In a hadith, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "If I were to command anyone to prostrate to another human being, I would have commanded a wife to prostrate to her husband."
This hadith contains an aspect that seems to demean women. Similarly, this hadith also appears to contradict the belief in Tawhid (Oneness of God)!
First Point
The mentioned hadith is completely authentic in terms of its chain of narration. In fact, the number of companions who narrated it reaches up to 17, among whom are: Abdullah bin Abi Awfa
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah: 1853
, Abu Hurairah
Reference: Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 1159
, Aisha
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah: 1852
, Qais bin Sa’d
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawood: 2140
, Buraidah bin al-Husayb
Reference: Sunan al-Darimi: 1488
, Mu’adh bin Jabal
Reference: Musnad Ahmad: 21986
, Anas bin Malik
Reference: Al-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa’i: 9102
, may Allah be pleased with them all. This is why none of the hadith scholars have declared this hadith weak
Reference: Anis al-Sari li Nabil Mansour: 6/4426
.Second Point
Nowhere in the words of this hadith is the woman commanded to prostrate to her husband; rather, it is only mentioned that if the command to prostrate were given, it would be given to the wife. Therefore, since no such command was given, the mentioned objection loses all meaning. Allama Munawi writes: In this hadith, the condition is linked with an impossible thing.
Reference: Fayd al-Qadeer by Munawi: 5/329
.Third Point
In any language, such a style is used to emphasize the importance of a matter or to exaggerate in negation of something. In this hadith, the importance of a wife's obedience and submission to her husband is emphasized. Examples of such styles are found here and there in the Quran and Hadith:
The Quran states:
قُلْ إِن كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ وَلَدٌ فَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْعَابِدِينَ
Reference: Az-Zukhruf: 81
Say, "If the Most Merciful had a son, then I would be the first to worship."
No wise person understands from this verse that the existence of a son for the Most Merciful is possible.
There is a hadith narrated in the virtues of Hazrat Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him):
لَوْ كَانَ نَبِيٌّ بَعْدِي لَكَانَ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ
Reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi: 3686
If there were to be a prophet after me, it would have been Umar ibn Al-Khattab.
This hadith does not at all mean that the Prophet ﷺ predicted the prophethood of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
Regarding a prostitute, the Prophet ﷺ said:
لَوْ رَجَمْتُ أَحَدًا بِغَيْرِ بَيِّنَةٍ لَرَجَمْتُ هَذِهِ
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari: 5316, Sahih Muslim: 1497
If I were to stone anyone without proof, I would have stoned her.
This does not mean that it is permissible to enforce hudood (punishments) without proof.
Similarly, the hadith under discussion does not mean that a woman is commanded to prostrate to her husband.
Fourth Point
The Shariah has used the style of prostration in favor of the woman as an exaggeration because prostration is the highest form of obedience and submission. The Shariah wants the woman to adopt the highest form of obedience and submission to her husband. The commentator of "Jami` at-Tirmidhi," Abdul Rahman Mubarakpuri, states:
وفي هذا غاية المبالغة لوجوب إطاعة المرأة في حق زوجها
Reference: Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: 4/271
This hadith strongly emphasizes the obligation of a wife’s obedience to her husband.
Fifth Point
As far as the insult of a woman is concerned, highlighting the superiority of one gender or class does not necessarily result in the insult of the other gender or class. For example, when children are commanded not to say "uff" to their parents, it is not an insult to the children but rather an emphasis on the status and position of the parents. In the teachings of Shariah, it is often found that it emphasizes the fulfillment of duties and consideration of the rights of the opposing groups, adherence to which leads to the formation of an ideal society. The wealthy are commanded to take care of the poor, and on the other hand, the poor are commanded to avoid excessive begging. The younger ones are commanded to respect the elders, and the elders are commanded to show kindness to the younger ones. The wife is commanded to obey the husband, and on the other hand, the husband is bound to fulfill her needs and not commit any kind of oppression or injustice. In short, this is not about insulting or elevating any class but about fulfilling rights and performing duties.
Fifth Point
As far as the claim that this hadith contradicts Tawheed is concerned, it is also incorrect because prostration is of two types: prostration as an act of worship and prostration as a form of greeting and respect. In fact, in previous scriptures, it was permissible to prostrate as a form of greeting. The angels prostrating to Adam and Prophet Jacob and his sons prostrating to Prophet Yusuf were of this kind
Reference: Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 4/412
.In our Shariah, this prostration has been prohibited; therefore, in our Shariah, this prostration is forbidden and sinful, but it is not considered shirk (associating partners with Allah). The prostration mentioned for women in this hadith is also of this second type.
Reference: Sharh Bulugh al-Maram by Atiyyah Salim: 154
The evidence for this is the background of this hadith, that when Muadh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) came from Yemen to Madinah, he wanted to prostrate to the Prophet ﷺ. When the Prophet ﷺ asked him the reason, he said that in Yemen, the People of the Book prostrate to their scholars and priests, so I thought that you ﷺ are more deserving of this prostration than they are. The Prophet ﷺ then said that if it were permissible for a person to prostrate to another person, I would have commanded the wife to prostrate to her husband.
Reference: Musnad Ahmad: 21986, Sunan Ibn Majah: 1853
.Therefore, it is established that the prostration here means a prostration as a form of greeting and respect, not as an act of worship.
