Muhammad's Direct Statement
In one of the most explicit statements about women in Islamic sources, Muhammad declared that women are deficient in both intelligence and religion. This isn't a misquote or misinterpretation—it's found in multiple authentic hadith collections and forms the basis for many Islamic rulings about women.
"O women! Give charity, for I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-Fire were you (women). They asked: Why is it so, O Allah's Apostle? He replied: You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you. The women asked: O Allah's Apostle! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion? He said: Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man? They replied in the affirmative. He said: This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses? The women replied in the affirmative. He said: This is the deficiency in her religion." — Sahih Bukhari 1:6:301
Breaking Down the Statement
Deficiency in Intelligence
Muhammad's "proof" of women's mental deficiency:
- Two women's testimony equals one man's testimony (Quran 2:282)
- This legal inequality is used as evidence of cognitive deficiency
- The circular logic: women's testimony is worth half because they're deficient, and they're deficient because their testimony is worth half
Deficiency in Religion
Muhammad's "proof" of women's religious deficiency:
- Women cannot pray or fast during menstruation
- This biological reality (which Allah supposedly designed) is counted as a religious shortcoming
- Women are blamed for a natural process they cannot control
The Multiple Attestations
This isn't an isolated hadith. It appears in multiple forms across authentic collections:
"O women! Give in charity and seek much forgiveness, for I have seen that you form the majority of the people of Hell. A wise woman among them asked: Why is it, O Messenger of Allah, that we form the majority of the people of Hell? He said: You curse too much and are ungrateful for good treatment. I have never seen anyone more lacking in reason and religion than you, yet you can misguide even the most prudent of men." — Sahih Muslim 1:142
"The Prophet said: 'Isn't the witness of a woman equal to half that of a man?' The women said: 'Yes.' He said: 'This is because of the deficiency of a woman's mind.'" — Sahih Bukhari 3:48:826
The Implications
For Women's Legal Rights
This hadith has been used to justify:
- Women's testimony being worth half of men's
- Women being barred from certain positions (judge, caliph)
- Women's inheritance being half of men's
- Women needing male guardians
- Men's authority over women in general
For Women's Dignity
Declaring women "more deficient in intelligence and religion than men" undermines their:
- Mental capability and competence
- Spiritual equality with men
- Dignity as human beings
- Right to equal treatment and respect
Apologetic Responses
"It's Taken Out of Context"
Some Muslims argue context changes the meaning. However:
- The statement is direct and explicit
- The context is Muhammad teaching women about charity and Hell
- He provides specific "evidence" for his claim
- Classical scholars accepted it at face value
"It Refers to Specific Legal Situations"
Some claim it only refers to testimony and menstruation, not general intelligence. However:
- Muhammad's words are general: "anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion"
- He uses these as examples of a broader deficiency
- The phrase "sensible man could be led astray" suggests broader manipulation concerns
"Weak Hadith"
Some modern Muslims try to dismiss this hadith as weak. This fails because:
- It's in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim—the most authentic collections
- It has multiple chains of narration
- No classical scholar questioned its authenticity
- All major scholars cited it as authentic
The Logical Problems
Circular Reasoning
- Women's testimony is worth half because they might err
- They might err because they're deficient in intelligence
- They're deficient in intelligence because... their testimony is worth half
Biological Determinism
Muhammad counts menstruation (a biological reality) as religious deficiency. But:
- Allah supposedly designed women's bodies this way
- If it's a deficiency, why did Allah create them with this "flaw"?
- Women cannot control their menstrual cycles
- Blaming women for their biology is fundamentally unjust
The Contemporary Impact
Modern Islamic Scholars
Many contemporary Islamic scholars continue to defend this hadith:
- They argue it's authentically from Muhammad
- They claim it reflects reality
- They use it to justify continued legal discrimination
- They resist reforms based on this teaching
Women's Self-Perception
Being told you're "deficient in intelligence and religion" affects Muslim women's:
- Self-confidence and self-worth
- Educational and career aspirations
- Willingness to assert their rights
- Mental health and well-being
Biblical Contrast
The Bible affirms that both men and women are created equally in God's image:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." — Genesis 1:27
The Apostle Paul declared spiritual equality:
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." — Galatians 3:28
Peter called women "heirs together" with men:
"Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life." — 1 Peter 3:7
Note: "weaker vessel" refers to physical strength, not intelligence or spiritual capacity. Women are "heirs with you"—equal spiritual inheritors.
Jesus elevated women, teaching them as disciples, appearing first to women after His resurrection, and treating them with dignity and respect.
Questions to Consider
- How can women be equal in dignity if they're "more deficient in intelligence and religion" than men?
- If this hadith is authentic (which all classical scholars agreed), what does it reveal about Muhammad's view of women?
- How can blaming women for their menstrual cycle (which they don't control) be just?
- Can a religion truly respect women when its founder declared them mentally and religiously deficient?
- If modern Muslims reject this hadith to avoid embarrassment, what does that say about their confidence in Islamic sources?
Conclusion
Muhammad's statement that women are "deficient in intelligence and religion" is authenticated in the most reliable Islamic sources and has profoundly shaped Islamic law and attitudes toward women. This isn't anti-Islamic propaganda—it's what Muhammad himself said according to Islamic sources.
The contrast with Christianity's affirmation of women's equal creation in God's image and equal spiritual inheritance could not be clearer.
Related articles: Women's Testimony Worth Half | Majority of Hell's Inhabitants are Women | Women's Inheritance