Rant – Rasulullah (s) was Sensitive to Criticism of His Wives

–:Seventh Emotional Rant:–

Rasulullah (s) was Sensitive to Criticism of His Wives

Ibn al Hashimi argues:

The Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) was actually extremely sensitive about his wives, and Allah thus warned the believers about hurting them. His wives were considered so precious that Allah instructed the believers to talk to them from behind a screen and He also forbade anyone from marrying them after the Prophet’s death: “When you ask his wives for something, ask them from behind a screen. That is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. It is not for you to cause injury to the Messenger of Allah, or ever marry his wives after him. To do that would be something dreadful in the sight of Allah.” (Quran 33:53) If the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) was so sensitive about his wives, then we can only guess at what his response would be towards those Ayatollahs alive today who malign them.

Reply One – The conduct of Umar caused the revelation of this verse

Imam Bukhari records in his book Al-Adab al-Mufrad, page 226:

عن مجاهد عن عائشة رضي الله تعالى عنها قالت كنت آكل مع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم حيسا فمر عمر فدعاه فأكل فأصابت يده إصبعي فقال حس لو أطاع فيكن ما رأتكن عين فنزل الحجاب

Ayesha may Allah be pleased with her said: ‘I was eating wheat with the Prophet (pbuh) when Umar passed by us, so he (the Prophet) invited him to eat, whilst Umar was eating, his hand touched my finger, thus he (Umar) said: ‘Oh, if only he (the Prophet) submitted on this matter regarding you (his wives), then no eye would see you’. The verse of Hijab was thus revealed’. 

Also see:

1. Al-Sunnan al-Kubra, by Nisai, v6, p435

2. Al-Mu’ajam al-Awsat, by Tabarani, v3, p212

3. Tafsir ibn Abi Hatim, v10, p3148

4. Akhbar Asbahan, by Asbahabi, v1, p188

This tradition been authenticated by several Sunni scholars such as Al-Haythami who said: ‘The narrators are the narrators of the Sahih except Musa ibn Abi Kathir but he is Thiqah’ (Majma al-Zawaid, v7, p93). Jalaluddin Suyuti said: ‘The chain is Sahih’ (Al-Dur al-Manthur, v5 p213). Albaani said: ‘Sahih’ (Sahih al-Adab al-Mufrad, p416).

Reply Two – The verse regulates how the Sahaba were to converse with the wives of Rasulullah (s), and has nothing to do with criticizing the wives of Rasulullah (s)

How does this verse provide the wives of the Prophet (s) with a blanket immunity from criticism? It is about how one conducts oneself when conversing with the wives of Rasulullah (s) and was evidently a response to the poor conduct of the Sahaba at the time, that caused Allah (swt) to reveal this verse. Ibn Kathir writes in his commentary of the said verse:

(And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen,) meaning, `just as it is forbidden for you to enter upon them, it is forbidden for you to look at them at all. If anyone of you has any need to take anything from them, he should not look at them, but he should ask for whatever he needs from behind a screen.’

Maudoodi expands on this a little further in Tafhim ul Quran, in his commentary of the verse:

This is the verse which is called “the verse of the veil”. Bukhari has related on the authority of Hadrat Anas that before the coming down of this verse, Hadrat ‘Umar had made a suggestion several times to the Holy Prophet to the effect: “O Messenger of Allah, all sorts of the people, good and bad, come to visit you. Would that you commanded your wives to observe hijab. According to another tradition, once Hadrat ‘Umar said to the holy wives, “If what I say concerning you is accepted, my eyes should never see you. ” But since the Holy Prophet was not independent in making law, he awaited Divine Revelation. At last, this Command came down that except for the mahram males (as being stated in v. SS below) no other man should enter the Holy Prophet’s houses, and whoever had to ask some thing from the ladies, should ask for it from behind a curtain. After this Command curtains were hung at the doors of the apartments of the wives, and since the Holy Prophet’s house was a model for the Muslims to follow, they to hung curtains at their doors. The last sentence of the verse itself points out that whoever desire that the hearts of the men and women should remain pure, should adopt this way.

Now whosoever has been blessed with understanding by Allah can himself see that the Book which forbids the men and women to talk to each other face to face and commands them to speak from behind a curtain because `this is a better way for the purity of your as well as their hearts,” could not possibly permit that the men and women should freely meet in mixed gatherings, educational and democratic institutions and offices, because it did not affect the purity of the hearts in any way. For him who does not want to follow the Qur’an, the best way would be that he should disregard its Commands and should frankly say that he has no desire to follow it. But this would be the height of meanness that he should violate the clear Commandments of the Qur’an and then stubbornly say that he is following the ¦spirit” of Islam which he has extracted. After all, what is that spirit of Islam which these people extract from sources outside the Qur’an and the sunnah?

The verse in its entirety is about the veiling of the wives of Rasulullah (s), and gives wider guidance on how we conduct our lives when conversing with the opposite sex, there is no directive therein that prohibits criticism of the Mothers of the Faithful if they commit a wrong act, Ibn al Hashimi is fully aware of this reality but is merely seeking to mislead his followers once more.