Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … The commentator of Abu Dawud, Allamah Azimabadi, said: The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam intended to tell the Mothers of the Believers that after the performance of this Hajj, they should remain in their homes, because Hajj is only obligatory once. From this hadith, it is understood that Hajj is obligatory only once, and this is why Imam Abu Dawud mentioned this hadith in the “Chapter of the Obligation of Hajj.” It has also been deduced from this hadith that it is not permissible for the Mothers of the Believers to perform Hajj again after the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada‘).

However, two answers have been given to this deduction:
(1) This is only a possibility, not a clear and explicit meaning such that the definite permissibility established by other texts should be abandoned. As is found in Sahih al-Bukhari, Lady Aisha radi Allahu anha said: “O Messenger of Allah! Should we not perform jihad with you?” The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: “The best and most beautiful jihad for you is an accepted Hajj (Hajj mabrur).” Lady Aisha radi Allahu anha said: “After hearing this hadith, I will never abandon performing Hajj.” The wording in the narration of Ibn Majah is: The Lady said: “O Messenger of Allah! Is jihad obligatory upon women?” The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: “Yes, but there is no fighting in it, and it is Hajj and ‘Umrah.”

In these ahadith, the intent of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is that jihad is not obligatory upon women in the same way it is upon men; it does not mean that it is forbidden for them to go out for jihad, because Lady Umm ‘Atiyyah radi Allahu anha narrates that women used to go out to treat the wounded. Lady Aisha radi Allahu anha understood from these ahadith, which encourage Hajj, that she could perform Hajj repeatedly. Therefore, in light of those evidences, the phrase “Hadhihi thumma zuhur al-husr” and the generality of {وَقَرْنَ فِیْ بُیُوْتِکُنَّ} (Surah al-Ahzab: 33) will be specified. In the beginning, Sayyiduna ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu also exercised caution (and had prohibited the Mothers of the Believers from performing Hajj), but then he realized the strength of Lady Aisha’s radi Allahu anha evidence, and towards the end of his caliphate, he permitted the Mothers of the Believers to perform Hajj. Then Sayyiduna ‘Uthman radi Allahu anhu also had them perform Hajj during his era. Imam Bayhaqi said: From the evidence of Lady Aisha radi Allahu anha, it is understood that the intent of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in the hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Waqqad ((Hadhihi thumma zuhur al-husr)) is that, just as for men, it is only obligatory for women to perform Hajj once; the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was not forbidding his wives from performing Hajj in the future. In summary, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was not commanding his wives to remain in their homes as an obligation; this is also mentioned in Fath al-Bari.

(2) In the hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Waqqad radi Allahu anhu, the prohibition means that the Mothers of the Believers may abandon performing Hajj in the future; it does not mean that they cannot perform Hajj at all after the Farewell Pilgrimage, because they did perform Hajj after the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, … . (Awn al-Ma‘bud: 1/852) May Allah have mercy on the commentators of the Prophetic hadith, a vast mercy.