Is there any bad omen in woman?

Some evil hearted people often use certain narrations to argue that Islam looks down upon women and consider them evil or something of that sort. They use narrations like the following.

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ الشُّؤْمُ فِي الْمَرْأَةِ وَالدَّارِ وَالْفَرَسِ


Narrated Abdullah bin 'Umar (RA): Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said, "Evil omen is in the women, the house and the horse." (Bukhari, Hadith 4703)

Same has been narrated through some other companions as well including Sayyidina Abu Huraira (RA) in Mu'jam Tabarani al-Awst Hadith 7710.

Truth about these narrations:

But the fact remains that these pious companions only heard a part of Holy Prophet's (pbuh) saying. This is clarified through some other narrations. Read below:

عَنْ أَبِي حَسَّانَ قَالَ دَخَلَ رَجُلَانِ مِنْ بَنِي عَامِرٍ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ فَأَخْبَرَاهَا أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ الطِّيَرَةُ مِنْ الدَّارِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ وَالْفَرَسِ فَغَضِبَتْ فَطَارَتْ شِقَّةٌ مِنْهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَشِقَّةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَقَالَتْ وَالَّذِي أَنْزَلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ مَا قَالَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَطُّ إِنَّمَا قَالَ كَانَ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَتَطَيَّرُونَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ

Abu Hassan narrated: Two men from Banu Aamir came to Sayyidah Aisha and told her that Sayyidina Abu Huraira narrates that the Prophet (pbuh) said; 'Bad omen is in a house, a woman and a horse.' She was enraged, full of anger and said; 'By the One Who Revealed Quran on Muhammad, Allah's Messenger (pbuh) did not say that, what he actually said was that in the days of ignorance people used to take bad omen in these things.'
(Musnad Ahmad Hadith 24841. Shu'aib 'Arna'ut said the Hadith is Sahih on the conditions of Sahih Muslim. Albani also authenticated it in Sahiha H.993)

قيل لعائشة إن أبا هريرة ، يقول : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : « الشؤم في ثلاثة : في الدار والمرأة والفرس » فقالت عائشة : لم يحفظ أبو هريرة لأنه دخل ورسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، يقول : « قاتل الله اليهود ، يقولون إن الشؤم في ثلاثة : في الدار والمرأة والفرس » فسمع آخر الحديث ولم يسمع أوله

It was mentioned before Aisha that Abu Huraira narrates that Allah's Messenger (saaw) said; 'Bad omen is in three things; house, woman and horse.' So Aisha said; "Abu Huraira does not remember it for he entered and Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said; 'May Allah destroy the Jews as they say bad omen is in three things; in a house, a woman and a horse.' So he heard the last part of the saying and did not hear the first part."
(Musnad Tiyalsi Hadith 1630. Albani classified it as Hasan in Silsala Sahiha 3/67).

So we can see that it was not the Holy Prophet (pbuh) who declared women to have bad omen, infact he only mentioned that people in ignorance thought this way, he rather rebuked Jews for such an idea. It was only that some of the Companions heard a part of his saying and a confusion emerged which was cleared by the emphatic words of Sayyidah Aisha (ra), the Mother of the Believers.

Infact this is what Islam has to say about the issue in general and women in particular;

قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول لا شؤم وقد يكون اليمن في ثلاثة في المرأة والفرس والدار

Makhmar bin Muawiyah said: I heard Allah's Messenger (pbuh) say: "Do not believe in omens, and good fortune is to be found in three things: A woman, a horse and a house."
(Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 1993. Albani classified it as Sahih)

Caution: Above Hadith from Bukhari no way casts a doubt on the authority of the collection or Authority of Hadith in general. It only highlights the importance of extensive and profound knowledge of Hadith before making any conclusions. Jumping to conclusions after just a fragmentary reading is indeed deplorable.


LET ME TURN THE TABLES!


Mostly Christian Missionaries raise this issue, so lets help them recall what their 'Holy' BIble speaks of women.

"And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof." (Bible, Zecharariah 5:7-8)

So once again we find the the cunning missionaries exposed!

INDEED ALLAH KNOWS THE BEST!!!

...by Waqar Akbar Cheema

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9 comments :

    1. Mash,Allah Brother!

      Suggestion:

      What about putting (May Allah be pleased with him/her) with the names of companions of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and with mother of believers.

      JazakAllah Kher.

      ReplyDelete
    2. Jazaak Allah khairen wa ahsanil jazaa brother...
      thnx a million for adding this information to my insight...
      Assalamu alaikum waRahmatullahi waBarakatuh!

      ReplyDelete
    3. Rightly pointed out Rizwan bhai. I have added 'ra', abbreviation for Radhi Allahu Anhu, in this post and Insha'Allah will do the same in other posts soon. May Allah guide us all!

      ReplyDelete
    4. SubhanAllah

      nice One

      May Allah bless you

      ReplyDelete
    5. Assalamu alaykum

      JazakAllah for such a good and illuminating article. May Allah bless you for your endeavours, ameen!

      Brother, one question arose in my mind. If the hadith is incomplete then why is it in 'Sahih' Bukhari? Should we alter this book?

      ReplyDelete
    6. Wa Alaykumussalam wr wb..

      Just before the 'turn the tables' part I have added a heading. Please see that..

      Sahih means Sahih in Chain i.e. its reported through authentic narrators. Its only that some sahaba heard only a part of the narration. We need not to change the work of Imam Bukhari but only to clarify that its not true and a trustworthy narrator made a mistake which is clarified by other authentic narrations.

      anyway jazakillah as your query helped answer what may be an objection by some lunatics.

      ReplyDelete
    7. Salamualaikum.

      So this means that Sahabas could make mistakes in narrating Hadiths, so they are not 100% authentic like the Quran right?

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Wa alaikum assalam

        Yes this kind of "mistakes" of not being able to listen the whole discussion but just words said in their presence are possible. These can be easily taken care of by taking into consideration all the related narrations. But this does not warrant doubting hadith literature as a whole.

        It only shows getting to conclusions after partial study is wrong. Like if someone were to reject and declare false the narration from other sahaba, without consideration the narration from Sayyidah Aisha (ra), he/she would end up wrong.

        And Allah knows the best!

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    8. Masha'allah, very good article.
      Keep up the good work.

      ReplyDelete