/ O womenfolk, give charity, for indeed, I was shown that you form the majority of the dwellers of Hellfire." They said: Why is that, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "You curse frequently, and you are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not se...

O womenfolk, give charity, for indeed, I was shown that you form the majority of the dwellers of Hellfire." They said: Why is that, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "You curse frequently, and you are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not se...

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out to the praying area on the day of Ad'ha or the day of Fitr. He passed by the women and, thus, said: "O womenfolk, give charity, for indeed, I was shown that you form the majority of the dwellers of Hellfire." They said: Why is that, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "You curse frequently, and you are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone deficient in intellect and religion more able to lead and subdue the mind of a stern man than one of you." They said: O Messenger of Allah, what is the deficiency in our religion and intellect? He said: "Is not the woman's testimony equivalent to half of the man's testimony?" They said: Yes. He said: "That is the deficiency in her intellect. Is it not true that she neither prays nor fasts when menstruating?" They said: Yes. He said: "That is the deficiency in her religion."
Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out to the praying area on the day of Eid. He had promised to give women a special sermon and he fulfilled his promise on that day. He said: O womenfolk, give charity and seek Allah's forgiveness frequently, as both are among the greatest means of erasing sins, for indeed, I saw you on the Night of Isrā’ forming the majority of the inhabitants of Hellfire. Then a woman among them, who was wise, perceptive, and dignified, said: O Messenger of Allah, why do we form the majority of the inhabitants of Hellfire? He said: For some reasons: you frequently curse and use abusive language, and you deny your husbands' rights. Then he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) described them, saying: I have not seen anyone with a deficiency in intellect and religion who is more dominant over a person of wisdom, intellect, resolve, and self-control than you. She said: O Messenger of Allah, what is the deficiency in intellect and religion? He said: As for the deficiency of intellect, it is the fact that the testimony of two women is equivalent to the testimony of one man; this is what is meant by a deficiency in intellect. The deficiency in religion is the decrease in good deeds, for a woman spends nights and days not praying due to menstruation and fasts fewer days in Ramadan due to menstruation; this is what is meant by a deficiency in religion. However, they are not to be blamed or held accountable for that because it is part of their natural disposition, just as humans are created with an innate love for wealth, haste in their matters, ignorance, and other such traits. However, this is mentioned as a warning against being infatuated with them.

Hadeeth benefits

  1. It is recommended for women to attend the Eid prayer and to be given a separate sermon.
  2. Ingratitude to the husband and frequent cursing are major sins because the threat of Hellfire is a sign that such sins are major.
  3. It shows that faith can increase and decrease. One's faith and religion increase when he offers abundant acts of worship, and offering fewer acts of worship will lead to a decrease in one's religion.
  4. An-Nawawi said: The intellect is subject to increase and decrease, and so is faith. Mentioning the deficiency in women is not meant to blame them for it, as it is part of their natural disposition. Rather, it is intended as a warning against being infatuated with them. This is why the punishment is associated with the mentioned ingratitude and other sins, not with the deficiency. The deficiency in religion is not restricted to what results in sin; rather, it includes a broader scope.
  5. It implies that a learner or a subject may ask the scholar or leader to clarify his words if it is unclear to him.
  6. It shows that the testimony of a woman is half that of a man given her lack of accuracy.
  7. Ibn Hajar commented on his statement: "I have not seen anyone deficient..." It appears to me that this is one of the reasons why they form the majority of the inhabitants of Hellfire; because if they are a cause for a sensible man to lose his reason to the extent that he does or says what is inappropriate, then they share in the sin and even exceed him in it.
  8. Prayer and fasting are prohibited for a woman during her menstruation, and the same applies to one experiencing post-partum bleeding, and both must make up for the missed days of fasting upon attaining purity.
  9. The Prophet's good morals, as he answered the women's questions without rebuke or blame.
  10. Ibn Hajar said: Charity repels punishment and it may expiate sins committed between people.
  11. An-Nawawi said: The deficiency in women's religion is due to their abandonment of prayer and fasting during their menstruation. One's faith and religion increase when he offers abundant acts of worship, and offering fewer acts of worship will lead to a decrease in one's religion. Moreover, the deficiency in religion could occur in a way that incurs sin, such as abandoning prayer, fasting, or any other obligatory act of worship without a valid excuse; and it could occur in a way that incurs no sin, such as abandoning the Friday prayer, fighting in Allah's cause, or any other act that is not obligatory upon him without a valid excuse; or it could occur in a way that one is actually commanded to do, such as abandoning of a menstruating woman's prayer and fasting.