Wondering why the "majority of people in hell are women"

[Dr T]

Volume 1, Book 6, Number 301:
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:

Once Allah's Apostle went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) o 'Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, "O women! Give alms, as 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."


http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/006.sbt.html#001.006.301

I was just wondering if this is the normal understanding of Muslims?

[CatholicSage]

Seems to be kind of a weak argument against Islam. If the majority of people in Hell are women, then is it wrong to report that the majority of people in Hell are women? There doesn't seem to be much condescension in the passage.

[Dr T]

Seems to be kind of a weak argument against Islam. If the majority of people in Hell are women, then is it wrong to report that the majority of people in Hell are women? There doesn't seem to be much condescension in the passage.


Sorry, I don't follow the point you are making.

I was really asking if Muslims today believe that the majority of people in hell are women.

As an aside, do you believe that the majority of people in hell are women?

[CatholicSage]

Sorry, I thought you were trying to argue against Islam instead of just asking a question.

And no, I don't believe that the majority of people in Hell are women. If anything, it's probably the other way around; in my experience women tend to be more religious.

[anthrogirl]

Wow! What an interesting passage! I don't have any idea who's in hell. Or Islamic hell.

anthrogirl

[ali420]

Sorry the reply came late, but better then never. It was stated by Muhammed (pbuh) that majority of woman will be in hell, the reasons are quite obvious, if you look at the naked woman on internet porn stars magzine, much of sexual perversity is publicised by woman, woman is the one which gets naken on the stage, on the newpapers magzines, to sell the mags, and this sexual perversity is on increase all of the world, and the leaders of this perversity are woman, men are seduced into this, that doesnt mean they are guilty for watching such things they are guilty too, but the root is the woman. Perhaps thats one reason for woman being in hell more then men.

[Cephas]

Perhaps thats one reason for woman being in hell more then men.....besides their infidelity.

Thanks for the new insight. Pearls be upon you.

[Fourty-Two]

the reasons are quite obvious, if you look at the naked woman on internet porn stars magzine, much of sexual perversity is publicised by woman, woman is the one which gets naken on the stage, on the newpapers magzines, to sell the mags, and this sexual perversity is on increase all of the world, and the leaders of this perversity are woman, men are seduced into this, that doesnt mean they are guilty for watching such things

LOOOOL is that the argument Adam made? Talk about passing the buck.

[WebToaster]

We should probably caution that these quotes are from books of the Hadith which do not receive the same unanimity of agreement in regards to their inspiration as does the Qur'an. There's actually several of these types of quotes, and here's one where the prophet is said to give a reason:

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

The Prophet said: "I was shown the Hell-fire and
that the majority of its dwellers were women who
were ungrateful." It was asked, "Do they
disbelieve in Allah?" (or are they ungrateful to
Allah?) He replied, "They are ungrateful to their
husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and
the good (charitable deeds) done to them. If you
have always been good (benevolent) to one of
them and then she sees something in you (not of
her liking), she will say, 'I have never received
any good from you."

Women have historically been illiterate in Islam, which isn't particularly unique to Islam, in Christianity the levels of illiteracy among women was almost 100% until fairly recently. So women have not historically been able to read either the Bible or the Qur'an (or Hadith for that matter), thus they were reliant upon men to give them information about God.

Let's suppose a man read the Qur'an to his wife, and after each reading he beat her. Well its a little difficult for her to think the Qur'an was any good in that situation. So, there is a dual meaning of the verses above, its a chastistement for both men and women. The men should have been more faithful to God in bringing the message of God to women, and the women should have separated the message from the messenger.

But the future solution is obvious, women should be literate and fully equal to men so they are not reliant upon men to give them information about God.

Also, I think its wrong to conclude anything from pornography about women being the majority in hell-fire. The VAST majority of those women were seduced into doing those things by men promising riches and love, only to have themselves unceremoniously dumped once their glamorous bodies start to age a little bit. Men also comprise the VAST majority of consumers of such things, and are thus the cause of the continuing cycle. The women aren't blameless, but certainly the majority stakeholders in such things are men.

[Dr T]

Sorry the reply came late, but better then never. It was stated by Muhammed (pbuh) that majority of woman will be in hell, the reasons are quite obvious, if you look at the naked woman on internet porn stars magzine, much of sexual perversity is publicised by woman, woman is the one which gets naken on the stage, on the newpapers magzines, to sell the mags, and this sexual perversity is on increase all of the world, and the leaders of this perversity are woman, men are seduced into this, that doesnt mean they are guilty for watching such things they are guilty too, but the root is the woman. Perhaps thats one reason for woman being in hell more then men.

If anything this example would suggest that there would be more men in hell than women.

When you are judged by God, you will be judged based on God's perfect knowledge of what you have or have not done. It will be no excuse to blame on others.

In this case the women who allowed their picture to be taken may well be judged for that, but so will the vastly greater number of men who went and viewed them. This the men have done out of their own free will and for this they will face God's judgement.