Bukhari

Chapter of Sahih Bukhari Hadith No. 2880: «بَابُ غَزْوِ النِّسَاءِ وَقِتَالِهِنَّ مَعَ الرِّجَالِ:»
Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, in the chapter heading, has indicated towards the participation of women in battle, whereas in the hadith itself there is no mention of fighting at all.
Ibn al-Munir rahimahullah writes:
«بوّب على غذوهن وقتالهن، وليس فى الحديث أنهن قاتلن فإما أن يريد أن إعانتهن للغزاة غذو، واما أن يريد إنهن ما ثبتن للمداوة و يسقى الجرحى فى حالة الهذيمة و الا هن يدافعن عن أنفسهن، هذا هو الغالب، فأضاف إليهن القتال لذالك.» [المتواري، ص: 161]
Ibn al-Munir rahimahullah, objecting to the chapter heading, said that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah established the chapter as “Women fighting alongside men,” but the hadith he cited as evidence does not mention battle or fighting at all. For this reason, there appears to be no relevance between the chapter and the hadith. Then Ibn al-Munir rahimahullah states that the relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith is as follows:
The assistance and support that women provided to the warriors and fighters was, in fact, their participation in battle and jihad.
I understand that in several ahadith, the Hajj of women has been declared as their jihad because it involves hardship for them. In the same way, tending to the wounds of the fighters, giving them water, and all such running about becomes the hardship of jihad for women. In support of this issue, Imam Abu Dawud rahimahullah has mentioned a hadith in his Sunan:
«أنها خرجت مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فى غزوة خيبر سادس ست نسوة، فبلغ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فبعث إلينا، فرأينا، فرأينا فيه الغضب، فقال: ”مع من خرجتن وبإذن من خرجتن؟“ فقال: يا رسول الله! خرجنا نغزل الشعر و نعين به فى سبيل الله، و معنا دواء للجرحى، و تناول السهام و نسقي السويق.» [سنن أبى داؤد، كتاب الجهاد، رقم الحديث: 2729 - مسند أحمد، ج 5، ص: 271 - النسائي فى الكبرى، رقم: 8879، و أسناده ضعيف]
“It is narrated from Sayyidah Umm Ziyad al-Ashja‘iyyah radi Allahu anha that she participated in the Battle of Khaybar with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and she was the sixth among six women. She says that when the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came to know, he sent for us. We presented ourselves before him and saw that he was angry. He said: ‘With whom and by whose permission have you come?’ We replied: ‘O Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam! We have come to spin thread and thus assist in jihad. We also have medicine for the wounded, we collect arrows and give them, and we serve sattu (roasted barley drink).’”
From the above hadith, it is clear that the jihad of women is that those women who participate in jihad should only assist in tending to wounds or in the maintenance of the fighters’ weapons.
Because it is established that the one who gives something to a fighter receives a reward equal to his. [عمدة القاري، ج 14، ص: 246]
That is, women did not fight the disbelievers; rather, they would participate in the battle and assist the fighters. Another hadith also points to this.
Bukhrah Haruriyyah wrote to Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma and asked whether women used to go out for jihad with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and whether he would give them a share from the spoils of war. . . Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma replied that women used to participate in battle during the time of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and as for giving them a share from the spoils of war . . . this was not done, but they would certainly be given gifts and rewards.
From the aforementioned hadith, it is clear that women would participate in jihad but would not fight; for this reason, they were not made partners in the spoils of war, and were only given gifts or rewards.
It is narrated in Sahih Muslim, in the Book of Jihad, that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would take women along in battles, and they would tend to the wounded and provide medical care. [صحيح مسلم، كتاب الجهاد والسير، رقم: 4682]
Another relevance between the chapter and the hadith is that the female Companions would also perform the duty of defending wounded fighters and protecting themselves, and for this reason, fighting has been attributed to them.
This issue is also supported by the following hadith in Sahih Muslim:
«أن ام سليم اتخذت يوم حنين خنجرا، فكان معها، فرآها أبوطلحة، فقال: يا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم! هذه أم سليم، معها خنجر، فقال لها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ”ما هذا الخنجر؟“ قالت: اتخذته إن دنا مني أحد من المشركين بقرت به بطنه.» [صحيح مسلم، كتاب الجهاد والسير، باب غزوة النساء مع الرجل، رقم: 4680]
“Sayyidah Umm Sulaym radi Allahu anha, on the day of Hunayn, had a dagger with her. Sayyiduna Abu Talhah radi Allahu anhu (her husband) saw her and asked the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: ‘O Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam! This is Umm Sulaym, and she has a dagger with her.’ The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked Sayyidah Umm Sulaym radi Allahu anha: ‘Why do you have this dagger?’ She replied: ‘If any polytheist comes near me, I will rip open his belly with it.’”
Imam Qastallani rahimahullah has mentioned in his commentary that during the era of Sayyiduna Umar al-Faruq radi Allahu anhu, in the Battle of Yarmuk, women also fought to the extent that they drove the enemy away. [إرشاد الساري، ج 5، ص: 84]
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah writes:
«ويحتمل أن يكون غرض البخاري بالترجمة أن يبين أنهن لا يقاتلن و أن خرجن فى الغزو فالتقدير بقوله: ”و قتالهن مع الرجال“ أى هل هو سائغ أو إذا خرجن مع الرجال فى الغزو.» [فتح الباري، ج 6، ص: 98]
It is possible that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s intent in the chapter heading is to clarify that even if women go out for battle, they will not fight. Thus, the implied wording would be: «و قتالهن مع الرجال، أى هو . . .», meaning, “Women fighting alongside men is well-known,” or, “If women go out for battle with men, they will restrict themselves to tending to the wounded or similar services.”
Ibn al-Mulaqqin rahimahullah also says that battle is not obligatory upon women, and there is no doubt that for women, giving water to the fighters, tending to wounds, and assisting them is their participation.
An Objection?
An objection arises regarding the aforementioned hadith: Sayyidah Aisha radi Allahu anha was non-mahram to Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik radi Allahu anhu, so how was it permissible for him to look at her shins?
Answer:
The scholars have answered this objection in two ways:
➊ This incident occurred before the command of hijab.
➋ Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu did not look intentionally, but his gaze fell by mistake.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says:
«وهذه كانت قبل الحجاب و يحتمل أنها كانت من غير قصد النظر.» [فتح الباري، ج 6، ص: 98]
“This incident is from before the command of hijab, and (another) possibility is that Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu’s seeing was unintentional (i.e., he did not intend it, but his gaze fell suddenly).”
Imam Nawawi rahimahullah, the commentator of Sahih Muslim, says:
«لأن يوم أحد كان قبل أمر النساء بالحجاب، أو لأنه لم يقصد النظر إلى بعض الساق، فهو محمول على أن تلك النظرة وقعت فجأة بغير قصد إليها.» [عمدة القاري، ج 14، ص: 246]
① That is, the incident of Uhud was before the command of hijab.
② Or, Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu did not intentionally or deliberately look at her shins, but it is to be understood that his gaze fell suddenly and unintentionally.
Imam Khattabi rahimahullah also says that this incident was either before hijab, or his gaze fell unintentionally. [الكواكب الدراري، ج 13، ص118]
Abu Yahya Zakariya al-Shafi‘i rahimahullah also inclined to the view that this incident was before hijab, or Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu’s gaze fell unintentionally on her shins. [منحة الباري، ج 6، ص: 24]
The summary of this brief discussion is that this incident was either before the command of hijab, or Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu’s seeing was unintentional.

Hadith Commentary:
Among the women of living nations, the spirit of freedom is also present to the highest degree, by virtue of which they sometimes perform such remarkable feats on the battlefield that the whole world is left astonished upon witnessing them. For example, in the present era, the Mujahideen of Palestine have gained much fame for their valiant deeds against the Jews, just as many Muslims have become renowned for their acts of jihad.

Umm Sulaym, the famous female Companion, was the daughter of Milhan and was married to Malik ibn Nadr.

From this union, the well-known Companion Anas (radi Allahu anhu) was born.

Malik ibn Nadr passed away while still in a state of disbelief.

Later, she married Abu Talhah.

Many Companions have narrated hadith from her.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
Among the women of living nations, the spirit of freedom is present to the highest degree, due to which they accomplish such remarkable feats even on the battlefield that other nations are left astonished upon witnessing them. Accordingly, in the Battle of Uhud, the women of Islam performed such deeds that became exemplary models for women in the future.
They would carry water skins on their shoulders from Madinah Tayyibah and pour water into the mouths of the wounded warriors.
In other narrations, it is mentioned that some women were assigned to bandage and treat the wounds of the injured warriors.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Jihad wa al-Siyar, Hadith 1775)
These actions of the women were considered as part of the fighting, and these women would also defend themselves.
This was given the status of combat (qital) for women.
➋
In any case, if it is permissible for women to go out for jihad, then combat (qital) is also permissible for them.