Man has to use his memory to remember the events and he is the ONLY ONE who is responsible for the accuracy of the witness. Whereas, woman has to take help of another woman. Isn’t the blessing?
Don’t you know how big is the burden of witness?
It was narrated that Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Shall I not tell you of the greatest of major sins?” We said, “Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allaah.” He said … “And false speech and false witness, and false speech and false witness,” and he kept on saying it until I thought he would never stop. [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5631; Muslim, 87]
Imam Abu Ali Husayn al Shoshawi (d 899 h) said:
فرب رجل يكون أضعف عقلاً من كثير من النساء، ومع ذلك هو مكلف بإجماع، ورب امرأة تكون أكثر عقلاً من كثير من الرجال… وكانت – رضي الله عنها – من سادات العلماء رضي الله عنها. وقال عليه السلام: “نِعْم النساء نساء الأنصار، لم يمنعهن الحياء أن يتفقهن في الدين”
And there are cases where the Man has weaker mind then many of the women and still he is obliged (to follow Islam). And sometimes the woman has much better mind than many men.. Aishah May Allah be pleased with her was among the greatest of the scholars, She said: “How good were the women of the Ansar: For they did not let shyness keep them from understanding their religion properly.”
[رفع النقاب عن تنقيح الشهاب 2/304]
The scholars of Islamweb states:
“there are some fields in which women overcome men. For example, there are many fields in which Allah made the witness of one woman to be enough, such as in matters relating to menses, birth, women defects, suckling and other matters that men can not know. Allah exempted women from the prayer and fasting during their menstrual period. This concession is actually a sign of blessing and mercy of Allah on the woman as she faces many biological changes during this period.” [Islamweb Fatwa No : 81237]
So, Do not view Islam from a western mindset. Do not make a blessing in to a Curse.
The meaning of “I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you”
The Prophet peace be upon him addressed some specific women and asked for alms and said:
“O women! You curse frequently, and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. O women, some of you can lead a cautious wise man astray.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 1462]
In easy words the Prophet peace be upon him wanted that the sins of some women should be removed by giving Alms and he was harsh in this case.
Ibn Hajr al Asqalani mentioned many benefits from the hadith (, one of them is:
وفيه الإغلاظ في النصح بما يكون سببا لإزالة الصفة التي تعاب ، وأن لا يواجه بذلك الشخص المعين ; لأن في التعميم تسهيلا على السامع
It is allowed to be harsh (i.e. Exaggerate) while advising due to which the sin is removed. But without specifying any person (i.e. it should be general). [Fath al Bari under hadith no. 304]
Allah says:
And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and PREVENT EVIL WITH GOOD – those will have the good consequence of [this] home – [13 : 22]
And that is what happened, The wife of Ibn Masud came to him and said,
“O Prophet of Allah! Today you ordered people to give alms and I had an ornament and intended to give it as alms, but Ibn Mas`ud said that he and his children deserved it more than anybody else.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “Ibn Mas`ud had spoken the truth. Your husband and your children had more right to it than anybody else.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 1462]
Ibn Hajr al Asqalani also said:
وليس المقصود بذكر النقص في النساء لومهن على ذلك ; لأنه من أصل الخلقة ، لكن التنبيه على ذلك تحذير من الافتتان بهن
“Blaming the women was not reason behind the use of the word Nuqsan(deficient) for women.. It was used to warn the women…” [Fath al Bari under hadith no. 304]
How the Prophet peace be upon him dealt with Mother Aisha in normal circumstances when Aisha May Allah be pleased with her said “I can not pray” due to Monthly cycle. Did he say O Woman you are deficient in Religion?
Aisha said:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) came to me while I was weeping.
He asked me the reason for it. I replied, “I have heard of what you have said to your companions and I cannot do the `Umra.”
He asked me, “What is the matter with you?” I replied, “I am not praying.”
He said, “THERE IS NO HARM IN IT AS YOU ARE ONE OF THE DAUGHTERS OF ADAM and the same is written for you as for others. So, you should perform Hajj and I hope that Allah will enable you to perform the `Umra as well.”
So, I carried on till we departed from Mina and halted at Al-Mahassab. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) called `Abdur- Rahman and said, “Go out of the sanctuary with your sister (Aisha) and let her assume Ihram for `Umra, and after both of you have finished the Tawaf I will be waiting for you at this place.” We came back at midnight and the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked us, “Have you finished?” I replied in the affirmative. [Sahih al-Bukhari 1788]
In short, there is no harm for women when they leave prayer in their monthly periods, rather they will get reward of following command, Which is a blessing for them. And the Prophet peace be upon him was harsh only for a reason that the women should give alms so that their sin get removed. Otherwise in normal circumstance He peace be upon him dealt in very calm and beautiful way with Aisha.
Did you ever see a Man saying “Why My witness is not even needed in in matters relating to women only”.
Ibn al Munzar (Born 241h Died 318 h) said:
واتفقوا على قبول شهادتهن مفردات فيما لا يطلع عليه الرجال ، كالحيض والولادة والاستهلال وعيوب النساء
They (the scholars) are agreed upon to accept the witness of women in the matters related to women that men can not know like menses, birth, al Istahlal and women defects. [Fath al Bari under the hadith 2658]
So, do not see Islam through the eyes of kuffar. They try to fool you. The more you read about Islam, the more beautiful things you will know.
When Asma bint Umais won the discussion against the mountain of knowledge Umar ibn al Khattab.
Asma’ bint ‘Umais who had migrated to Abyssinia and had come back along with immigrants visited Hafsa, the wife of Allah’s Apostle (Peace be upon him).
(Accordingly), Umar had been sitting with her (Hafsa). As ‘Umar saw Asma, he said: Who is she? She (Hafsa) said: She is Asma, daughter of ‘Umais.
He said: She is an Abyssinian and a sea-woman.
Asma said: Yes, it is so.
Thereupon ‘Umar said: We preceded you in migration and so we have more right to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) as compared with you.
At this she felt annoyed and said: ‘Umar, you are not stating the fact; by Allah, you had the privilege of being in the company of the Messenger (peace be upon him) who fed the hungry among you and instructed the ignorant amongst you, whereas we had been far (from here) in the land of Abyssinia amongst the enemies and that was all for Allah and Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) and, by Allah, I would never take food nor take water unless I make a mention to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) of what you have said. We remained in that country in constant trouble and dread and I shall talk about it to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) and ask him (about it). By Allah, I shall not tell a lie and deviate (from the truth) and add anything to that.
So, when Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) came, she said: Allah’s Apostle, ‘Umar says so and so.
Upon this Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: His right is not more than yours, for him and his companions there is one migration, but for you, i. e. for the people of the boat, there are two migrations.
She said: I saw Abu Musa and the people of the boat coming to me in groups and asking me about this hadith, because there was nothing more pleasing and more significant for them than this.
Abu Burda reported that Asma said: I saw Abu Musa, asking me to repeat this hadith to him again and again.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2502, 2503
SubhanAllah what a beautiful answer and how the Prophet peace be upon him agreed with her and how the giants of knowledge like Abu Musa asked her to repeat it again and again.
Intelligence of Subaia bint Al-Harith and Prophet’s (peace be upon him) verdict in her favor.
When Subaia bint Al-Harith completed the term of deliver (i.e. became clean after her husbans’s death), she prepared herself for suitors.
Abu As-Sanabil, a man from the tribe of Bani Abd-ud-Dal called on her and said to her, “What! I see you dressed up for the people to ask you in marriage. Do you want to marry By Allah, you are not allowed to marry unless four months and ten days have elapsed (after your husband’s death).”
Subaia said, “When he (i.e. Abu As-Sanabil) said this to me. I put on my dress in the evening and went to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) and asked him about this problem. He gave the verdict that I was free to marry as I had already given birth to my child and ordered me to marry if I wished.”
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 3991
Ibn Hajr mentioned some benefits from above hadith:
وفيه ما كان في سبيعة من الشهامة والفطنة
Subaia’s Shahamah and intelligence is proven from this hadith..
He also said:
وفيه جواز تجمل المرأة بعد انقضاء عدتها لمن يخطبها ، لأن في رواية الزهري الي في المغازي ” فقال ما لي أراك تجملت للخطاب ” وفي رواية ابن إسحاق ” فتهيأت للنكاح واختضبت ” وفي رواية معمر عن الزهري عند أحمد ” فلقيها أبو السنابل وقد اكتحلت ” الأسود ” فتطيبت وتصنعت ”
It is allowed for a woman to beautify herself for the one who came for marriage after the period of her idda… the Narration of Ibn Ishaq states: “prepared for the marriage by using henna (on her hands)” and in the narration.. of Ahmad: “she was wearing kohl” and in the narration of Aswad: “she was wearing scent and prepared herself”. [Fath al Bari under the hadith 5318]