Women: Complete in Intellect and Faith?!
A new feminist idea has recently swept
through social media, with some supporting it and others expressing outrage and
rejecting an authentic hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, which has been verified as authentic and
was narrated by Imam al-Bukhari. This idea has sparked widespread controversy
among social media users and has received harsh criticism. It aligns with those
who deny the Sunnah and attack the established principles of religion under the
pretense that some of them do not conform to reason, despite the fact that
Islamic Sharia is not based on intellectual satisfaction. Otherwise, as
scholars have stated, wiping over the inner part of the leather socks (khuff)
would have been more reasonable than wiping over the outer part. Is the issue
then a result of misunderstanding the texts, or attributing to them what they
do not mean, or a failure to comprehend the context in which they were revealed
and to whom they were addressed?
Regardless of how trivial this
suddenly-emerging idea may seem, the title itself is impermissible from the
outset, as it’s considered to be an insult to the noble Prophet and his
purified Sunnah, and it represents an attempt to undermine Islamic thought by
attacking its heritage that has received consensus among reputable scholars.
What made matters worse was the
publication of a book titled “Complete in Mind and Religion,” in which the
author cast doubt on the authenticity of hadiths that the scholars of Islam
have unanimously accepted as authentic, claiming that they insult the Prophet ﷺ. It thus became necessary to clarify and
confront this kind of thinking. Although it may seem insignificant, its danger
lies in the fact that it could influence future generations if not properly
addressed.
Intellectual
Disagreements
There are three issues related to
women that the author, after appealing to her intellect, sees as insulting to
the Prophet ﷺ. She thus claims that the hadiths are not
authentic and that merely attributing them to the Prophet ﷺ is offensive to him.
Two of these issues are mentioned
in an authentic hadith reported by al-Bukhari in his Sahih (no. 304), narrated
by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that when God’s messenger went out to the place of prayer on
the day of sacrifice, or on the day when the fast was broken, he came upon some
women and said, "Give alms, you women folk, for I have been shown that you
will be the majority of the inhabitants of hell.” They asked, “For what reason,
messenger of God?” He replied, “You are greatly given to abuse, and you are
ungrateful to your husbands. Among women who are deficient in intelligence and
religion I have not seen anyone more able to remove the understanding of a
prudent man than one of you.” They asked, “What is the deficiency of our
religion and our intelligence, messenger of God?” He replied, “Is not the
testimony of a woman equivalent to half the testimony of a man?” They said,
“Yes.” Remarking that that pertained to the deficiency of her intelligence, he
asked, “Is it not the case that when she menstruates she neither prays nor
fasts?” When they replied, “Yes,” he said, “That pertains to the deficiency of
her religion.”
As for the third issue the author
believes contradicts the content of Quranic texts, it is in another hadith
reported by al-Bukhari (no. 4425), narrated by Abu Bakra who said: During the days (of the battle) of Al-Jamal, Allah
benefited me with a word I had heard from Allah's Apostle after I had been
about to join the Companions of Al-Jamal (i.e. the camel) and fight along with
them. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was informed that
the Persians had crowned the daughter of Khosrau as their ruler, he said, “Such
people as ruled by a lady will never be successful.”
The author went on to list a
number of rights that Islam has granted women and claimed that these narrations
contradict the earlier three positions mentioned in the two hadiths. The truth
is that this does not justify accusing Sahih al-Bukhari of being inauthentic or
falsely claiming that some of its narrations are weak, just to “correct”
misconceptions that have long been resolved and clarified among the vast
majority of Muslim scholars. It becomes clear that denying the authenticity of
al-Bukhari or the core Islamic references is not a pursuit of truth or justice
for women, but rather an attempt to undermine the foundations of the religion
and reduce the sanctity of its texts.
Misunderstood Concepts
and Incomplete Interpretations
As previously stated, the problem
sometimes lies in not understanding the texts themselves. For example,
regarding the first hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ warns women and encourages them to
increase in good deeds because the majority of the people of Hell are women, the
hadith does not state that evil is an inherent trait in women. If that were the
case, Allah would have exempted them from religious obligations, considering
them forced into wrongdoing. But the hadith affirms women's responsibility for
their actions, meaning that the religious legal accountability for women is
just as complete as it is for men. She is fully responsible for her actions,
free in her choices, and fully deserving of reward or punishment in the end.
However, the hadith specifically
mentions certain behaviors more closely associated with women, because women
are naturally more emotional than men due to the way Allah created them. They
are quicker to react emotionally, more likely to deny or accuse based on
emotion, and quicker to judge without full clarity.
This doesn’t mean that only women
possess these traits, but they are more prone to them due to the natural
differences between the sexes. And the hadith doesn’t imply that women will not
enter Paradise, it is simply a warning for every Muslim woman to rise above
such behaviors. Just as in the hadith where the Prophet ﷺ said: “I
looked into Jannah and saw that most of its dwellers are the poor.” Does
this mean it’s a call for poverty? Of course not.
This is a rhetorical speech meant
to draw attention—in a unique and celebratory setting, during Eid, and
specifically addressed to women in a setting unlike any other before or after.
The “deficiency in religion” due to menstruation, which prevents women from
praying or fasting, is acknowledged by the Sharia with legal dispensations,
like not requiring women to make up missed prayers. This shows leniency due to
the hardship involved, and women are not held accountable for what is beyond
their control. However, in matters of obligation and action, the legal
responsibilities remain equal between men and women, except for natural
physiological differences that align with their biological makeup and distinct
roles.
This doesn’t mean there are no
exceptions. Allah may bless some women with exceptional abilities in which they
surpass some men in their fields. But these remain exceptions not the norm.
In Deficiency Lies
Perfection
There are many texts that affirm
natural differences between men and women. That’s why Islamic rulings vary
slightly between them in specific issues, such as the exemption of women from
mandatory jihad, congregational prayers, Friday prayers, and working outside
the home except in necessary cases where society needs her specialization or
skills.
There are hundreds of scientific
studies conducted to prove essential differences that support the Quranic ayah:
“And the male is not like the female.” (Aal 'Imran:
36) Among these is a study cited by Abdulhalim Abu Shuqqa in his book “Liberation
of Women in the Age of the Message.” He referenced the Terman and Miles
study on personality traits and tendencies across both genders. The study was
based on a wide-ranging sample of American society, including children in
schools and universities, both educated and uneducated, professionals, the
homeless, the elderly, and athletes. The results were the most accurate in
distinguishing between male and female traits, proving that working women with
experience resemble men in temperament and emotional patterns—that is, they
approach masculine traits in mood and behavior. (1)
Hence, what some call “deficiencies”
are, in fact, the very qualities that complete a woman’s character as a mother,
wife, caregiver, preacher, doctor, or artist—in short, in every aspect of human
emotional and moral life. That deficiency is the peak of perfection, equipping
her for the noble role Allah created her to fulfill.
Approaching the fixed principles
of Islam is like walking through a minefield. Everyone should instead seek
knowledge from trustworthy scholars. The Muslim Ummah has never lacked sincere
scholars. From the dawn of Islam, many have tried to undermine its foundational
principles through doubt or distortion. But Allah’s protection of this religion
remains until the Day of Judgment.
Among those principles is that
Islam honored women like no religion before it and no law after it. So let the
Muslim woman raise her head high and take pride in her religion.
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(1) Liberation of Women
in the Age of the Message by Abdulhalim Abu Shuqqa.
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