Gardens of the Righteous — Page 67
RIYADH AS-SALIHIN 34. . On Kindness towards Women. Allah, the Exalted, has said: 117. Consort with them in kindness (4. 20). 118. You cannot keep perfect balance emotionally between your wives, however much you might desire it, but incline not wholly towards one leaving the other in suspense. If you will maintain accord and are mindful of your duty to Allah, surely Allah is Most Forgiving, Ever. Merciful (4. 130). 67 275. Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet said: Treat women kindly. Woman has been created from a rib and the most crooked part of the rib is the uppermost. If you try to straighten it you will break it and if you leave it alone it will remain crooked. So treat women kindly (Bokhari and. Muslim). Another version is: A woman is like a rib; if you try to straighten it you will break it and if you wish to draw benefit from it you can do so despite its crookedness. Muslim's version is: Woman has been created from a rib and you cannot straighten her. If you wish to draw benefit from her do so despite her crookedness. If you try to straighten her you will break her, and breaking her means divorcing her. 276. Abdullah ibn Zam'a relates that he heard the Holy Prophet delivering an address. He mentioned the she-camel of Saleh, the Prophet, and the one who hamstrung her. He said: When the most wretched of them stood up (91. 13), means that a distinguished, wicked and most powerful chief of the people jumped up. Then he mentioned women and said: Some of you beat your wives as if they were slaves, and then consort with them at the end of the day. Then he admonished people against laughing at another's passing the wind, saying: Why does any of you laugh at another doing what he does himself (Bokhari and Muslim)? 277. Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet said: Let no Muslim man entertain any rancour against a Muslim woman. Should he dislike one quality in her, he would find another which is pleasing (Muslim). 278. Amr ibn Ahwas Jashmi relates that he heard the Holy Prophet say in his address on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage, after he had praised Allah and glorified Him and admonished people: Treat women kindly, they are like prisoners in your hands. You are not owed anything more by them. Should they be guilty of open indecency you may leave them alone in their beds and inflict slight chastisement. Then if they obey you do not have recourse to anything else against them. You have your rights concerning your wives and they have their rights concerning you. Your right is that they shall not permit anyone you dislike to enter your home, and their right is that you should treat them well in the matter of food and clothing (Tirmidhi).