❖ Islamic Clarification on the Ḥadīth About Women's Deficiency in Reason and Religion ❖
Narrated by Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ, during an Eid sermon, addressed the women and said:
“O women! Give charity, for I have seen that you are the majority of the inhabitants of Hell.”
The women asked,
“O Messenger of Allah! Why is that?”
He ﷺ replied:
“You frequently curse and are ungrateful to your husbands. Despite being deficient in reason and religion, I have not seen anyone more capable of overpowering the mind of a wise man than one of you.”
They asked,
“O Messenger of Allah! What is our deficiency in reason and religion?”
He ﷺ answered:
“Is not the testimony of a woman half that of a man?”
They replied, “Yes.”
He ﷺ said:
“That is the deficiency in her reason.”
Then he asked,
“Does she not refrain from prayer and fasting during menstruation?”
They said, “Yes.”
He ﷺ said:
“That is the deficiency in her religion.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ḥayḍ, Ḥadīth: 305)
Some misinterpret this ḥadīth to mean that women are inherently less intelligent or spiritually inferior — a claim the ḥadīth does not support. In fact, the ḥadīth itself contains its own clarification, especially when the Prophet ﷺ explains the terms “naqṣ al-ʿaql” and “naqṣ al-dīn”.
The Prophet ﷺ explained this as:
“Isn’t a woman’s testimony half that of a man?”
This refers to Sūrah al-Baqarah: 282, where Allah says:
{If one of them forgets, the other can remind her.}
Thus, the deficiency in reason here does not imply inferiority of intellect, but rather:
✔ A precautionary measure in legal testimony
✔ Based on natural tendencies like memory variation, especially under emotional or hormonal changes
✔ Not a judgment on her overall intelligence
The Prophet ﷺ explained:
“Isn’t it true that during menstruation, a woman does not pray or fast?”
✔ This is a Sharʿī concession, not a fault or sin
✔ Women are exempted from prayers and fasting during menses and postpartum bleeding, out of divine mercy, not because of religious inferiority
Modern psychology and neuroscience show that:
✔ Men and women have comparable intelligence
✔ Differences lie in areas of strength:
This supports the Sharʿī approach of assigning certain precautionary conditions — such as in testimony — based on practical, not discriminatory, grounds.
As Imām Muḥammad ʿAlī Ṣābūnī (رحمه الله) states:
"Men’s intellect dominates their emotions, while women’s emotions dominate their intellect — and this is divine wisdom. It aids them in nurturing and raising children."
(Min Kunūz al-Sunnah, p. 154)
✔ Women’s emotional depth is a vital strength in family care, child development, and social nurturing
In Arabic, the word “naqṣ” simply means “incompleteness” — not a defect or flaw.
In Urdu, it is often misunderstood as “عیب” (flaw).
This linguistic difference is crucial to avoid misrepresenting the ḥadīth.
✔ Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) is regarded among the foremost jurists of Islam
✔ Many male Companions would refer to her for fatāwā
✔ Numerous female scholars have made significant contributions in ḥadīth, fiqh, tafsīr, and Islamic thought
✔ The ḥadīth addresses specific natural limitations, not general intellectual deficiency
✔ Islam acknowledges and honors women’s strengths, while giving concessions in areas tied to physical or emotional states
✔ “Deficiency in reason” refers to practical legal considerations, not mental inferiority
✔ “Deficiency in religion” refers to temporary exemptions, not spiritual inferiority
✔ Islam recognizes women’s capability and assigns them great responsibility and honor
If women were truly deficient in intellect, Islam would not have entrusted them with rulings regarding ḥayḍ, ṭalāq, riḍāʿah, or nikāḥ
❀ The Ḥadīth in Question
Narrated by Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ, during an Eid sermon, addressed the women and said:
“O women! Give charity, for I have seen that you are the majority of the inhabitants of Hell.”
The women asked,
“O Messenger of Allah! Why is that?”
He ﷺ replied:
“You frequently curse and are ungrateful to your husbands. Despite being deficient in reason and religion, I have not seen anyone more capable of overpowering the mind of a wise man than one of you.”
They asked,
“O Messenger of Allah! What is our deficiency in reason and religion?”
He ﷺ answered:
“Is not the testimony of a woman half that of a man?”
They replied, “Yes.”
He ﷺ said:
“That is the deficiency in her reason.”
Then he asked,
“Does she not refrain from prayer and fasting during menstruation?”
They said, “Yes.”
He ﷺ said:
“That is the deficiency in her religion.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ḥayḍ, Ḥadīth: 305)
❖ Misconceptions and Their Clarification
Some misinterpret this ḥadīth to mean that women are inherently less intelligent or spiritually inferior — a claim the ḥadīth does not support. In fact, the ḥadīth itself contains its own clarification, especially when the Prophet ﷺ explains the terms “naqṣ al-ʿaql” and “naqṣ al-dīn”.
❖ Meaning of “Deficiency in Reason” (ناقصات عقل)
The Prophet ﷺ explained this as:
“Isn’t a woman’s testimony half that of a man?”
This refers to Sūrah al-Baqarah: 282, where Allah says:
{If one of them forgets, the other can remind her.}
Thus, the deficiency in reason here does not imply inferiority of intellect, but rather:
✔ A precautionary measure in legal testimony
✔ Based on natural tendencies like memory variation, especially under emotional or hormonal changes
✔ Not a judgment on her overall intelligence
❖ Meaning of “Deficiency in Religion” (ناقصات دين)
The Prophet ﷺ explained:
“Isn’t it true that during menstruation, a woman does not pray or fast?”
✔ This is a Sharʿī concession, not a fault or sin
✔ Women are exempted from prayers and fasting during menses and postpartum bleeding, out of divine mercy, not because of religious inferiority
❖ Difference Between Physical Disposition and Mental Capacity
Modern psychology and neuroscience show that:
✔ Men and women have comparable intelligence
✔ Differences lie in areas of strength:
- Women generally excel in auditory memory and emotional sensitivity
- Men tend to have an edge in visual-spatial reasoning
This supports the Sharʿī approach of assigning certain precautionary conditions — such as in testimony — based on practical, not discriminatory, grounds.
❖ Emotional Nature: A Strength, Not a Flaw
As Imām Muḥammad ʿAlī Ṣābūnī (رحمه الله) states:
"Men’s intellect dominates their emotions, while women’s emotions dominate their intellect — and this is divine wisdom. It aids them in nurturing and raising children."
(Min Kunūz al-Sunnah, p. 154)
✔ Women’s emotional depth is a vital strength in family care, child development, and social nurturing
❖ Arabic vs Urdu Usage of “Naqṣ”
In Arabic, the word “naqṣ” simply means “incompleteness” — not a defect or flaw.
In Urdu, it is often misunderstood as “عیب” (flaw).
This linguistic difference is crucial to avoid misrepresenting the ḥadīth.
❖ Historical Examples of Women’s Intellectual Brilliance
✔ Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) is regarded among the foremost jurists of Islam
✔ Many male Companions would refer to her for fatāwā
✔ Numerous female scholars have made significant contributions in ḥadīth, fiqh, tafsīr, and Islamic thought
❖ Final Summary:
✔ The ḥadīth addresses specific natural limitations, not general intellectual deficiency
✔ Islam acknowledges and honors women’s strengths, while giving concessions in areas tied to physical or emotional states
✔ “Deficiency in reason” refers to practical legal considerations, not mental inferiority
✔ “Deficiency in religion” refers to temporary exemptions, not spiritual inferiority
✔ Islam recognizes women’s capability and assigns them great responsibility and honor
If women were truly deficient in intellect, Islam would not have entrusted them with rulings regarding ḥayḍ, ṭalāq, riḍāʿah, or nikāḥ