Favorite Hadith about Women

60:12. O Prophet! when believing women come to you giving you a pledge that they will not associate aught with Allah, and will not steal, and will not commit fornication, and will not kill their children, and will not bring a calumny which they have forged of themselves, and will not disobey you in what is good, accept their pledge, and ask forgiveness for them from Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Well, considering this was passed to me by a young man, I am certain he is no scholar.  Nimish is a bright caring young man, but definitely not a Sheik.

I would say Google it.  That's all I did.

I really don't understand the problem here. Perhaps it is a weak hadith, I wouldn't know.  I mean, its well known that I'm non-Muslim.  However, the words definitely sound as if they came from such a great man.

One thing I have found is the Prophet(pbuh) was intensely respectful towards believing and chaste women.  He believed a man must treat his wife with kindness.

Did he not say that the "best of you are those who are best to their wives."???  

An accounting is made of all our deeds, Allah doesn't just look at the sin, he looks at the consequences.  If we hurt someone, we are responsible for that.  I think that is the message of the hadith (weak or not).  The message is that if you are cruel to a person, especially one you have been charged with protecting (wife, child, orphan, etc) then you will be responsible for the pain you have caused them.

As for women being men's equals, that's a given.  Spiritually, men and women are equals.  In a very basic sense, all of God's children have the same rights to happiness, protection and love.  Men were made stronger physically because once it was a necessity for hunting and defense.  Women were made strong in their own ways.  We are built for survival in tough times and for the important task of raising the next generation.  The statement about the rib illustrates that beautifully. 

I dearly wish the men of this world would head more to the Prophets of old.  That they would come to value women as their partners and not as property or objects of desire.  I wish women (more so in the West) would stop seeing Motherhood and Marriage as optional baggage on a career and see them as the sacred duty.

A woman's duty is to protect and teach her children.  To ensure that they have every opportunity that she and her husband can give them.  Sometimes, by circumstance, a woman must do this alone.  But, a mother should never been looked down on for choosing children over career or choosing to better her life for her children.

This goes to a point I made in my Sociology class.  Respect is THE MOST important virtue in a marriage.  That goes both ways.  Without it, the whole house crumbles.

Samya,

Yes we are.    He is our Creator, Protector and Provider.  If that's not a Father, then what is?  But, I'm not Muslim so my beliefs are different.

112.001
YUSUFALI: Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
PICKTHAL: Say: He is Allah, the One!
SHAKIR: Say: He, Allah, is One.

112.002
YUSUFALI: Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
PICKTHAL: Allah, the eternally Besought of all!
SHAKIR: Allah is He on Whom all depend.

112.003
YUSUFALI: He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
PICKTHAL: He begetteth not nor was begotten.
SHAKIR: He begets not, nor is He begotten.

112.004
YUSUFALI: And there is none like unto Him.
PICKTHAL: And there is none comparable unto Him.
SHAKIR: And none is like Him.