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Sources : islamqa.info :’ Why are there more women in hell than men? ‘
- WHY ARE THERE MORE WOMEN IN HELL THAN MEN?
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that women will form the majority of the people of Hell. It was narrated from ‘Imraan ibn Husayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I looked into Paradise and I saw that the majority of its people were the poor. And I looked into Hell and I saw that the majority of its people are women.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3241; Muslim, 2737)
With regard to the reason for that, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked about it and he explained the reason.
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas said:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I was shown Hell and I have never seen anything more terrifying than it. And I saw that the majority of its people are women.” They said, “Why, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Because of their ingratitude (kufr).” It was said, “Are they ungrateful to Allaah?” He said, “They are ungrateful to their companions (husbands) and ungrateful for good treatment. If you are kind to one of them for a lifetime then she sees one (undesirable) thing in you, she will say, ‘I have never had anything good from you.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1052)
It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said:
“The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out to the Musalla on the day of Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Fitr. He passed by the women and said, ‘O women! Give charity, for I have seen that you form the majority of the people of Hell.’ They asked, ‘Why is that, O Messenger of Allaah?’ He replied, ‘You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religious commitment than you.A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you.’ The women asked, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what is deficient in our intelligence and religious commitment?’ He said, ‘Is not the testimony of two women equal to the testimony of one man?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Is it not true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?’ The women said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is the deficiency in her religious commitment.’”(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 304)
It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said:
“I attended Eid prayers with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He started with the prayer before the khutbah, with no adhaan or iqaamah. Then he stood up, leaning on Bilaal, speaking of fear of Allaah (taqwa) and urging us to obey Him. He preached to the people and reminded them. Then he went over to the women and preached to them and reminded them. Then he said, ‘Give in charity, for you are the majority of the fuel of Hell. A woman with dark cheeks stood up in the midst of the women and said, ‘Why is that, O Messenger of Allaah?’ He said, ‘Because you complain too much and are ungrateful to your husbands.’ Then they started to give their jewellery in charity, throwing their earrings and rings into Bilaal’s cloak.”
(Narrated by Muslim, 885)
- A PIECE OF ADVICE :
Our believing sisters who learn of this hadeeth should behave like those Sahaabiyaat who, when they learned of this, did good deeds which would be the means, by Allaah’s leave, of keeping them far away from being included in that majority of the inhabitants of Hell.
So our advice to the sisters is to strive to adhere to the rituals and obligatory duties of Islam, especially prayer, and to keep away from that which Allaah has forbidden, especially shirk in its many forms which are widespread among women, such as seeking one’s needs from someone other than Allaah, going to practitioners of witchcraft and fortune-tellers, etc.
We ask Allaah to keep us and all our brothers and sisters far away from the Fire and the words and deeds that bring one close to it.
- MAJORITY IN PARADISE:
Men and women engaged in this dispute when the Sahaabah were still alive. Muslim reports from Ibn Sireen:
“Men and women disputed as to which of them would form the majority in Paradise. According to another report, either they were competing, or they were discussing, whether there would be more men or women in Paradise.
They consulted Abu Hurayrah, who said that women would form the majority, on the basis of the words of the Prophet (saw):
“The first group to enter Paradise will be as beautiful as the full moon, and the group that follows them will be like the brightest shining stars in the sky: each man of them will have two wives, the marrow of whose leg-bones will be visible through the flesh because of their extreme beauty. There will be no one who is unmarried in Paradise””[Sahih Muslim, Kitaab al-Jannah, Baab awwal zumrah tadhkul al-Jannah, 4/2179, hadith no. 2834]
This hadith clearly indicates that there will be more women than men in Paradise. Some others thought that there would be more men, because of the hadith, “I saw that they [women] formed the majority of the people of Hell”. The response to this is the fact that women will form the majority of the inhabitants of Hell does not necessarily mean that they will be a minority in Paradise, as Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalaani said [Fath al-Baari 6/325]
The two hadiths may be reconciled by stating that women will be in the majority in both Paradise and Hell, just as there are more women than men in this world. We could say that the hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah indicates that the total number of women in paradise, including women of this world and al-Hoor al-‘Eeyn will outnumber men. The question then is, who will be greater in number in Paradise: the men of this world or the women? al-Qurtubee reconciled between these two hadiths by suggesting that women will form the majority of the inhabitants of Hell before the Shafaa’ah [intercession], when the sinners from amongst the muwwahideen will be brought out of Hell. Thereafter women will form the majority of the people of Paradise. [at-Tadhkirah, al-Qurtubee, p. 475]
The small number of women in Paradise is indicated in a report narrated by Ahmad and Abu Ya’laa from ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas who said, “Whilst we were with the Messenger of Allah (saw) on this mountain path, he said, “Look, can you see anything?” We said, “We see crows, and one of them stands out because its beak and feet are red”. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “No women will enter Paradise except those who are as rare among them as this crow is among the others”” [Silsilat al-Hadith as-Saheehah, 4/466, no. 1851]
Hafiz ibn Hajar al-Asqalani [ra] says, ‘Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra [Radhiallaahu anhu] used the Hadith “The first group to enter Paradise will be as beautiful as the full moon, and the group that follows them will be like the brightest shining stars in the sky: each man of them will have two wives, the marrow of whose leg-bones will be visible through the flesh because of their extreme beauty. There will be no one who is unmarried in Paradise””[Sahih Muslim, Kitaab al-Jannah, Baab awwal zumrah tadhkul al-Jannah, 4/2179, hadith no. 2834] as a proof to maintain that there would be more women in Jannah than men… and this is clearly understood.’ (Fath al-Baari vol.6 pg.400; Hadith3246)
The Muhadditheen (experts in Hadith) have resolved this apparent contradiction through the following explanations:
1. These Ahaadith are clear that females in Jannah and Jahannum will outnumber males by a great margin. (Sharh al-Nawawiy vol.9 pg.170)
2. The women could be more in Jahannam and less in Jannah at the beginning. Thereafter, when they are cleansed of their sins or when intercession on their behalf is accepted, they would be entered into Jannah and they would outnumber the men there too. (Fath al-Baari vol.6 pg.401; Hadith3246 – Sifatul Jannah of Hafiz ibn Katheer pg.130)
3. The Ahaadith that indicate the women as the major inhabitants of Jahannam refer to that time when Rasulullah [Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam] had physically seen Jannah and Jahannam. They do not mention that it will always remain like that. (Faydhul Baari and Malfoozaat-e-Kashmiri vol.4 pg.244)
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
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Sources : islamqa.info :’ Why are there more women in hell than men? ‘
articlesbase.com :’The people of paradise – will there be more men or women in paradise’.
abu-hurayrah.blogspot.in: ‘More women in hell’ by Moulana Muhammad ibn Moulana Haroon Abassommar ,faculty of specialty in hadith sciences ,checked & approved by: mufti ebrahim desai (fatwa dept.)
As’salam’alaikum,
As for the hadees is concerned, the stated hadees is an incomplete one. It is just a half narration in this matter.
Along with the above stated hadees, “women would out number men in hell,” There is another hadees in this regard stating, “every woman would take along with her four men”. I hope my comment would bring a different insight into this matter.
Jazakallahu’khair.
I also heard a variation on that hadith, that women would take 10 men. All of whom were mahram to her. Such as father, brother, uncle, husband, son, nephew etc etc.
However, also we are told in hadith that towards the end of this dunya. A sign of day of judgment women will outnumber men, so much so that one man would look after 50 women! so there will be less men.
Stats in the US show that there are 20% more women then men!
In the UK that figure is far less.
To William, I do thank you for caring enough to write your comment. Please do not judge Islam or our dear Prophet by this saying/article. Actually, according to the Quran , women and men are judged by their deeds and women do not go to hell for just complaining against their husbands. There are many hadeeths (Prophetic sayings) that must be understood according to their context and in light of the basic values of Islam. Some scholars even say that these hadiths in this article seem to contradict the personality of the Prophet and may have been said in a joking way by him and not to be taken literally. Islam actually brought so many rights to women for its time. In that time, women were just property and daughters were buried alive (out of shame). When Islam came, women were given the right to inherit property, to choose who they marry, and the burial/murder of baby girls was totally stopped/prohibited and exposed for the evil practice it was. Islam is really a beautiful religion but unfortunately many Muslims are so uneducated and don’t act like true Muslims. I urge you to read the holy quran and open your heart to God. Also, the Prophet never never hit his wives or anyone and he spoke against such behavior. The Quran says that a husband has to treat his wife with kindness (Ch 4 vs 19) and that if his wife fears cruelty from her husband then she has the right to leave him (Ch 4 vs 128). As a 31 yr old practicing Muslim woman I am so extremely happy and thankful for my beautiful religion and my good Muslim husband.
Today’s women are really a big fitna. They pave the way of sins for their men. They are too catty and bitchy not only to their men and but to other human beings. They are in May ALLAH guide them the right. They persuade their men into doing unkind things to others.
Today’s women are really a big fitna. They pave the way of sins for their men. They are too catty and bitchy not only to their men and but to other human beings. May ALLAH guide them the right path. They persuade their men into doing unkind things to others.
That may be true. But men are also a Fitna, in majority of cases this abuse, dis respect in ingrained in the childs mind from a young age. Watching thier parents.
The son sees his father, disrespect his mother with words, actions, violence, abuse, laziness etc etc. The father does not even try to emmulate the Prophet SAW in any manner like makin ghis own food, cleaning without having to be told, sewing his own clothes, taken out the trash without having to be nagged, holding his tongue if his wife becomes jelouse or becomes emotional.
There are women who are evil, and have black hearts… but men are also the same. different tactics but still rotten to the core.
Many fathers treat the wife and mother with such disrespect that the son learns to think women are there for men, disposable and have little worth and the cycle repeats itself. regardless of what women do, or how they dress…. men should respect women! they are our mothers, daughters, wives and sisters.
look, being a follower of the Prophet, we need to accept all that come from him without interrogation. The Prophet said is that the majority people of Hell are women, so accept it as it is…its a fact that needs no stats from America’s population..just submit to the claim , that is better for you..
most sinful acts by majority of men is caused by women, in fact shaitan uses them in all his evil doings. women should try and change there sinful acts..
Are you serious? I hope not… the last time I checked, men have a mind of their own and their own free will. If a man is weak enough to be led astray by someone, then they themselves are weak of heart. It is absolutely absurd to blame womankind for the wrongdoings of men.
Yes but the part of lacking in religious commitment because of our menses caught me abit off guard. We’re we not created that way so we are blamed for the way we were created.n if we are deficient in intelligence is that also not how we were created?so we are created deficient n then we go to hell for that that doesn’t sound like authentic hadeeth.sorry islam is a just religion and Allah knows best.
This is actually a saheeh Hadith meaning it is authentic. However, You are correct to wonder about this apparent inequality, it does not make sense. It serves to show that there is an inherent inequality in islam, despite what apologists try to say that islam treats women equally. This is simply one Hadith among many of it’s kind that point to inferiority of women in islam. I encourage you to do more research on this subject and you may be shocked with what you find. Peace