A Narrative About the Prophet’s (pbuh) Directive Regarding the Appropriate Clothing for Women

Subject Matter of the Narrative:

According to Abu Dawood’s narrative no. 4104 it is reported:

روي أن أسماء بنت أبي بكر دخلت على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وعليها ثياب رقاق فأعرض عنها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وقال: يا أسماء إن المرأة إذا بلغت المحيض لم تصلح أن يري منها إلا هذا وهذا وأشار إلى وجهه وكفيه

It is narrated that once Asma the daughter of Abu Bak’r entered upon the Prophet (pbuh) clad in a dress made of a thin cloth. Observing this, the Prophet (pbuh) turned away his face from her and said: Asma, when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it is not appropriate that anything besides this and this is visible of her. He said this while pointing towards his face and his hands.

Similar incident has also been reported in Bayhaqiy’s narrative no. 3034, 13274 and 13275, Al-Mo’jam al-Awsat, narrative no. 8394, Al-Mo’jam al-Kabeer vol. 24, pg. 142 and Musnad Al-Shaamiyyeen, narrative no. 2739.

Comment on the Narrative

Of the seven narratives of this incident, Abu Dawood’s narrative no. 4104, Bayhaqiy’s narrative no. 3034, Bayhaqiy’s narrative no. 13274 and the report of Musnad Al-Shaamiyyeen (narrative no. 2739) are reported through Sa`eed ibn Bashir (سعيد بن بشير), who has been considered a weak narrator[1]. Besides Sa`eed ibn Bashir, the chain of these narratives is also broken, as it is reported through Khalid ibn Durayk, who is reporting on the authority of Ayesha (ra). However, scholars om the field agree that Khalid ibn Durayk did not meet Ayesha (ra), and therefore could not have heard anything from the Umm al-Mu’mineen. Thus, after noting this narrative in Abu Dawood (narrative no. 3034), the following words are added:

قال أبو داود هذا مرسل خالد بن دريك لم يدرك عائشة

Abu Dawood has said that this is a Mursal[2] narrative of Khalid Ibn Durayk, as he did not meet Ayesha (ra).

As for the remaining narratives, all of these are reported on the authority of `Ayyaad ibn Abd Allah Al-Fahriy (عياض بن عبد الله الفهري) and Abd Allah Ibn Lahiy`ah (عبد الله بن لهيعة). Experts on the information regarding the reliability of narrators have mixed opinions regarding these two narrators[3]. And they – especially Abd Allah ibn Lahiy`ah – have generally been considered as weak and unreliable in reporting narratives of the Prophet (pbuh).

Conclusion

In view of the fact that from among the various chains of narrators reporting this incident, not even a single chain can be considered as fully reliable, we do not consider it prudent to accept the incident as correctly reported.

(This write-up is prepared by the Hadith Cell of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi)

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