The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 521
XI - Treachery of the Banū Quraiẓah and the End of the Jews in Madīnah, Laws of Marriage and Divorce 521 treatment of his wife. ” 1 The Holy Prophet sa would also state that a woman is like a rib bone, which is naturally curved and if a person attempts to bend it straight, it shall not be able to serve its purpose in the same manner as opposed to if it was left as is; furthermore, as a result, it shall break. In the same manner, a lady is also ‘curved’ in nature, i. e. , her disposition possesses certain special charms, which apparently seems crooked at times, but they are actually the essence of her femininity. If anyone attempts to straighten this curved nature of a woman, he shall not be able to do so; instead, in the likeness of a rib bone, she will break. 2 In other words, she will either be ruined, tossing and turning in agony like a fish out of water, or the matter shall escalate to separation or divorce. Hence, an individual should not undertake a useless effort to straighten the curved nature of a woman, which is part and parcel of her femininity. Instead, one should live harmoniously with her as she is. The Holy Prophet sa said: ُ اَن َّ اَعْوَج َ شَیْء ٍ فِی الضِّلْع ِ اَعْلَاه “The highest point of the ribcage is the most curved” 3 In other words, this natural curve in the disposition of a woman is the distinct quality of her gender, and the greater the level of a woman’s femininity, the more curved her disposition shall be in nature. For this is the spirit of her unique nature. In this immensely wise instruction, the Holy Prophet sa has placed the mindset of men upon a perfectly correct and natural foundation with regards to their treatment of women. Moreover, the Holy Prophet sa has impressed upon the Muslims that if certain specific traits of a woman happen to cause an individual grief at times due to their incorrect application or expression, then undoubtedly, he 1 * Mishkātul-Maṣābīḥ, Kitābun-Nikāḥ , Bābu ‘Ishratin-Nisā’, Al-Faṣluth-Thānī, Ḥadīth No. 3252, p. 597, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2003) * Sunanut-Tirmidhī, Kitābul-Manāqib, Bābu Faḍli Azwājin-Nabiyyi sa , Ḥadīth No. 3895 * Sunanud-Dārimī, Kitābun-Nikāḥ , Bābu Fī Ḥusni Mu‘āsharatin-Nisā’, Ḥadīth No. 2264 2 Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābur-Riḍā‘i, Bābul-Waṣiyyati Bin-Nisā’i, Ḥadīth No. 5186 3 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābun-Nikāḥ, Bābul-Waṣāti Bin-Nisā’, Ḥadīth No. 5186