Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving.

 

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

 

Imam Al-Bukhari reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) once went out to the prayer yard to offer the Prayer of `Eid-al-Adha or Al-Fitr. Then he passed by the [attending] women and said, “O women! Give charity, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were of you (women).” They asked, “Why is it so, O Allah’s Messenger?” He replied, “You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen any among those lacking in intellect and religion who are more overwhelming to a man possessing reason and insight than you.” The women asked, “O Allah’s Messenger! What is deficient in our intellect and religion?” He said, “Is not the testimony of two women equal to the testimony of one man?” They replied in the affirmative. He said, “This is deficiency in her intellect. Isn’t it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?” The women replied in the affirmative. He said, “This is deficiency in her religion.”

 

The hadith clearly bears no bias against women nor does not mean to humiliate them. There are physical and psychological differences between men and women based on the role for which each sex was created. They are meant to complete, not to vie with, each other.

 

The Shari`ah takes these differences into consideration and rulings and laws have been prescribed accordingly.

 

Women are commonly known to be more passionate; nevertheless, a woman has the ability to overpower a wise man with her passion. For this reason, a testimony of two women is equal to the testimony of one man, from Sshari`ah perspective.

 

Allah says in the Qur’an what means:

 

“Moreover, bring two witnesses from your men to witness [it]. But if there are not two men, then [you may bring] a man and two women from those whom you [mutually] approve of as witnesses, so that if one of the two should err then the other one can remind [her].” (Al-Baqarah 2:282)

 

In this regard, women are relatively deficient in comparison to men; though they are not blamable for that.

 

From another perspective, being more passionate is a positive quality that helps women achieve their role and fulfill their duties that cannot be done otherwise and that men usually fail to achieve.

 

The Shari`ah also takes women’s psychological changes during menses into account and relieves them from fasting and prayer during this period. This is another relative deficiency; though they are not blamable for it as well.

 

 

So, taking the occasion of the text into account, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was wondering of such contradiction and never intended to demean women.

 

 

Finally, we need always to read any text within the overall Shari`ah context. The Shari`ah respects women and has given them unprecedented and unmatched rights.

 

The Qur’an has honored women and mentioned a number of them as exemplary figures. A good number of the female companions set model examples for Muslims.

 

Islamic history if full of brilliant women in different fields of life activities. How then can one misinterpret the prophetic text to express bias against women?

 

Almighty Allah knows best.