Comparison of Women to Dogs and Donkeys
Arabic original
إذا قامَ أحَدُكُم يُصَلِّي فإنَّه يَستُرُه إذا كانَ بينَ يَدَيه مِثلُ آخِرةِ الرَّحلِ، فإذا لَم يَكُنْ بينَ يَدَيه مِثلُ آخِرةِ الرَّحلِ؛ فإنَّه يَقطَعُ صَلاتَه الحِمارُ، والمَرأةُ، والكَلبُ الأسودُ. قُلتُ: يا أبا ذَرٍّ، ما بالُ الكَلبِ الأسودِ مِنَ الكَلبِ الأحمَرِ مِنَ الكَلبِ الأصفَرِ؟ قال: يا ابنَ أخي، سَألتُ رَسولَ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم كما سَألتَني، فقال: الكَلبُ الأسودُ شيطانٌ. الراوي : أبو ذر الغفاري المحدث :مسلم المصدر :صحيح مسلم الصفحة أو الرقم: 510 خلاصة حكم المحدث : [صحيح] التخريج : من أفراد مسلم على البخاري
Translation
When one of you stands to pray, he is screened by whatever is in front of him equivalent to the back of a riding animal's saddle. If there is nothing in front of him equivalent to the back of a riding animal's saddle, then the donkey, the woman, and the black dog cut off his prayer. I said, "O Abu Dharr, what is the matter with the black dog compared to the red dog and the yellow dog?" He said, "O son of my brother, I asked the Messenger of Allah about it as you have asked me, and he said: 'The black dog is a devil.'" Narrator: Abu Dharr al-Ghifari Hadith scholar: Muslim Source: Sahih Muslim Page or number: 510 Scholar's ruling summary: [Sahih] Grading: From the additions of Muslim to al-Bukhari
Explanation
In this hadith, Abu Dharr may Allah be pleased with him says: When one of you stands to pray, he is screened by whatever is in front of him that cuts off his prayer if it is equivalent to the back of a riding animal's saddle, which is the wooden piece against which the rider leans on a camel. If there is no barrier in front of the worshipper and a donkey, a woman, or a black dog passes in front of him during his prayer, then these cut off the prayer. Scholars have differed regarding the meaning of "they cut off": Some said they cut off the prayer in terms of breaking its connection and invalidating it. Others said the prayer is not invalidated by the passing of any of these or others, and they interpreted this hadith as meaning that what is intended by "cutting off" is the deficiency of the prayer due to the heart being occupied by these things, not the invalidation of it; for a woman causes temptation, a donkey brays, and it is not guaranteed that its braying will not startle him when it is aligned with him, disturbing him while he is before his Lord Most High. A dog frightens and disturbs the one contemplating, and due to the soul's aversion to it, the prayer may be cut off for him. Since these matters lead to cutting off, He made them cutting agents. Abdullah ibn al-Samat asked Abu Dharr: What is the matter with the black dog compared to the red dog and the yellow dog? He said to him: I asked the Messenger of Allah as you have asked me, and he said: 'The black dog is a devil,' meaning it is far from good and benefit and close to harm and mischief, and this is the nature of devils from among humans and jinn. It has been said that the devil takes the form of black dogs. It has also been said that since the black dog is more harmful than others and more frightening, when the worshipper sees it, he is distracted from his prayer, so it becomes cut off for him for that reason.