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Womens' Rights in Islam

Women in the Holy Quran and the Noble Sunnah
2. In the Noble Sunnah

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, mentioned women in many occasions.. It is difficult to collect all that he said about women and how to deal with them. Below are some of these Hadiths (sayings)

  • Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: Allah's Apostle cursed those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners) of women and those women who are in the similitude (assume the manners) of men. (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Book 72, Dress, Number 773

  • The best among you is he who is best for his family. For my family, I am the best of all of you." (Ibn Majah, Sunan)

  • Hadith - Al-Tirmidhi #3254, Narrated Anas ibn Malik: Allah's Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "When a woman observes the five times of prayer, fasts during Ramadan, preserves her chastity and obeys her husband, she may enter by any of the gates of Paradise she wishes."

  • The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Be at your mother’s feet and there is the Paradise." (Ibn Majah, Sunan, Hadith no. 2771)

  • Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Book 64: Supporting the Family, Volume 7, Number 266: Narrated Sad: "The Prophet visited me at Mecca while I was ill. I said (to him), "I have property; May I bequeath all my property in Allah's Cause?" He said, "No." I said, "Half of it?" He said, "No." I said, "One third of it?" He said, "One-third (is alright), yet it is still too much, for you'd better leave your inheritors wealthy than leave them poor, begging of others. Whatever you spend will be considered a Sadaqa for you, even the mouthful of food you put in the mouth of your wife. Anyhow Allah may let you recover, so that some people may benefit by you and others be harmed by you."

  • 'Abdullah b. Amr reported Allah's Messenger, may peace be upon him, as saying: The whole world is a provision, and the best object of benefit of the world is the pious woman. (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Book 8, The Book of Marriage, Number 3465)

  • In the farewell pilgrimage Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him made a sermon where he gave his last advice to all Muslims, He said :

    "O People, it is true that you have certain rights over your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under God's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers. It is your right and they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste."

    "All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action."

  • Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Book 62: Wedlock, Marriage (Nikaah), Volume 7, Number 1 : Narrated Anas bin Malik: A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet asking how the Prophet worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered their worship insufficient and said, "Where are we from the Prophet as his past and future sins have been forgiven." Then one of them said, "I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever."
    The other said, "I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast."
    The third said, "I will keep away from the women and will not marry forever."
    Allah's Apostle came to them and said, "Are you the same people who said so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion, is not from me (not one of my followers)."

  • Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Book 62: Wedlock, Marriage (Nikaah), Volume 7, Book 62, Number 4: Narrated 'Abdullah: We were with the Prophet while we were young and had no wealth whatever. So Allah's Apostle said, "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power."

  • Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 20: Narrated Abu Burda's father: Allah's Apostle said, any man who has a slave girl whom he educates properly, teaches good manners, manumits and marries her, will get a double reward And if any man of the people of the Scriptures believes in his own prophet and then believes in me too, he will (also) get a double reward And any slave who fulfills his duty to his master and to his Lord, will (also) get a double reward."

  • Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 27: Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "A woman is married for four things, i.e., her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her religion. So you should marry the religious woman (otherwise) you will be a losers.

  • Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 69: Narrated Khansa bint Khidam Al-Ansariya: that her father gave her in marriage when she was a matron and she disliked that marriage. So she went to Allah's Apostle and he declared that marriage invalid.

  • Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 81: Narrated 'Uqba: The Prophet said: "The stipulations most entitled to be abided by are those with which you are given the right to enjoy the (women's) private parts (i.e. the stipulations of the marriage contract)."

  • Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 116: Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: The Prophet said, "Everyone of you is a guardian and everyone of you is responsible (for his wards). A ruler is a guardian and is responsible(for his subjects); a man is a guardian of his family and responsible (for them); a wife is a guardian of her husband's house and she is responsible (for it), a slave is a guardian of his master's property and is responsible (for that). Beware! All of you are guardians and are responsible (for your wards)."

  • Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 132: Narrated 'Abdullah bin Zam'a: The Prophet said, "None of you should flog his wife as he flogs a slave and then have sexual intercourse with her in the last part of the day."

  • Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 173: Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah: The Prophet said, "If you enter (your town) at night (after coming from a journey), do not enter upon your family till the woman whose husband was absent (from the house) shaves her pubic hair and the woman with unkempt hair, combs her hair" Allah's Apostle further said, "(O Jabir!) Seek to have offspring, seek to have offspring!"

  • Translation of Sahih Muslim, Chapter 21: IT IS FORBIDDEN TO DIVULGE THE SECRET OF THE WOMAN, Book 008, Number 3369: Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah he pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upoin him) said: The most wicked among the people in the eye of Allah on the Day of judgment is the men who goes to his wife and she comes to him, and then he divulges her secret.

  • In the translation of Sahih Muslim,Book 12, Number 2172: Narrated Muharib: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: Allah did not make anything lawful more abominable to Him than divorce.

  • Translation of Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 1: Purification, Number 0236: Narrated Aisha, Mother of the believers, may Allah be pleased with her: The Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked about a person who found moisture (on his body or clothes) but did not remember the sexual dream. He replied: He should take a bath. He was asked about a person who remembered that he had a sexual dream but did not find moisture. He replied: Bath is not necessary for him. Umm Salamah then asked: Is washing necessary for a woman if she sees that (in her dream)? He replied: Yes. Woman are counterpart of men.

  • Reyad Al-Salehin, Chapter 33: Kindness to orphans, girls, the weak, the very poor, and the downtrodden. Treating them well, compassion towards them, humility with them, and gentleness towards them, Hadith 267. Anas reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I and anyone who brings up two girls until they come of age will be like these two on the Day of Rising," and he put his fingers together. [Muslim]

  • Reyad Al-Salehin, Chapter 34: Treating women well, Hadith 275. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A believing man should not hate a believing woman. If he dislikes something in her character, he should be pleased with some other or another trait of hers." [Muslim]

  • Reyad Al-Salehin, Chapter 36: Spending on one's family, Hadith 292. Sa'id ibn Abi Waqqas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, "You will be rewarded for whatever you spend on your family desiring by it the Face of Allah, even for the morsel you put in your wife's mouth." [Agreed upon]

  • Translation of Sahih Muslim, Book 5, The Book of Zakat Chapter 12: EXCELLENCE OF SPENDING ON ONE'S FAMILY, AND SERVANT, Number 2181: Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger, may peace be upon him, as saying: Of the dinar you spend as a contribution in Allah's path, or to set free a slave, or as a sadaqa given to a needy, or to support your family, the one yielding the greatest reward is that which you spent on your family

  • Reyad Al-Salehin, Chapter 41: On the prohibition of disobeying parents and severing ties of kinship, Hadith 340. Abu 'Isa al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah Almighty has forbidden you to disobey your mothers, to deny others what is rightfully theirs or demand what is not rightfully yours, and to bury your daughters alive and He dislikes you engaging in chit-chat, asking too many questions and wasting money." [Agreed upon]