Adab al-Mufrad

Benefits and Issues:
➊ Regarding the meaning of misfortune (nuhusat) in these things, scholars have different opinions. According to some scholars, it means that if misfortune were possible, it would have been in these three things, but even in them it is not, as is narrated from some chains from Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma and from other Companions, that if misfortune were possible, it would have been in these three. The second position is that sometimes misfortune does occur in these things. The misfortune of a house is its being cramped; if a wife is ill-mannered, bad-tempered, and disobedient, and a person cannot even separate from her, then this is her being unfortunate. If a mount is stubborn, or a horse is kept for showing off and ostentation, then there is misfortune in it, as there is neither worldly benefit nor benefit in the Hereafter.

➋ Some scholars have declared this narration to be irregular (shadh), and have considered the other wording, in which it is stated that if misfortune were possible, it would have been in these three things, to be authentic. Among them are Imam Tahawi, Ibn Abd al-Barr, and Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah. (: Da‘if al-Adab al-Mufrad)

➌ The preferred view appears to be that these things, in and of themselves, are based on goodness and blessing, as is evident from many ahadith. Therefore, if the aforementioned narration is accepted as authentic, as some imams have said, then its interpretation will be that sometimes, due to external reasons, misfortune comes into them, such as a house being cramped and dark, having too many family members, a wife being bad-tempered, of bad character, and disobedient, and a mount being stubborn, etc.

➍ It should be remembered that to declare every domestic quarrel as the misfortune of the house, or to blame the wife for every trouble by saying, “This is your misfortune,” is absolutely incorrect; rather, it is an ignorant habit from which utmost avoidance is necessary.