❖ Causes Behind the Abundance of Women in Hell and Corrective Lessons ❖
✍ By: Raḍī al-Islām Nadwī
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"I saw that the majority of the inhabitants of Paradise were the poor, and the majority of the inhabitants of Hell were women."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb Badʾ al-Khalq, Ḥadīth: 3241, 5198)
The statements of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are not mere observations, but carry deep moral and reformative purposes.
The ḥadīth does not imply that women enter Hell simply for being women.
Rather, the reason is clearly stated:
"They are ungrateful to their husbands and disobedient."
Narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"I was shown the Hellfire and saw that the majority of its inhabitants were women."
It was asked: "Are they ungrateful to Allah?"
He ﷺ said:
"They are ungrateful to their husbands and unappreciative of kindness. If you do good to one of them all your life and she sees something she dislikes, she will say: 'You’ve never done any good for me.'"
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth: 5197)
✔ Women are not condemned, but warned against the traits of ingratitude and disobedience.
✔ Those who avoid these faults are safe from punishment.
✔ The objective is moral reform, not criticism or humiliation.
This ḥadīth does not mean that women must tolerate all injustice from their husbands.
Islam provides a just platform for women to raise grievances.
✔ The example of Sūrah al-Mujādilah is profound:
A woman complained to the Prophet ﷺ about her husband, and Allah revealed verses supporting her.
This proves that women have a Sharʿī right to express their concerns.
Some scholars interpret this ḥadīth in light of demographic reality:
✔ Women have always outnumbered men, and this trend will increase near the end of times.
✔ Thus, even if equal proportions of men and women enter Hell, numerically, women may appear more.
The Prophet ﷺ also mentioned abundant women in Jannah:
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
"The first group to enter Paradise will be as radiant as the full moon. Each man will have two wives, so transparent that the marrow of their bones will be visible."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ḥadīth: 7147)
In Fatḥ al-Bārī, he confirms:
"There will be more women than men in Paradise."
(Fatḥ al-Bārī 10/30)
① The ḥadīth’s intent is reform, not rebuke or condemnation
② Ingratitude and disobedience are the main causes mentioned for women's punishment — women who avoid these traits are not included
③ Paradise will also include a vast number of women, as stated in other aḥādīth
④ Islam recognizes women’s rights to raise complaints, as shown in Sūrah al-Mujādilah
✔ The Prophet ﷺ’s teachings aim at uplifting moral behavior
✔ Correcting faults is part of sincere guidance
✔ Women who adhere to faith, gratitude, and good character are among the most honored in the sight of Allah
✍ By: Raḍī al-Islām Nadwī
❀ Ḥadīth of ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn (رضي الله عنه)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"I saw that the majority of the inhabitants of Paradise were the poor, and the majority of the inhabitants of Hell were women."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb Badʾ al-Khalq, Ḥadīth: 3241, 5198)
❖ Purpose of the Ḥadīth: Not Condemnation, But Reform
The statements of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are not mere observations, but carry deep moral and reformative purposes.
- Just as he alerted the wealthy about the dangers of arrogance and negligence despite wealth,
- He similarly identified for women the specific traits that could lead to divine punishment, and conversely, how they may attain Paradise.
❖ Reasons for Women’s Entry into Hell
① Ingratitude and Disobedience
The ḥadīth does not imply that women enter Hell simply for being women.
Rather, the reason is clearly stated:
"They are ungrateful to their husbands and disobedient."
Narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"I was shown the Hellfire and saw that the majority of its inhabitants were women."
It was asked: "Are they ungrateful to Allah?"
He ﷺ said:
"They are ungrateful to their husbands and unappreciative of kindness. If you do good to one of them all your life and she sees something she dislikes, she will say: 'You’ve never done any good for me.'"
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth: 5197)
✦ Key Lesson:
✔ Women are not condemned, but warned against the traits of ingratitude and disobedience.
✔ Those who avoid these faults are safe from punishment.
✔ The objective is moral reform, not criticism or humiliation.
❖ Women’s Rights and the Scope of Complaint
This ḥadīth does not mean that women must tolerate all injustice from their husbands.
Islam provides a just platform for women to raise grievances.
✔ The example of Sūrah al-Mujādilah is profound:
A woman complained to the Prophet ﷺ about her husband, and Allah revealed verses supporting her.
This proves that women have a Sharʿī right to express their concerns.
❖ Another Angle: The Greater Number of Women in the World
Some scholars interpret this ḥadīth in light of demographic reality:
✔ Women have always outnumbered men, and this trend will increase near the end of times.
✔ Thus, even if equal proportions of men and women enter Hell, numerically, women may appear more.
❖ Evidence of Women’s Presence in Paradise
The Prophet ﷺ also mentioned abundant women in Jannah:
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
"The first group to enter Paradise will be as radiant as the full moon. Each man will have two wives, so transparent that the marrow of their bones will be visible."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ḥadīth: 7147)
◈ Commentary by Ibn Ḥajar (رحمه الله):
In Fatḥ al-Bārī, he confirms:
"There will be more women than men in Paradise."
(Fatḥ al-Bārī 10/30)
❖ Summary and Key Takeaways:
① The ḥadīth’s intent is reform, not rebuke or condemnation
② Ingratitude and disobedience are the main causes mentioned for women's punishment — women who avoid these traits are not included
③ Paradise will also include a vast number of women, as stated in other aḥādīth
④ Islam recognizes women’s rights to raise complaints, as shown in Sūrah al-Mujādilah
❖ Final Note:
✔ The Prophet ﷺ’s teachings aim at uplifting moral behavior
✔ Correcting faults is part of sincere guidance
✔ Women who adhere to faith, gratitude, and good character are among the most honored in the sight of Allah
