Question
I read in a book a hadith mentioning its sources in Abu Da’ud and Ahmed.
Husband: Majazee (i.e. “Unreal”) God.
Hazrat Qais bin Sa’d narrated: “I went to Hiara and saw people prostrating to their chief. So I thought that our prophet (pbuh) was more deserving for prostration than that chief. So I went to prophet (pbuh) and said ‘I went to Hiara and saw people prostrating to their chief. Because of this you are more deserving for prostration than their chief.’ Prophet (pbuh) said ‘If you will go to my grave, would you prostrate?’ I said ‘no’. Prophet (pbuh) said ‘Don’t do this. If I had to order someone to prostrate than I would have ordered women to prostrate to their husbands. Because God has established a right of men over their women.”
I would like to know whether the above statement is authentic or not.
If yes then what is meant by “established a right of men over their women”.
Is this the right of providing livelihood to women or is it something else? Does this right is so great that the prostration could be allowed?
Please comment on this.
Jazzakallah khairun
Answer
The referred narrative is generally considered to be reported through reliable sources, except for the part in which the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have asked the individual whether he would prostrate to the Prophet’s grave, after the Prophet (pbuh) has died1.
The second part of the narrative, in which the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said that “If I were to allow prostration to anyone other than the One God, I would have directed women to prostrate to their husbands”, is, in effect, a statement implying complete eradication and disapproval of all worship rituals directed towards anyone other than the One God.
The referred narrative implies that the right of the husband over his wife far exceeds the right of any other human being over another human being. Nevertheless, because Islam does not condone the worship of any individual or thing besides the One God, therefore, it does not even allow wives to offer prostrations to their husbands.
The statement “Because God has established a right of men over their women” refers to Qur’an’s general directive and recommendation for wives to remain generally obedient towards their husbands and to, thereby, acknowledge and support them in their responsibility of securing the material as well as spiritual well-being of the household.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Moiz Amjad
May 6, 2002
- See Al-Albani’s “Da`eef Abi Dawood”. [↩]