Anas bin Malik (RA) reported that Umm Sulaim was with the wives of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and a camel-driver had been driving (the camels) oil which they were riding. Thereupon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said: Anjasha, drive slowly, for you are carrying (on the camels) vessels of glass.
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
By "glass vessels," the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) meant women, because they too are delicate in constitution like glass.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 6161
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) outwardly used the words "glass," but by this he meant that women are delicate. And by "breaking the glass" is meant their falling down and getting hurt, but in reality, what he intended was that just as glass breaks when struck and then cannot be repaired, similarly, the sound of Hudi (the camel driver's song) would create a love for singing in the hearts of the women, and there is a fear that their morals would become corrupted by this, after which their reformation would be very difficult.
(2)
In any case, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), by uttering these words, intended the inner meaning rather than the apparent meaning, and there is no harm in doing so.
And Allah knows best.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 6211
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary: Anjasha was a servant of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and was of dark complexion. His singing voice was extremely beautiful and captivating, to the extent that even the camels would become enraptured upon hearing it. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam likened women to glass due to their delicacy, and he forbade Anjasha from driving the mounts quickly, lest in the swiftness any woman might fall from her mount. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned only Anjasha by name; this is the reason for the relevance of this narration to the chapter.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 6202
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
In the first hadith, the name of Aisha radi Allahu anha is mentioned in a shortened form as "Aish," and in the second hadith, the name of Anjasha is mentioned simply as "Anjash." The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, out of love and affection, omitted the last letter from these names when calling them, and doing so is permissible. In one hadith, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam called Uthman radi Allahu anhu by saying "Ya Uthm."
(al-Adab al-Mufrad, Hadith: 828)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 6202
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
By "glasses" (shishon), women were meant, who are in reality as delicate as glass. Anjasha, a slave, was the camel driver and had a very melodious voice.
Because of his singing, the camels became excited and started running swiftly.
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) feared that the women might fall, so he said, "Drive gently."
Some have criticized this by saying that women were likened to glass and considered as delicate as glass, but this analogy is very fine.
In reality, women are indeed so delicate.
It is a great favor of the Mercy to the Worlds (rahmatu lil-'alamin) upon the delicate gender that he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) made men aware of their weakness and delicacy at every step.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 6149
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Anjasha, a black man of Abyssinian descent, was a slave who would recite poetic chants (huda) with great melodiousness and drive the camels. The camels, affected by his melodious voice, began to run with excitement. Women were riding on those camels. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) sensed a danger that perhaps the women might fall, so he said: "Drive them gently."
(2)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) likened women to delicate glass vessels because of their sensitive nature, for if women become broken-hearted, it is very difficult for them to return to their natural state, just as glass quickly breaks and then cannot be repaired. Since women’s hearts are weak and they are quickly affected by melodious voices, their inclination towards listening to singing increases, and singing is a prelude to mental distraction. Therefore, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) cautioned Anjasha.
(3)
In any case, it is a great favor of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) upon this delicate gender that he constantly reminded men of their weakness and delicacy at every step. The purpose of Abu Qilabah’s statement at the end of the hadith is that since the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was at the highest ranks of eloquence and rhetoric, such speech was befitting for him. If an ordinary person were to use such a metaphor, you would begin to criticize him. (Fath al-Bari: 10/669)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 6149
Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim bin Basheer
Benefit:
It is established from this hadith that one should treat women with gentleness; a detailed explanation regarding this has already been discussed.
Source: Musnad al-Humaydi: Commentary by Muhammad Ibrahim bin Bashir, Page: 1241