{"_id":"6834686327eeea06864ae877","title":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"How should we understand the hadith that a woman \\\"advances and retires in the shape of a devil\\\"?\\n\"}]}","question":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"How do we understand this hadith? Are there different interpretations of what this hadith means? \\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"italic\":true},\"insert\":\"Jabir reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw a woman, and so he came to his wife, Zainab, as she was tanning a leather and had sexual intercourse with her. He then went to his Companions and told them: The woman advances and retires in the shape of a devil, so when one of you sees a woman, he should come to his wife, for that will repel what he feels in his heart. \"},{\"attributes\":{\"link\":\"https://sunnah.com/muslim:1403a\",\"italic\":true},\"insert\":\"(Sahih Muslim 1403a, Book 16, Hadith 10)\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"}]}","answer":"{\"ops\":[{\"attributes\":{\"underline\":true,\"color\":\"#444444\",\"bold\":true},\"insert\":\"TLDR: The Hadith Teaches Us That:\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Temptation is real.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"bullet\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Shayṭān seeks to exploit it.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"bullet\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Marriage is a ḥalāl refuge and protection.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"bullet\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"We must respond to temptation with wisdom and lawful means, not fall into sin.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"bullet\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"underline\":true,\"color\":\"#444444\",\"bold\":true},\"insert\":\"Extended Response:\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"The hadith you quoted is authentically transmitted and recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim through three varying narrations:\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\",\"underline\":true},\"insert\":\"Narration #1:\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\" \"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\",\"italic\":true},\"insert\":\"Jābir reported that Allah's Messenger ﷺ saw a woman, and so he came to his wife, Zaynab, as she was tanning leather, and had sexual intercourse with her. He then went to his Companions and said: \\\"The woman advances and retires in the form of a devil. So when one of you sees a woman, he should go to his wife, for that will repel what he feels in his heart.\\\" \"},{\"attributes\":{\"link\":\"https://sunnah.com/muslim:1403a\",\"color\":\"#444444\",\"italic\":true},\"insert\":\"(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1403a)\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\",\"underline\":true},\"insert\":\"Narration #2:\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\" Jābir ibn ʿAbdillāh reported that Allah's Messenger ﷺ saw a woman; and the rest of the hadith was narrated similarly, except that he made no mention of: \\\"She retires in the shape of Shayṭān.\\\"\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\",\"italic\":true},\"insert\":\" \"},{\"attributes\":{\"link\":\"https://sunnah.com/muslim:1403b\",\"color\":\"#444444\",\"italic\":true},\"insert\":\"(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1403b)\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\",\"underline\":true},\"insert\":\"Narration #3:\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\" Jābir heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ say: “When a woman fascinates any one of you and captivates his heart, he should go to his wife and have intercourse with her, for it would repel what he feels.\\\" \"},{\"attributes\":{\"link\":\"https://sunnah.com/muslim:1403c\",\"color\":\"#444444\",\"italic\":true},\"insert\":\"(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1403c)\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"underline\":true,\"color\":\"#444444\",\"bold\":true},\"insert\":\"How Do Scholars Understand This Hadith?\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ is not condemning women, nor is he describing them as devils. Rather, he is drawing a comparison: just as Shayṭān can subtly stir temptation and sin through whispers, gazing at a woman can stir desires in the heart in a similarly subtle and powerful way. The phrase “shape/form of a devil\\\" refers to the effect that Shayṭān exploits through the human inclination toward physical attraction. It does not mean that the woman herself is evil or sinful. It's a metaphor for how quickly and subtly desires can be sparked.\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Thus, when a man feels temptation awaken upon seeing a woman, the Sunnah encourages him to immediately seek protection through ḥalāl means, by turning to his lawful wife. This approach protects his heart, strengthens the bond with his spouse, maintains chastity, and guards society from corruption. Ultimately, the hadith teaches us to recognize human vulnerability and channel natural feelings in dignified, permissible ways, without falling into blame or sin.\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"underline\":true,\"color\":\"#444444\",\"bold\":true},\"insert\":\"Are There Different Interpretations?\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"All mainstream interpretations agree on the core meaning: This hadith is about guarding one’s chastity and encouraging lawful means to deal with natural human attraction. It highlights Islam’s honest acknowledgment of human nature, and offers practical, compassionate ways to preserve purity, rather than demanding unnatural emotional suppression.\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"underline\":true,\"color\":\"#444444\",\"bold\":true},\"insert\":\"Important Points to Remember:\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"This hadith speaks to the responsibility of men to guard their hearts, not to blame women.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"bullet\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Women are honored in Islam. Shayṭān’s work is in the temptation process, not in the woman herself.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"bullet\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Islam addresses human emotions with wisdom, balance, and practical mercy, not denial or cruelty.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"bullet\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"May Allah guide us all to purity of heart, protect us from Shayṭān’s whispers, and enable us to follow the example of the Prophet ﷺ with understanding and sincerity.\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"}]}","tags":[{"_id":"668d9ff70b76658b4c232a80","tag":"Seerah: Sunnah and Hadith","count":68},{"_id":"66df51d76df6cc867de7a6ca","tag":"Marriage: Intimacy and Conception","count":39},{"_id":"668d9fef0b76658b4c232995","tag":"Men: Sexual Health","count":25},{"_id":"668d9fe10b76658b4c2327e5","tag":"Seerah: Wives of the Prophet","count":9}],"createdOn":"2025-05-26T13:10:59.339Z"}