Question

I heard an incident of a Sahabi (radiyallahu ‘anhu) poking his wife while making salah.

The speaker mentions the meaning of the Hadith: ‘Make salah in the innermost place in your room’ is to stop the Sahabi (radiyallahu ‘anhu) from poking his wife while she is making salah. The Hadith means that as her husband is very jealous so she must make salah in her house to save her marriage before going to Masjid.

Is this narration of the Sahabi (radiyallahu ‘anhu) poking his wife authentic?

 

Answer

I haven’t come across such about the Sahabiyyah (radiyallahu ‘anha) in question in the popular books of Hadith and even in the books of the biographies of the Sahabah (radiyallahu ‘anhum).

One should be cautious in attributing such allegations against the Sahabah (radiyallahu ‘anhum) and verify before publicizing.

To fully understand the meaning of the Hadith which instructs the women to offer salah in the inner most part of their homes, one should read the following carefully:

Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu ’anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said:

“A woman’s salah in her room is better than her salah in [any part of] her house, and her salah in inner room is better than elsewhere.”

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith: 571)

The narrator of the above Hadith; Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu ’anhu) himself is reported to have issued the following general comments on this topic:

“The best salah a woman can offer is the one in the depth of her home.”

(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 7696)

“No woman’s salah is more beloved to Allah Ta’ala than the one in her own home.”

(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 7701)

“A woman is closest to her Rabb when she is in the depth of her house.”

(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 7698)

In fact, he would himself chase the women out of the masjid by throwing small pebbles at them.

(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 7699)

These quotations do not mention anything about the marriage related issue in your question. See more here.

The Hadith commentators actually explain the reasoning for this Prophetic injunction to be: protection from mischief (fitnah).

(Fathul Bari, Hadith: 868)

It is therefore a general rule, and not specifically attached to the danger of the marriage. Contrary to what you have quoted from the “speaker” in question.

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,

Answered by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar