Bukhari

Explanation:
The arrogant person is afflicted with the folly of his arrogance, considering it beneath his dignity to acquire knowledge from anyone, while the shy person, due to his lack of understanding, displays modesty in a situation where there is no place for modesty or shyness.

The women of the Ansar did not exhibit any kind of shyness when inquiring about those specific issues that pertain exclusively to women. The fact is, if they had not asked the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) about these matters with clarity, then where would Muslim women today find guidance for this aspect of their lives? Similarly, in the aforementioned hadith, Sayyidah Umm Sulaym (radi Allahu anha) very beautifully first mentioned the special attribute of Allah Ta'ala—that He does not feel shy in stating the truth—then she asked about an issue which, outwardly, is related to modesty, but as a legal matter, it was necessary to inquire about it. Thus, the greatest favor upon the entire ummah is from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), who openly explained even those matters related to personal life which people generally, relying on undue shyness, do not discuss. On the other hand, this ummah is also greatly indebted to the female Companions, who asked him all the questions that every woman may need to know.

Sayyidah Zaynab bint Abdullah ibn al-Asad al-Makhzumi was a highly learned woman of her time. Her noble mother, Umm Salamah (radi Allahu anha), after the death of her husband Abdullah and completing her waiting period (‘iddah) following the Battle of Uhud, was honored to become the wife of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and thus her upbringing took place in his household. Umm Salamah (radi Allahu anha) was the first woman in Islam to migrate to Madinah Tayyibah. Her husband, Abu Salamah, participated in the Battle of Badr, was wounded at Uhud, and later passed away. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) performed his funeral prayer with nine takbirs. At that time, Umm Salamah (radi Allahu anha) was pregnant. After giving birth, she was honored to enter the household of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Umm Sulaym was the respected mother of Anas (radi Allahu anhu) and the pure wife of Abu Talhah al-Ansari. She also holds a very high status in Islam. May Allah be pleased with them all (radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in).

Hadith Authentication (Takhrij al-Hadith):
[180۔ البخاري فى : 3 كتاب العلم : 50 باب الحياء فى العلم 130، مسلم 313، حميدي 298، ترمذي 122]

Linguistic Explanation:
«تَرِبَتْ يَمِيْنُكَ» "May your hands be dust-covered." The Arabs use this phrase merely for the purpose of expressing rejection, regardless of its literal meaning.

«فَبِمَ يُشْبِهُهَا وَلَدُهَا» "Then why does her child resemble her (if she does not have seminal fluid)?" The meaning is that the child is formed from the fluids (i.e., semen) of both the man and the woman, and then whichever fluid predominates, the child will resemble that one more.

Hadith Commentary:
The women of the Ansar did not exhibit any kind of shyness in asking about those specific issues which pertain exclusively to women. It is a fact that if they had not asked the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) about these matters with clarity, then where would Muslim women today find guidance for this aspect of their lives? Similarly, in the aforementioned hadith, Umm Sulaym (radi Allahu anha) first, with great beauty, mentioned the special attribute of Allah—that He does not feel shy in stating the truth—and then she asked about an issue which, outwardly, is related to modesty, but as a legal matter, it was necessary to inquire about it. Thus, the greatest favor upon the entire Ummah is first and foremost from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), who openly explained even those matters related to personal life which people, due to undue shyness, generally do not mention. On the other hand, this Ummah is also deeply indebted to the female Companions, who asked him about all the issues that every woman needs to know.

Zaynab bint Abdullah ibn al-Asad al-Makhzumi was a highly learned and virtuous woman of her time. Her noble mother, Umm Salamah (radi Allahu anha), after completing her waiting period (‘iddah) following the death of her husband Abdullah after the Battle of Uhud, was honored to become the wife of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and thus her upbringing took place in the very household of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

Umm Salamah (radi Allahu anha) was the first woman in Islam to migrate to Madinah Tayyibah. Her husband, Abu Salamah, participated in the Battle of Badr, was wounded in Uhud, and later passed away. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) performed his funeral prayer with nine takbirs. At that time, Umm Salamah was pregnant. After giving birth, she was honored to enter the household of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

Umm Sulaym was the respected mother of Anas (radi Allahu anhu) and the pure wife of Abu Talhah al-Ansari. She also holds a very high status in Islam. May Allah be pleased with them all (radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in).

Hadith Commentary:
➊
In the chapter of ethics, modesty (haya) is a praiseworthy trait.
In the hadiths, it has been declared a branch of faith, and it is also described as the entirety of goodness and blessing.
(Sahih Muslim, Al-Iman, Hadith: 157(37))
Its outcomes are also good, but sometimes a person uses a good thing incorrectly, and the misuse leads to bad results.
For example:
Sometimes, using modesty as an excuse, a person is deprived of knowledge; therefore, while holding onto modesty, one may ask questions.
In other words, one should not ask questions shamelessly.
The narration of Mujahid rahimahullah has been mentioned by Abu Nu‘aym in Al-Hilyah (3/328) with a connected chain, and its meaning is that the one who uses modesty as an excuse is deprived of knowledge.
From the statement of Aisha radi Allahu anha, it is understood that both modesty and the pursuit of knowledge should be maintained.
The women of the Ansar adopted this same approach.
That is, they maintained modesty and also pursued knowledge; this hadith of Sayyidah Aisha radi Allahu anha is narrated with a connected chain in Sahih Muslim and others.
(Sahih Muslim, Al-Hayd, Hadith: 748(332))
The purpose of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah is that modesty should not become a cause for a student to be deprived of knowledge, and also, when asking questions about matters related to modesty, one should maintain decency—so that both modesty remains and the objective is achieved.

➋
Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha had even more modesty than Umm Sulaym radi Allahu anha, such that out of shyness she covered her face.
The meaning of her question was whether, if a woman experiences this state, it is contrary to piety and religiosity? The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also maintained complete modesty in his answer, stating that Allah Ta‘ala has placed an essence in both man and woman, and from their union, children are born, and the child may resemble the mother, the father, or both.
There are countless children who have the complexion of the mother but the features of the father.
From the answer of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it is understood that experiencing a wet dream (ihtilam) is a natural state and is not contrary to piety and religiosity.

Sahih Bukhari Chapter: «بَابُ خَلْقِ آدَمَ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ:»

Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:

Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has shed light in the chapter heading (tarjamat al-bab) on the creation of Adam alayhis salam and his progeny, that is, his offspring. However, there are no explicit words in the hadith that, at first glance, indicate the relevance between the chapter and the hadith. But upon careful study, the connection between the hadith and the chapter is established through a single word. Read the last word of the hadith, in which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, in response to their question, said:

«فبم يشبه الولد»

In this phrase of the hadith, the birth of a child is mentioned, and in the chapter heading, the creation of Adam alayhis salam and his offspring is also mentioned.

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says:
«والغرض منه قوله فى آخره فبم يشبه الولد ؟» [فح الباري : 307/7]
That is, the purpose of the hadith in relation to the chapter heading is connected with these words:
«فبم يشبه الولد ؟»

◈ Allamah Baydawi rahimahullah says:
«هذا استدلال على أن لها منيًّا كما للرجل منيّ والولد مخلوق منهما إذ لو لم يكن بها ماء وكان الولد من مائه المجدد لم يكن يشبهها لأن الشبه بسبب ما بينهما من المشاركة» [ارشاد الساري للقسطلاني : 9/139]
“The reasoning from the chapter heading is as follows: just as a man has seminal fluid, so does a woman, and the creation of offspring is from both of them. If the woman did not have fluid, the child would not resemble the mother (i.e., the child’s resemblance to the mother is due to her fluid).”

Thus, if the man’s fluid dominates over the woman’s, the child resembles the father, and if the opposite occurs, that is, the woman’s fluid dominates over the man’s, then the child will resemble the mother, and it is possible that a girl will be born.

The intent of Allamah Baydawi rahimahullah is clear: he too is mentioning the birth of the human being that results from the mutual relations of man and woman. That is, the relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith is confined to a word in the hadith, and the word in the hadith is related to the reproductive system. Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah and other commentators have also pointed to this. Therefore, the relevance of the chapter to the hadith lies in the last word of the hadith.

◈ Allamah Abdul Haq al-Hashimi rahimahullah says:
The purpose of the hadith and the chapter is in the last phrase of the hadith,
«فبم يشبه الولد» [لب اللباب : 190/3]

Hadith Commentary:
➊
This hadith shows that, just like a man, a woman also has seminal fluid (mani) and sperm (nutfa), and it is from the combination of these two substances that a child is born.
If the woman did not have sperm (nutfa) and the child was produced only from the man’s sperm, then the child would never resemble the woman.
If the man’s sperm (nutfa) overcomes the woman’s seminal fluid (mani) and reaches the womb first, then the child will resemble the man and a boy will be born. And if the woman’s sperm (nutfa) overcomes the man’s seminal fluid (mani) and reaches the womb first, then the child will resemble the woman and a girl will be born.
We will explain this in detail under the following hadith.

➋
This hadith mentions the creation of the children of Adam, which is why Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has narrated it.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
This Zaynab was the stepdaughter of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Her father was Abu Salamah, whose name was Abdullah ibn Abd al-Asad al-Makhzumi, and his kunyah was Abu Salamah.
He was the real cousin of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) from his paternal aunt.
His mother’s name was Barrah bint Abd al-Muttalib, and Abu Salamah was also a milk-brother of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
His wife, Umm Salamah, migrated with him to Abyssinia, but they returned to Makkah. When they migrated again to Madinah, their child Salamah was seized by his paternal relatives, and Umm Salamah was forcibly detained by her own family.
Abu Salamah, with a broken heart, left his wife and children out of love for Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and went to Madinah.
Umm Salamah (radi Allahu anha) wept continuously for a year and would come daily to the place where she had been separated from her husband. Her restlessness and weeping eventually moved even her hard-hearted relatives to compassion, and they allowed her to go to her husband.
She set out alone for Madinah. In the Battle of Uhud, Abu Salamah was severely wounded, and in Jumada al-Akhirah, 3 AH, he passed away due to those wounds.
At that time, he made a supplication: “O Allah! Take good care of my family.” This supplication was accepted, and Abu Salamah’s family was granted a guardian like the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and Umm Salamah was given the title and status of Mother of the Believers (Umm al-Mu’minin).
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) gave such education and upbringing to the children of Abu Salamah that from ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah, great companions such as Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib, Abu Umamah ibn Sahl, and ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr (radi Allahu anhum) narrated hadith, and ‘Ali appointed him as governor of Fars and Bahrain.
Abu Salamah’s daughter Zaynab was the most learned woman of her time in jurisprudence (fiqh). She was still a child when, one day while playing, she came to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) while he was performing ritual bath (ghusl). He affectionately sprinkled water on her face, and the freshness of her face remained as youthful in old age as it was in youth.
She passed away in Madinah at the age of 84 in the year 60 AH.

Hadith Commentary:
There should be no shyness when seeking knowledge about religious matters. Thus, Umm Sulaym radi Allahu anha, by way of praise and glorification, first mentioned an attribute of Allah Ta’ala—that He is not shy to state the truth. Then, we too should not feel embarrassed to ask about the truth. After this, she asked a question arising from real life, which is entirely based on modesty and shyness, but she set aside this type of shyness and asked the question, because such a question was a means of acquiring religious knowledge.
If she had considered shyness and refrained from asking, we would have been deprived of this religious matter.

Explanation:
From this hadith, it is understood that women also experience nocturnal emission (ihtilam). The same ruling applies to them as to men: if, upon waking, she finds traces of semen (mani) as wetness on her clothes or body, then performing the ritual bath (ghusl) is obligatory. If she does not find any wetness, then the ritual bath is not obligatory.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
The women of the Ansar did not display any kind of conventional shyness when inquiring about issues that pertained specifically to women. Thus, Umm Sulaym rahimahullah was the first to beautifully mention Allah’s attribute of modesty (haya), stating that Allah does not feel shy from the truth. Then, while remaining within the bounds of modesty and shyness, she asked a question that outwardly pertained to shyness, but as a legal issue, it was necessary to inquire about it.
If she had acted with the kind of shyness typical of women in asking this, not only would she herself have been deprived of a religious ruling, but all other Muslim women would have remained unaware of it as well.
In this regard, it is a great favor of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam upon this ummah that he openly explained matters related to personal life which, due to conventional modesty and shyness, are generally not discussed.
On the other hand, the blessed female Companions radi Allahu anhunna ajma‘in also did a great favor to this ummah by asking the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam such questions that every Muslim woman might need in her life, and which sometimes even feel awkward to ask one’s own husband.

➋
The word “istihya” (modesty/shyness) contains a passive quality, which Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has described as change and humility.
The scholars have faced a significant difficulty at this point: in what sense should this be attributed to Allah Ta‘ala? According to them, in this meaning, it is not correct to attribute it to Allah, so they interpreted it with these words: Allah Ta‘ala does not prescribe shyness or modesty in matters of truth.
The correct position is that for those matters which Allah Ta‘ala Himself has attributed to His own noble Self, we too will not hesitate to attribute them to Allah.
However, we do not know their modality (kayfiyyah), so we leave the matter of modality to Allah.
There is absolutely no room for interpretation (ta’wil) at this point.
The attribute of modesty (haya) will be attributed to Allah in a manner befitting His majesty, and in such a way that the creation does not resemble the Creator in this attribute in any way, just as is the position of the people of truth (Ahl al-Haqq) regarding the other attributes of Allah Ta‘ala.
This is the path of salvation and the correct position.

➌
With this heading, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah intends to show that just as men experience nocturnal emission (ihtilam), so too do women. If, in a dream, a woman sees herself in a state of intercourse, and upon waking finds wetness on her clothes, then ritual bath (ghusl) becomes obligatory upon her.
The ruling regarding nocturnal emission is equal for both men and women: if ejaculation (inzal) occurs during sleep, ritual bath is obligatory for both; if ejaculation does not occur, ritual bath is not obligatory for either. Thus, Imam Tirmidhi rahimahullah has established a chapter in his Jami‘ with these words: “Whoever wakes up and sees wetness but does not remember a dream of nocturnal emission.” Then he narrated a hadith from ‘A’ishah radi Allahu anha:
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asked: What is the ruling for a person who sees wetness but does not remember a dream of nocturnal emission? He replied:
“He should perform ritual bath (ghusl).”
Then he was asked about a person who remembers a dream of nocturnal emission but does not see wetness. He replied:
“There is no ritual bath (ghusl) upon him.”
At this, Umm Sulaym said:
O Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam! If a woman sees this, is ritual bath obligatory upon her as well? He replied:
“Yes, ritual bath is obligatory upon her too, for women are like men.”
(Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, al-Taharah, Hadith: 113)
These ahadith validate the mere presence of semen (mani), whether accompanied by gushing and desire or not.

➍
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has written that this hadith refutes the position of those who say that there is no emission or appearance of fluid in women, and that a woman’s ejaculation can only be known by her feeling of desire. According to them, “seeing fluid” means “knowing about the fluid,” i.e., “seeing” is to be understood as “knowing.”
This view is incorrect.
It is more appropriate to take the words in their apparent meaning.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/505)
In one narration, Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha asked in astonishment:
Does a woman also experience nocturnal emission? He replied:
“Why not? It happens; otherwise, how would the child resemble the mother in appearance?”
This proves that, just as men have seminal fluid (mani), so too do women, and a child is created from the fluids of both.
When the existence of semen for women is established, then its emission and discharge are also possible, even though this occurs less frequently in women during sleep.

➎
The wording in Sahih Muslim is that the man’s fluid is thick and white, and the woman’s fluid is thin and yellow, and whichever of the two fluids prevails, the child takes after that one in appearance and resemblance.
In some narrations, it is stated that whichever fluid reaches the womb first, the child’s gender will be determined accordingly.
On this basis, four scenarios are possible:
©.
If the man’s fluid reaches the womb first and prevails over the woman’s fluid, then the child will be male and will resemble the paternal side in appearance.
©.
If the woman’s fluid reaches the womb first and her fluid prevails, then the child will be female and will resemble the maternal side in appearance.
©.
If the man’s fluid reaches the womb first, but the woman’s fluid prevails, then the child will be male, but will resemble the maternal side in appearance.
©.
If the woman’s fluid reaches the womb first, but the man’s fluid prevails, then the child will be female, but will resemble the paternal side in appearance.
And Allah knows best.

English Commentary:
1:
The meaning is that Allah, due to modesty and shyness, does not refrain from stating the truth;
so I too will not refrain from asking about those matters which I need and require.

2:
By "the man who sees" is meant a wet dream (i.e., nocturnal emission).

3:
This contains evidence that the emission of semen (mani) makes ritual bath (ghusl) obligatory upon a woman as well;
and it is also understood from this that, just like men, women also experience wet dreams (i.e., nocturnal emission).

197. Commentary:

➊ In these narrations, there is a difference of opinion between Imam Zuhri and Hisham bin Urwah as to whether this conversation is attributed to Aisha or to Umm Salamah (radi Allahu anhuma). According to Imam Abu Dawud rahimahullah, the narration of Zuhri is preferred, meaning that this conversation took place between Aisha and Umm Sulaym (radi Allahu anhuma), and he has also mentioned supporting evidences for this. However, according to the research of Qadi Iyad, this conversation occurred between Umm Salamah and Umm Sulaym (radi Allahu anhuma), thus the narration of Hisham bin Urwah would be preferred, and Imam Bukhari rahimahullah also inclines towards this view. See: [صحیح البخاري ، العلم ، حدیث : 130]
However, Allamah Nawawi rahimahullah has reconciled between both narrations by stating that it is quite possible that both Umm Salamah and Aisha (radi Allahu anhuma) were present on this occasion and both expressed their amazement. And Allah knows best. [شرح مسلم للنووي : 286/3 ، تحت حديث : 331 ، وعون المعبود : 403/1 ، 404 تحت حديث : 237]

➋ The statement of Umm Sulaym which she made before her question, “Indeed, Allah does not shy away from the truth,” is evidence of her perfect etiquette, meaning that something which is not customarily spoken about, but I have a religious need for it, should be explained. Aisha (radi Allahu anha) states that how excellent are the women of the Ansar, that modesty does not prevent them from seeking understanding of the religion. [صحیح البخاري ، قبل حدیث : 130]

Commentary:
(1)
A woman may ask any kind of religious question from a male scholar, but the manner and choice of words should be appropriate and in accordance with the requirements of modesty.

(2)
Umm al-Mu’minin radi Allahu anha was surprised at this question because she had never encountered such a situation herself. The reason for this is that this situation rarely occurs among women, whereas it is a common issue among men.

(3)
A ritual bath (ghusl) does not become obligatory merely by seeing an act of intercourse or something similar in a dream; rather, ghusl becomes obligatory upon ejaculation. Therefore, if seminal fluid is seen on the body or clothing, then performing ghusl becomes obligatory, whether the dream is remembered or not.

(4)
The literal meaning of (تَرِبَتْ يَمِينُكِ) is “may your right hand be soiled with dust,” but the Arabs use such idiomatic expressions at times of surprise or rebuke; the literal meaning is not intended.

(5)
Since both the man’s and the woman’s fluid contribute to the creation of a child, sometimes the child resembles the father or paternal relatives, and sometimes the mother or maternal relatives. The meaning of the Prophetic statement is that when this fluid exists in a woman, from which a child is created, it can also be discharged from the body during a dream, so this is not something surprising.

Lexical Explanation:
«لَا يَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ» After "Ha" there are two "Ya"s. In this, "Ha" is silent. The meaning is that she does not refrain from stating the truth, nor does she abandon the truth out of shyness like someone who is bashful. In the same way, I cannot refrain from asking about those matters regarding which I have need and necessity. She said this by way of apology, because women feel shy in asking such questions.

«إذَا احتلمت» That is, when she experiences a wet dream (i.e., nocturnal emission). In another narration, the words: «إذَا رَأَتْ أَنَّ زَوْجَهَا يُحَامِعُهَا فِي الْمَنَامِ» are also transmitted. [مسند أحمد : 346/6، 377]
That is, when she sees in a dream that her husband is having conjugal relations with her.

«اذا رأتِ انمَاء» When, upon waking from sleep, she sees semen.

Narrator of the Hadith:
(Sayyidah Umm Sulaym radi Allahu anha) Her name was Rumaysa or Ghumaysa bint Milhan. She was the mother of Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik radi Allahu anhu. She was a virtuous and learned lady. She was married to Malik bin Nadr. She accepted Islam. When she presented Islam to her husband, he became angry for this reason and fled towards Syria, where he died. After the death of Malik bin Nadr, Abu Talhah proposed marriage to her. At that time, Abu Talhah was still a polytheist. Umm Sulaym set the condition that if he accepted Islam, she would marry him. Abu Talhah radi Allahu anhu accepted this condition and became Muslim, so Umm Sulaym radi Allahu anha married him. She possessed many virtues and merits. She passed away during the caliphate of Sayyiduna Uthman radi Allahu anhu.

Lexical Explanation:
«مَا يَرَي الرَّجُلُ» Here, this refers to nocturnal emission (ihtilam).
«فَمِنْ أَيْنَ يَكُونُ الشِّبْهُ؟» In the word "shubhah," the "sheen" carries a kasrah and the "ba" is sukun, though both can also be read with a fathah. It means resemblance. In this, «أَيْنَ» is an interrogative, which is actually to refute the notion of Sayyidah Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha that whether women also experience nocturnal emission. The summary of the discussion is that sometimes a child resembles the father, and sometimes the mother or maternal aunts. This is only possible if, at the time of sexual desire, seminal fluid (mani) is also discharged from the woman and she participates in the creation and constitution of the child. The denial by Sayyidah Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha indicates that nocturnal emission in women is rare, i.e., it occurs very infrequently, not as frequently as it does in men.

Benefit:
Just as men experience nocturnal emission (ihtilam) and ritual bath (ghusl) becomes obligatory upon them, similarly, this can also occur to women, and in such a case, ritual bath (ghusl) is obligatory upon them as well. As for the issue of the child’s resemblance, it is established from the hadith that when the man’s fluid prevails, the newborn resembles the father, and when the woman’s fluid prevails, the child resembles the mother. [صحيح البخاري، مناقب النصار، حديث : 3938]

Benefit:
It is established from this hadith that there is nothing wrong with expressing the truth; a truth spoken today will, insha Allah, benefit many people. A woman also experiences nocturnal emission (ihtilam), and the ruling for her is the same as for a man: if, upon waking, she finds traces of semen (mani) on her clothes or body, she must perform the ritual bath (ghusl). If she does not find any traces of wetness, then the ritual bath is not obligatory upon her.