Ahadith

Abu Shuraih Khuwailad ibn Amr Khuza‘i relates that the Holy Prophet said: Allah, I declare sinful any failure to safeguard the rights of two weak ones; orphans and women (Nisai). (Al-Hijr 90, Al-Kahf 30)

Mus‘ab ibn Sa‘ad ibn Abi Waqqas relates: Sa‘ad had a notion that he had a superiority over those who were not so well off as he was. The Holy Prophet said: You are helped and are provided for because of the weak and poor ones among you (Bokhari). (An-Nisa' 21, An-Nisa' 131)

Abu Darda‘ relates that he heard the Holy Prophet say: Look for me among the weak ones, for you are helped and provided for on account of the weak ones among you (Abu Daud). (An-Nisa' 21, An-Nisa' 131)

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. (An-Nisa' 21, An-Nisa' 131)

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)? (An-Nisa' 21, An-Nisa' 131)

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 hér, he would find another which is pleasing (Muslim). (An-Nisa' 21, An-Nisa' 131)

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 gloritied 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). (An-Nisa' 21, An-Nisa' 131)

Mu‘awiah ibn Haidah relates: I asked the Holy Prophet: What is the right of a wife against her husband? He said: Feed her when you feed yourself; clothe her when you clothe yourself, do not strike her on her face, do not revile her and do not separate yourself from her except inside the house (Abu Daud). (An-Nisa' 21, An-Nisa' 131)

Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet said: The most perfect of believers in the matter of faith is he whose behaviour is best; and the best of you are those who behave best towards their wives (Tirmidhi). (An-Nisa' 21, An-Nisa' 131)

Ilyas ibn Abdullah relates that the Holy Prophet admonished: Do not strike the handmaidens of Allah. Some time later Umar came to him and said: Women have become very daring vis-a-vis their husbands. So he permitted their chastisement. Thereafter a large number of women came to the wives of the Holy Prophet and complained against their husbands. The Holy Prophet announced: Many women have come to my wives complaining against their husbands. These men are not well-behaved (Abu Daud). (An-Nisa' 36)