "Women are toys, so choose." 5
This hadith is listed among the forgeries by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti in "Al-La'ali al-Masnu`ah". Shayk G.F. Haddad comments: "A report taken from al- Daylami's al-Firdaws [ 4:314 nr. 6922 ] without chain, which is in al-Hakim's Tarikh as in Kanz al-`Ummal [ nr. 44592 ]. Al-Suyuti in his collection of forgeries al-La'ali' al-Masnu`a reproduces al- Hakim's chain: Haddathana Abu al-Tayyib Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Mudhakkir: [qala] haddathana Muhammad ibn al-Rumi: [qala] haddathana Abu al-Azhar: [qala] haddathana Zuhayr ibn `Abbad: [qala] haddathana Ibn Lahi`a: `an al-Ahwas ibn Hakim: `an `Amr ibn al-`As marfu`an - Abu al-Tayyib and his shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Rumi are not known while al-Ahwas and Ibn Lahi`a are weak." 6
Hadith 5
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The next saying is attributed to the Prophet [ saaws ]: "The woman is a toy, whoever takes her let him care for her [ or do not lose her ]." 7 1
Comments by Shayk G.F. Haddad: This is a forgery discussed in the following forgery compilations:
- al-Suyuti's al-La'ali' al-Masnu`a
- al-Fattani's Tadhkirat al-Mawdu`at
- Ibn `Arraq's Tanzih al-Shari`a al-Marfu`a
- Ibn al-Jawzi's al-Mawdu`at
- Al-Dhahabi's Tartib al-Mawdu`at.
2
The reference given is not a recognized source for hadith narrations.
3
It is found in Musnad al-Harith ibn Abi Usama [ 1:546 nr. 491 ] with an extremely feeble chain of transmission that goes thus: Haddathana Ahmad ibn Yazid: [qala] Haddathana `Isa ibn Yunus: `an Zuhayr ibn Muhammad: `an Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Hazm [annahu] qala: Qala Rasulullah_ Analysis:
- First of all, Musnad al-Harith contains many forgeries and rejected narrations. Al- Dhahabi in Talkhis al-Mustadrak said: "He [al-Harith] is not a pillar of reliability" while al-Azdi and Ibn Hazm graded him weak as in al-Dhahabi's Tabaqat al-Huffaz.
- Ahmad ibn Yazid ibn Ibrahim al-Wartanisi is weak according to Abu Hatim al-Razi.
- Zuhayr ibn Muhammad al-`Anbari al-Tamimi [ Abu al-Mundhir al-Khurasani ] is weak to begin with, but especially with regard to hadiths narrated from him by people from al- Sham, as is `Isa ibn Yunus [ al-Hadathi d. 189 ] cf. al-Bukhari, al-Du`afa' al-Saghir p. 47, Ibn `Adi, Kamil 3:217-223 and al-Dhahabi, Siyar 8:187, Mizan and Man Tukullima fih p. 81 , nr 117.
- There is a missing link between Zuhayr and Abu Bakr, cf. al-Bukhari in al-Tarikh al-Kabir 3:427 nr.1420, al-Mizzi in Tahdhib al-Kamal 9:415 and Ibn `Adi: Zuhayr heard not from Abu Bakr but from Abu Bakr's son `Abd Allah.
- The narrator from the Prophet is the junior Tabi`I Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn `Amr ibn Hazm who died in 120. There are between one and three or more missing links between him and the Prophet
4
The report is also found in Abu Bakr al-Shafi`i's al- Ghaylaniyyat through
"`Isa ibn `Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn `Ali, from his father, from his grandfather."Al-Suyuti said:
"Isa narrates forgeries from his father and grandfather." This chain also contains Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yazid al-Jumhi who, al-Suyuti said,
"narrates rejected hadiths." 8
Hadith 6
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The next saying is attributed to the Prophet [ saaws ]: "Had it not been for women, God would have truly, truly been worshipped" 9
This hadith is also classified as a forgery, see Shaikh Abdullah Faisal: "100 fabricated hadith", p.38 [ Darul - Islam Publishers ]. Shaikh Abdullah Faisal writes: "A man was found in the chain of transmitters by the name Abdur Rahim Ibn Zaid who the scholars deemed a liar and a khabeeth [ scum ]. This fabricated Hadith is repulsive, and it's against the spirit of Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood. It enhances male chauvinism, which is a form of kufr. The great contribution made by women towards the spread of islam are sufficient to refute this hadith. Thus, the first person to take shahada was a woman, Khadijah [ra] the wife of the Holy Prophet [saaws]. Narrated Aisha [ra] : "I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet saaws as much as I did of Khadija [ although ] she died [ three years ] before he married me, for I often heard him mentioning her, and Allah told him to give her the good tidings that she would have a palace of Qasab [ i.e. pipes of precious stones and pearls in Paradise ]." [ Sahih Bukhari , Arabic-English, Vol. 5 , p. 103, No. 164. ]
Khadija [ra] was given the glad tidings of Paradise by Allah swt because she was a great source of help for Islam and the Prophet saaws. Hence she believed in him when others rejected him. She stood by him when others abandoned him. She assisted him by spending all her wealth in the path of Allah swt. When Allah swt sent the Angel Jibreel to reveal the Holy Qur'an to the Prophet saaws in the cave of Hira, the Prophet saaws was overwhelmed with fright and fear because this experience was unprecedented in his life. Thus he rushed home to his wife Khadija [ra] trembling and said to her, cover me, cover me, which she did. Soon after he described to Khadijah [ra] what took place with him in the cave of Hira. Having heard what he had to say she comforted him saying: "Nay ! By Allah never will you be disgraced by your Lord. You bring back the torn families together, and you do not break family ties, you are generous to your guests, you help the feeble and weak, and you feed the poor, you stand in support of the truth." [ Al-Bidaaya Wan-Nihaaya Vol. 3 , p.3 ] When the revelation came to the Prophet saaws for the first time and he was overwhelmed with fright and fear, he needed spiritual, psychological and emotional support from those who were closest to him. Khadijah [ra] gave this support to the Prophet saaws and this is the reason he used to mention her very often in the company of Aisha [ra].
Not only was a woman the firsy to take the shahada but the first person to die for Islam was also a woman, Sumayyah [ra]. She was slain by Abu Jahl when she refused to renounce Al Islam. Likewise the greatest scholar of Islam was a woman, Aisha [ra]. Narrated Abu Salama [ra] : "Aisha [ra] said: Once Allah's Apostle saaws said (to me) O Aisha this is Gabriel greeting you. I said, peace and Allah's Mercy and Blessings be on him. You see what I don't see. She was addressing Allah's Apostle saaws " [ Sahih Bukhari, Arabic-English, Vol. 5, p. 75, No. 112 ] 10
Hadith 7
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The next saying is attributed to the Prophet [ saaws ]: "Men perished the day they obeyed the women" 11
This hadith has been classified as weak/very weak, Hafiz Ahmad al-Ghumari discussed it in his Takhrij on Ibn Rushd's Bidayat al-Mujtahid.
Hadith 8
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The next saying is attributed to the Prophet [ saaws ] : "Obedience to a woman's advice causes regret" 12
Another version or similar hadith says: "Consult women [ listen to what women have to say ] and act contrary" 13
Both hadith are classified as a forgery, see Shaikh Abdullah Faisal: "100 fabricated hadith", p. 41 [ Darul - Islam Publishers ]. The Shayk writes: "This fabricated Hadith has another wording which goes as follows: 'Listen to what women have to say en then do the opposite' [ Related by Ibn Abu Haatim 2/184 ]. This khabar is similar to hadith 13 in that they are both detrimental to the Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood. They enhance a feeling of disharmony, disrespect and distrust between men and women. Moreover this fabricated khabar contradicts the authentic traditions of the Holy Prophet [ saaws ]. Among such traditions is an incident, which took place at the treaty of Al-Hubaibiyyah.
The year 6 AH of the Holy Prophet [ saaws ] and one thousand four hundred of his companions left Madinah for Makkah with the intention of performing Umrah. The Kafirs of Quraish in their haughtiness and pride prevented the Muslims from entering into Makkah. Consequently the Prophet [ saaws ] encamped at the valley called Al-Hudaibiyyah and signed a peace treaty with the Kafirs of Quraish. One of the points in the treaty is that there will be no more wars between them for tehn years and that the Muslims must return to Makkah the following year for their pilgrimage instead of performing it the year 6 AH as they had planned. The Sahaabahs were deeply offended by the terms and conditions of the treaty and deemed it an insult to them. Especially since they had to return to Al-Madinah without entering Makkah, which they had set out for.
After agreeing with the terms and conditions of the treaty the Holy Prophet [ saaws ] commanded his companions to perform the rituals of Umrah at the valley of Hudaibiyyah were they had encamped. Thus he told them to slaughter their animals and shave their heads. They all heard him but not a single person got up to carry out his order. So he repeated the command three times and still not a single Sahaabah stood up in order to comply with the order. After seeing that no one was prepared to obey him he went to Um Salamah [ ra ] and told her what had transpired between him and his companions. Upon hearing his complaint she told him to go out to them without speaking to any of them and that he should slaughter his animal in front of them and shave his head for them to see. The Holy Prophet [ saaws ] took her advice and acted upon it promptly [ see also:
Al-Bidaaya Wan-Nihaaya by Ibn Kathir Vol. 4, p. 178 ]
The above-mentioned story states that the advice of the Prophet's [ saaws ] wife Um Salamah [ ra ] when acted upon promptly by the Prophet [ saaws ] proved to be fruitful and saved the day. This action of the Prophet [ saaws ] contradicts the fabricated hadith that states that to obey a woman causes regret."
14
Hadith 9
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Narrated Grandfather of Adi ibn Thabit: "Allah's Messenger [ saaws ] said: Sneezing, drowsing, yawning in prayer, also menstruation, vomiting and nose-bleeding are from [ the acts of ] Satan." 15
Shayk Albani has declared this hadith weak in Jami’ Al Tirmidhi no. 2748, Daeef al-Jami Al Sagheer no. 3865 & Daeef Al Mishkat no.999. Shayk Albani also points out that this hadith is gharib [ narrated by one person ]. Therefore, this overall weakens the hadith even more. The main reason that this hadith is declared weak is just as Albani says in Silsilat Al Ahadeeth Al Daeefa, no. 3379: “....I say: This chain of narration is weak:
1
First: Thabit, the father of Ady is unknown, Al Hafiz said: “situation unknown” . That is what he said, and he had every right to say “unknown”, only; because he is not known except by his son; just as Al Dhahabi says.
2
The weakness of Abi Al Qaytan [ which means the father of al Qaytan ] and his name is Uthman ibn Ameer; Al Hafiz said: “he is weak, and he used to mix up narrations and he was a
mudallis” .And Al Buwaysari says in “
Al Zawa’id” [ 2/64 ]: “And they have formed a consensus on his weakness”
3
The weakness of Shareek and he is ibn Abdullah Al Qadi [ he is the son of Abdullah Al Qadi ] ; and he is bad in memorization. And Al Tirmidhi [ 2/125 ] also collected his hadith and he said “This is a gharib hadith, we don’t know it except from the hadith of Shareek from Abi Al Qaytan, and I asked Muhammad bin Ismaeel about Adi about his father about his grandfather, I said to him “What is the name of Adi’s grandfather ? He said: I don’t know.” [ end quote Shayk Albani ]
Extra comment:
This weak hadith contradicts an authentic hadith. In the weak hadith we read that both
“sneezing and yawning” are regarded as acts from Satan. This contradicts an authentic hadith in Sahih Bukhari which states that Allah likes sneezing - The Prophet said: “Allah
likes sneezing and
dislikes yawning, so if someone sneezes and then praises Allah, then it is obligatory on every Muslim who heard him, to say: May Allah be merciful to you.
But as regards yawning, it is from Satan, so one must try one’s best to stop it, if one says ‘Ha’ when yawning, Satan will laugh at him.” – [ Sahih Bukhari 8.240, Narrated by Anas bin Malik ]
Hadith 10
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Many polemics against Islam cite and attribute the next saying to Prophet Muhammad [ saaws ] : “I think that women were created for nothing but evil.” 16
1
This hadith is not a statement of the Messenger of Allah [ saaws ] - as some christian missionaries claim who cite this hadith - rather of Aischa [ ra ].
2
Secondly its chain is weak [ da`if ] due to "irsal" as stated by Shaykh Shu`ayb al-Arna'ut in his marginalia on the Musnad of Imam Ahmad. It is related through Imam al-Awza`i from Abu `Ubayd from `A'isha [ ra ] , and Abu `Ubayd did not see her. [ See Ibn Hajar: "Ta`jil al-Manfa`a bi Zawa'id Rijal al-A'imma al-Arba`a", p.500 ]
3
The Holy Qur'an very clearly states: { I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me } ( 51:56 ) and woman is part of humankind. In other words both [ men and women ] were created for the same purpose: "to worship Allah".
Hadith 11
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Narrated Abu Hurayrah, Allah's Messenger [ peace be upon him ] said, "When your commanders are your best people, your rich men are your generous people and your affairs are conducted by mutual consultation, the surface of the earth will be better for you that its interior. But when your commanders are your worst people, your rich men are your niggardly people and your affairs are in the hands of your women, the interior of the earth will be the better for you than its surface" 17
1
Tirmidhi has classified this Hadith narrated by Abu Huraira as
"Gharib" , poor [ Hadith No. 2266, Sunan Al Tirmizi, Al Jami Al Sahih, Tahqiq- Mahmud Muhammad Mahmud Hasan Nassar, Kitab Al Fitan, Dar Al Qutb Al Islamiah, Beirut, 2000, pp 264-265 ]. Ahmad b. Hanbal said: "Do not write these gharib Hadith because they are unacceptable, and most of them are weak" [ al-San'ani 2:409 ].
2
Shayk Albani declared this hadeeth da'if [ weak ] , see "
Jami'i Al Tirmidhi" for Albany no. 2266
Hadith 12
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The next hadith is attributed to the Prophet [ saaws ] in "Tuffaha" by Ahmad Zaky and in "Al-Musanaf" by Al-Kanadi [ or Kindi ] : "If a woman offered one of her breasts to be cooked and the other to be roasted, she still will fall short of fulfilling her obligations to her husband. And besides that if she disobeys her husband even for a twinkling of an eye, she would be thrown in the lowest part of Hell, except she repents and turns back." 18
Shayk G.F. Haddad comments [ in response to christian missionaries who cite this hadith ]: "A laughable fabrication. Ahmad Zaky is not a source, al-Kindi's Musannaf is a Kharijite curiosity, and this kind of evidence betrays a bankrupt argument. It is a despicable forgery from non-sources, and is in no way consistent with anything in Islam other than the perverse imagination of Christian missionaries."
19
Extra comment:
Prophet Muhammad [ saaws ] said:
"God did not send me to be harsh, or cause harm, but He sent me to teach and make things easy." [ Sahih Muslim, Hadith 707 ] . In other words the Prophet [ saaws ] was send to make things easy for humankind [
men and women ]. This authentic hadith also proofs that the hadith in question is a forgery.
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References and Notes:
[1]
Kanz-el-'Ummal, Vol. 22, Hadith No. 858. See also
Ihy'a 'Uloum ed-Din by Ghazali, Dar al-Kotob al-'Elmeyah, Beirut, Vol II, Kitab Adab al-Nikah, p.65
[2]
See also:
Ihy'a 'Uloum ed-Din by Imam Ghazali, Kitab Adab al-Nikah
[3]
Al-Musanaf by Abu Bakr Ahmad Ibn 'Abd Allah Ibn Mousa Al-Kanadi , Vol.1, Part 2, p. 263. See also
Ihy'a 'Uloum ed-Din by Ghazali, Vol II, Kitab Adab al-Nikah, p.52
[4]
Comment by Shayk G.F. Haddad at -
www.livingislam.org -
[5]
Kanz-el-'Ummal, Vol. 21, Hadith No. 919.
[6]
Comment by Shayk G.F. Haddad at -
www.livingislam.org -
[7]
Tuffaha, Ahmad Zaky, Al-Mar'ah wal- Islam, Dar al-Kitab al-Lubnani, Beirut, first edition, 1985, p. 180.
[8]
Comment by Shayk G.F. Haddad at -
www.livingislam.org -
[9]
Kanz-el-'Ummal, Vol. 21, Hadith No. 825
[10]
Shaikh Abdullah Faisal: "
100 fabricated hadith", pp. 38-40 [ Darul - Islam Publishers ].
[11]
Kanz-el-'Ummal, Vol. 21, Hadith No. 831
[12]
Related by Ibn Asaakir 2/200
[13]
Related by Ibn Abu Haatim 2/184
[14]
Shaikh Abdullah Faisal: "
100 fabricated hadith", pp. 41-42 [ Darul - Islam Publishers ].
[15]
Tirmidhi Hadith, Number 315 [ Alim cd-rom version ] , same hadith is also found in
Ibn Maajah [969]
[16]
Hanbal, Musnad, volume 6, p. 86
[17]
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith, Number 1439 [ Alim cd-rom version ]
[18]
Tuffaha, Ahmad Zaky, Al-Mar'ah wal- Islam, Dar al-Kitab al-Lubnani, Beirut, first edition, 1985, p. 176. See also
Al-Musanaf by Al-Kindi , vol. 1 part 2, p. 255.
[19]
Comment by Shayk G.F. Haddad at -
www.livingislam.org/n/wmnc_e.html -
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