In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Women can be just as intelligent as men, or even more so, which is proven by numerous female Hadith narrators, scholars, and others who made significant contributions to Islamic intellectual history, as well as general scientific knowledge. Men and women complement one another, each providing unique strengths if the other is lacking.
However, an unfortunate misconception exists, among both Muslims and non-Muslims, that women are ‘deficient’ in intelligence as if this was a universal rule about their inherent nature. There is a particular Hadith that is poorly translated or misquoted, without due regard for its immediate context, its wider implications, or external evidence from other sources.
While preaching to a group of women, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned their ‘reduction’ or ‘deficit’ (naqs) in ‘reason’ (‘aql), by which he meant their reduced legal responsibility to give testimony in financial contracts. Despite this reduced legal responsibility, the Prophet ﷺ warned them that their sins were catching up to them and they needed to give in charity as expiation, the same as all believers should do.
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
يَا مَعْشَرَ النِّسَاءِ تَصَدَّقْنَ فَإِنِّي أُرِيتُكُنَّ أَكْثَرَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ
O gathering of women! Give in charity, for I saw a great many of you among people in Hellfire.
They said, “Why is that, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet said:
تُكْثِرْنَ اللَّعْنَ وَتَكْفُرْنَ الْعَشِيرَ مَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ نَاقِصَاتِ عَقْلٍ وَدِينٍ أَذْهَبَ لِلُبِّ الرَّجُلِ الْحَازِمِ مِنْ إِحْدَاكُنَّ
You curse others often and you are ungrateful for your livelihood. I have not seen anyone with reductions in mind and religion more capable of removing reason from a resolute man than you.
They said, “What are our reductions in mind?” The Prophet said:
أَلَيْسَ شَهَادَةُ الْمَرْأَةِ مِثْلَ نِصْفِ شَهَادَةِ الرَّجُلِ
Is not the testimony of a woman like half of a man?
They said, “Of course.” The Prophet said:
فَذَلِكِ مِنْ نُقْصَانِ عَقْلِهَا أَلَيْسَ إِذَا حَاضَتْ لَمْ تُصَلِّ وَلَمْ تَصُمْ
That is the reduction in your reason. Is it not that when you menstruate you do not pray, nor fast?
They said, “Of course.” The Prophet said:
فَذَلِكِ مِنْ نُقْصَانِ دِينِهَا
That is the reduction in your religion.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 298, Grade: Sahih
The two ‘reductions’ (nuqsan) in reason and religion refer to a woman’s legal responsibility (taklif), not her inherent nature. This is evidenced by the Prophet’s ﷺ reference to the impermissibility of them praying or fasting while menstruating, which is a mercy for them.
Some authors have mistranslated nuqsan by using insensitive terms like ‘deficient in intelligence,’ or ‘lacking common sense.’ This rendition is inappropriate because the word in this context means a ‘reduction’ of legal responsibility, in the same way it is used linguistically in the Quran:
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا نَأْتِي الْأَرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا
Have they not seen that We set upon the land, reducing it from its borders?
Surat al-R’ad 13:41
And Allah said:
أَفَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّا نَأْتِي الْأَرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا
Then do they not see that We set upon the land, reducing it from its borders?
Surat al-Anbiya’ 21:44
The scholars have said that the nuqsan or ‘reductions’ here are not blameworthy because it is not their fault. The Prophet ﷺ is not insulting or belittling these women. The women themselves did not take this as an insult, but rather as a sermon.
As such, nuqsan should not be translated as ‘deficiency’ or ‘defect,’ because it is not a judgment on their intellectual, spiritual, or moral capabilities.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah writes:
ومعلوم أن الصلاة حينئذ ليس واجبة عليها وهذا نقص لا تلام عليه المرأة لكن من جعل كاملا كان أفضل منها بخلاف من نقص شيئا ممّا وجب عليه فصار النقص في الدين والإيمان نوعين نوعا لا يذم العبد عليه ونوعا يذم عليه
It is known that prayer is not obligatory for her in this case, and this is a ‘lacking’ for which the woman is not to be blamed. However, whoever makes it complete is favored over her, unlike whoever omits something that is obligatory upon him. Thus, ‘deficiency’ in religion and faith becomes two types: a type for which the servant is not to be blamed and a type for which one is to be blamed.
Source: Sharḥ Al-‘Aqīdah al-Aṣbahānīyah 1/193
The Prophet ﷺ neither said that all women have a deficiency in ‘intelligence’ (dhaka’). He was not declaring women to be irrational by nature, as indicated by Imam Muslim’s version of the narration, which states:
فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ جَزْلَةٌ
Then, a highly intelligent woman among them said…
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 79, Grade: Sahih
Imam al-Nawawi commented:
أَيْ ذَاتُ عَقْلٍ وَرَأْيٍ قَالَ بن دُرَيْدٍ الْجَزَالَةُ الْعَقْلُ وَالْوَقَارُ
That is, she possessed reason and insight. Ibn Durayd said, ‘Reason and dignity.’
Source: Sharḥ al-Nawawī ‘alá Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2/66
Shaykhah Nawal bint ‘Abdulaziz, the award-winning professor of Sunnah studies at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University in Saudi Arabia, commented:
جاء في لفظ مسلم قيام امرأة منهن جَزْلة لتناقش رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم والجزلة كما قال العلماء ذات العقل الوافر والرأي السديد فكيف تكون هذه المرأة ناقصة عقل وذات عقل ورأي في آن واحد
It was reported in Muslim that a woman of high intelligence stood up to question the Messenger of Allah. As the scholars said, a woman of high intelligence is one with abundant reason and sound insight. So how could this woman be both ‘deficient’ in reason and have insightful reason at the same time?
Source: Ḥuqūq al-Mar’ah fī Ḍaw’ al-Sunnah al-Nabawīyah 1/342
The Prophet’s ﷺ main concern was to encourage these women to give charity as expiation for their sins, just as men do. He was highlighting their reduced legal responsibilities as if to say, despite carrying a lesser legal burden than men in some respects, they were still in danger from the Hellfire by their sins, so they should increase their good deeds and donations of charity.
In the case of financial contracts, the Quran stipulates that two men, or one man with two women, be witnesses to the contract, not because women are less smart, but because women at the time typically had little knowledge or experience with financial matters.
Al-Qadi ‘Iyad commented:
وقد اختلف الناس فى العقل ما هو فقيل العلم وهذه طريقة من اتبع حكم اللغة لأن العلم والعقل فى اللسان بمعنى واحد
People have differed about the word ‘reason,’ what is it? Some say it is knowledge, and this is the method of those who follow the rules of language, because knowledge and reason in the language have the same meaning.
Source: Ikmāl al-Mu’lim 1/338
It could be said that two women, in lieu of one man, are required to witness a financial contract not because they are less intelligent, but rather because they usually did not have the same knowledge and experience as men who did these things for a living.
The purpose of this rule was a practical matter to achieve fairness in business by having two women support each other’s memories in matters outside of their regular duties, as Allah said in the verse:
وَلْيَكْتُب بَّيْنَكُمْ كَاتِبٌ بِالْعَدْلِ
Let the scribe maintain justice between the parties.
Surat al-Baqarah 2:282
However, this general rule may not apply to every situation. The scholars understood that men and women are equal in their capacity for honesty and righteousness, just as they assessed the knowledge and credibility of witnesses in court. If a woman is known to be more honest, knowledgeable, and experienced than a particular man, her testimony could be more credible than his.
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim writes:
وَالْمَرْأَةُ الْعَدْلُ كَالرَّجُلِ فِي الصِّدْقِ وَالْأَمَانَةِ وَالدِّيَانَة إلَّا أَنَّهَا لَمَّا خِيفَ عَلَيْهَا السَّهْوُ وَالنِّسْيَانُ قَوِيَتْ بِمِثْلِهَا وَذَلِكَ قَدْ يَجْعَلُهَا أَقْوَى مِنْ الرَّجُلِ الْوَاحِدِ أَوْ مِثْلَهُ وَلَا رَيْب أَنَّ الظَّنَّ الْمُسْتَفَادَ مِنْ شَهَادَةِ مِثْلِ أُمِّ الدَّرْدَاءِ وَأُمِّ عَطِيَّةَ أَقْوَى مِنْ الظَّنِّ الْمُسْتَفَادِ مِنْ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ دُونَهُمَا وَدُونَ أَمْثَالِهِمَا
The woman is equal to the man in truthfulness, honesty, and piety; otherwise, if it is feared that she will forget or misremember, she is strengthened with another like herself. That makes them stronger than a single man or the likes of him. There is no question that the benefit of the doubt given to the testimony of the female Companions, such as Umm Darda and Umm ‘Atiyyah, is stronger than the benefit of the doubt given to a single man without them or the likes of them.
Source: al-Ṭuruq al-Ḥukmīyah 1/136
And Shaykh al-Islam said:
فَمَا كَانَ مِنْ الشَّهَادَاتِ لَا يُخَافُ فِيهِ الضَّلَالُ فِي الْعَادَةِ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِيهِ عَلَى نِصْفِ رَجُلٍ
Whatever there is among the testimonies of women, in which there is no fear of habitual error, they are not considered as half of a man.
Source: al-Ṭuruq al-Ḥukmīyah 1/128
In another areas in which women traditionally work, their testimony is accepted without the need for another man to corroborate her, and her testimony is likely more credible than his anyway.
Imam Ibn Rushd writes:
وَأَمَّا شَهَادَةُ النِّسَاءِ مُفْرَدَاتٍ أَعْنِي النِّسَاءَ دُونَ الرِّجَالِ فَهِيَ مَقْبُولَةٌ عِنْدَ الْجُمْهُورِ فِي حُقُوقِ الْأَبْدَانِ الَّتِي لَا يَطَّلِعُ عَلَيْهَا الرِّجَالُ غَالِبًا مِثْلَ الْوِلَادَةِ وَالِاسْتِهْلَالِ وَعُيُوبِ النِّسَاءِ
As for the testimony of individual women, meaning women without men, it is accepted by the majority in personal rights which are usually not the purview of men, such as pregnancy, consummation, and ailments affecting women.
Source: Bidāyat al-Mujtahid 4/248
In this regard, the classical rules were largely based upon the customary gender roles of the time and were not indicative of a universal deficiency in women’s intelligence, testimony, or truthfulness. In other cases, a woman’s testimony was accepted in important matters of family law without any men present.
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim writes:
قَالَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ فِي الرَّجُلِ يُوصِي وَلَا يَحْضُرُهُ إلَّا النِّسَاءُ قَالَ أُجِيزُ شَهَادَةَ النِّسَاءِ فَظَاهِرُ هَذَا أَنَّهُ أَثْبَتَ الْوَصِيَّةَ بِشَهَادَةِ النِّسَاءِ عَلَى الِانْفِرَادِ إذَا لَمْ يَحْضُرْهُ الرِّجَالُ
Imam Ahmad said regarding a man who writes his will and none are present except women, ‘I permit the testimony of women.’ Thus, this shows that he affirmed the will by the testimony of individual women even if no men were present.
Source: al-Ṭuruq al-Ḥukmīyah 1/135
By analyzing the sources and appreciating their historical contexts, we find that the classical rules related to women’s testimony are not a statement about their inherent intelligence or credibility. Hence, the Prophet’s ﷺ statement about ‘their reduction in reason’ is not related to their mental capacity.
Perhaps the single most important fact to falsify the alleged ‘deficiency of women’s intelligence’ are the many women who contributed to the preservation, transmission, and explanation of the Prophet’s ﷺ Sunnah. The foremost example is the Prophet’s ﷺ wife Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, who transmitted thousands of Hadith as a major contribution to the development of Islamic law. Even the senior male Companions would go to her seeking knowledge about the legal obligations of the religion, for legal verdicts, and for advice.
Abu Musa reported:
مَا أَشْكَلَ عَلَيْنَا أَصْحَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَدِيثٌ قَطُّ فَسَأَلْنَا عَائِشَةَ إِلَّا وَجَدْنَا عِنْدَهَا مِنْهُ عِلْمًا
We never had a problem occur to us, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and asked Aisha about it but that we found her knowledgeable of it.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3883, Grade: Sahih
Masruq was asked, “Was Aisha knowledgeable of the religious obligations?” He replied:
وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ مَشْيَخَةَ أَصْحَابِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْأَكَابِرَ يَسْأَلُونَهَا عَنْ الْفَرَائِضِ
By the One in whose hand is my soul, I saw the learned elders among the Companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, ask her about the religious obligations.
Source: Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 30387, Grade: Hasan
Many more women, not only the Prophet’s ﷺ wives, were scholars of the Hadith and Sunnah, known for their honesty and reliability. Crucial parts of the Sunnah were established on the testimony of just one woman; the scholars never rejected their testimony merely because of their gender.
Imam al-Shawkani writes:
فَإِنْ قُلْت إنَّ ذَلِكَ الْقَوْلَ مِنْ عُمَرَ يَتَضَمَّنُ الطَّعْنَ عَلَى رِوَايَةِ فَاطِمَةَ لِقَوْلِهِ لِقَوْلِ امْرَأَةٍ لَا نَدْرِي لَعَلَّهَا حَفِظَتْ أَوْ نَسِيَتْ قُلْت هَذَا مَطْعَنٌ بَاطِلٌ بِإِجْمَاعِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ لِلْقَطْعِ بِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يُنْقَلْ عَنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ الْعُلَمَاءِ أَنَّهُ رَدَّ خَبَرَ الْمَرْأَةِ لِكَوْنِهَا امْرَأَةً فَكَمْ مِنْ سُنَّةٍ قَدْ تَلَقَّتْهَا الْأُمَّةُ بِالْقَبُولِ عَنْ امْرَأَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْ الصَّحَابَةِ
If you say that statement from Umar contains a flaw in Fatimah’s narration of his statement, because we do not know whether a woman remembers or forgets, I say this itself is flawed and false by the absolute consensus of the Muslims. It has not been reported from any scholar that he rejected the report of a woman on the basis of her being a woman. How many Hadith has the Ummah received from a single woman among the Companions?
Source: Nayl al-Awṭār 6/359-360
And Imam al-Dhahabi writes:
وما علمت في النساء من اتهمت ولا من تركوها
I do not know of any female narrators who were accused of lying, nor had anyone abandoned them.
Source: Mīzān al-I’tidāl 4/604
Imam al-Dhahabi then lists over one hundred and twenty women who narrated the Hadith. If the scholars believed a woman’s testimony was always half of a man, or she was always less intelligent or credible than him, that would have applied even more so to narrating the Hadith. Relating the words and actions of the Prophet ﷺ is a heavy responsibility requiring the utmost intelligence, memory, and trustworthiness. Yet, many women excelled in this field just as men did.
Moreover, women have unique and complementary perspectives that can inform men of their blind spots, as women tend to have greater emotional intelligence. For instance, the Prophet ﷺ once consulted his wife Umm Salamah on a serious matter, and she provided him with a key insight into his problem.
Marwan reported: After the peace treaty of Hudaybiyyah was concluded and conceded much to the enemy, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to his Companions:
قُومُوا فَانْحَرُوا ثُمَّ احْلِقُوا
Get up and offer your sacrifices, then shave your hair.
None of them stood up as they were disappointed with the treaty, even though the Prophet repeated his order three times. The Prophet left them and went to Umm Salamah, telling her about their attitude. Umm Salamah advised him:
يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ أَتُحِبُّ ذَلِكَ اخْرُجْ ثُمَّ لاَ تُكَلِّمْ أَحَدًا مِنْهُمْ كَلِمَةً حَتَّى تَنْحَرَ بُدْنَكَ وَتَدْعُوَ حَالِقَكَ فَيَحْلِقَكَ
O Prophet of Allah, would you like your order to be carried out? Go out and do not speak to them until you have offered your own sacrifice and have called the barber to shave your head.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2731, Grade: Sahih
The Prophet ﷺ followed his wife’s advice and prepared to end the pilgrimage without entering Mecca. The Companions would soon follow his lead, just as she said they would. Umm Salamah’s exceptional intelligence provided him with the guidance and resolution he needed.
Imam Ibn Hajar commented:
وَجَوَازُ مُشَاوَرَةِ الْمَرْأَةِ الْفَاضِلَةِ وَفَضْلُ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ وَوُفُورُ عَقْلِهَا حَتَّى قَالَ إِمَامُ الْحَرَمَيْنِ لَا نَعْلَمُ امْرَأَةً أَشَارَتْ بِرَأْيٍ فَأَصَابَتْ إِلَّا أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ
It is permissible to consult a meritorious woman, and the merit of Umm Salamah and her abundant intelligence were such that Imam al-Haramayn said, ‘We do not know of a woman expressing her opinion and being correct as much as Umm Salamah.’
Source: Fatḥ al-Bārī 5/347
Intelligence is not simply a linear matter of more or less, or merely academic or technical matters. There are varieties of intelligence, such as emotional and personal intelligence, which women often excel at and can benefit men with their advice.
In fact, intelligence is a desirable trait in a woman when a male suitor is assessing a potential spouse.
Imam Ibn Qudamah writes:
ويخْتارُ ذاتَ العَقْلِ ويَجْتَنِبُ الحَمْقاءَ لأنَّ النِّكاحَ يُرادُ للعِشْرَةِ ولا تَصْلُحُ العِشْرةُ مع الحَمْقاءِ
He should choose a reasonable woman and avoid the foolish ones, because marriage is intended for companionship, and companionship is not suitable with fools.
Source: al-Mughnī 9/512
For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ described men and women as counterparts, as if they are the twin halves of one another.
Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِنَّ النِّسَاءَ شَقَائِقُ الرِّجَالِ
Verily, women are the counterparts of men.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 113, Grade: Sahih
Men and women complete each other, they need each other, compensating for what the others may lack. If both genders are like the twin halves of each other, how could anyone possibly claim one half is better than the other?
Shaykh ‘Abdulaziz Ibn Baz, commenting on the Hadith about a woman’s ‘reduction in reason,’ said:
ولا يلزم من هذا أن تكون أيضا دون الرجل في كل شيء وأن الرجل أفضل منها في كل شيء نعم جنس الرجال أفضل من جنس النساء في الجملة لأسباب كثيرة … لكن قد تفوقه في بعض الأحيان في أشياء كثيرة فكم لله من امرأة فوق كثير من الرجال في عقلها ودينها وضبطها
This does not mean that a woman is below a man in everything, nor that a man is better than her in every way. Yes, as a group, men have advantages over women in general, for many reasons… but in some situations, a woman may surpass a man in numerous ways. How many women has Allah elevated above many men in her reason, religion, and discipline?
Source: Majmū’ Fatāwá wa Maqālāt Mutanawwi’ah 4/293
In sum, the claim that women are ‘deficient in religion’ is based upon a misinterpretation or a poor translation of the Hadith. A woman’s ‘reduction’ or ‘deficit’ in her ‘reason’ is regarding her legal responsibilities, not in her mental capabilities. The believing men and women are the allies of one another, supporting each other, advising each other, and respecting each other as Allah has commanded. They should not exalt one gender over the other, or belittle the other gender.
Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.
