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'''The Farewell Sermon''' (خطبة الوداع, Khuṭbatu l-Wadā') is purported to be the Prophet [[Muhammad|Muhammad's]] final [[Farewell Sermon|sermon]] to his followers before [[Muhammad's Death|his death]] in 632 CE. However like most elements of the Islamic tradition our sources for this are extremely late, in this case At-Tabari writing in the late 800's CE about an event which is purported to have taken place in 632 CE. The mention of "the Sunnah of the prophet" is clearly apycrophal, as Patricia Crone has shown in God's | '''The Farewell Sermon''' (خطبة الوداع, Khuṭbatu l-Wadā') is purported to be the Prophet [[Muhammad|Muhammad's]] final [[Farewell Sermon|sermon]] to his followers before [[Muhammad's Death|his death]] in 632 CE. However like most elements of the Islamic tradition our sources for this are extremely late, in this case At-Tabari writing in the late 800's CE about an event which is purported to have taken place in 632 CE. The mention of "the Sunnah of the prophet" is clearly apycrophal, as Patricia Crone has shown in ''God's Caliph'', since such a concept did not exist in actual khalifal/Islamic jurisprudence until well into the Abbassid period. The entirety of the supposed speech shows up in Tabari, but other sources in the hadith repeat what appear to be its most salient point, reminding men to treat their wives well (like their pack animals) but echoing [[Qur'an]] 4:34 in commanding their forceful separation and beating in the case of disobedience. The command to beat disobedient wives appeared to be the main classical take-away from the speech, and it should be noted that [[List_of_Fabricated_Hadith#Muhammad.27s_Farewell_Sermon|a more recent retelling of the speech]] which omits this injunction is a recent fabrication and not part of the attested classical tradition. | ||
==Introduction== | ==Introduction== | ||
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==Related Text== | ==Related Text== | ||
Note that while translations of the following hadiths differ, the same Arabic text occurs in the line about beating without severity. In Arabic, 'beat them, but not severely' is ''fa-idribuhunna darban ghayra mubarrihin'', which literally translates to mean 'beat them, a beating without violence/severity/sharpness/vehemence<ref>[http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume1/00000219.pdf Lane's Lexicon] Book I page 182</ref>'. | Note that while translations of the following hadiths of the farewell sermon differ, the same Arabic text occurs in the line about beating without severity. In Arabic, 'beat them, but not severely' is ''fa-idribuhunna darban ghayra mubarrihin'' (فَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ ضَرْبًا غَيْرَ مُبَرِّحٍ), which literally translates to mean 'beat them, a beating without violence/severity/sharpness/vehemence<ref>[http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume1/00000219.pdf Lane's Lexicon] Book I page 182</ref>'. | ||
{{Quote| | {{Quote|{{Abu Dawud||1900|Hasan}}|[...] Fear Allaah regarding women for you have got them under Allah’s security and have the right to intercourse with them by Allaah’s word. It is a duty from you on them not to allow anyone whom you dislike to lie on your beds but if they do beat them, but not severely. [...]}} | ||
The version of the farewell sermon in Sunan Abu Dawud was collected also in Sahih Muslim. | |||
{{Quote|{{Muslim|7|2803}}|[...] Fear Allah concerning women! Verily you have taken them on the security of Allah, and intercourse with them has been made lawful unto you by words of Allah. You too have right over them, and that they should not allow anyone to sit on your bed whom you do not like. But if they do that, you can chastise them but not severely. [...]}} | |||
The versions collected by Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, like those of al-Tabari quoted above and Ibn Ishaq quoted below, include a description of women as ʿawān, which the translator of al-Tabari quoted above rendered as "domestic animals", while in the hadiths and in the Sira by Ibn Ishaq quoted below it is instead translated as prisoners or captives, following the common traditional exegesis of the sermon. Lane's Lexicon defines ʿawān as animals, especially cows. It is from the same root as other words meaning to help or assist, which is probably why English texts of the sermon occasionally translate ʿawān here as "helpers".<ref>ʿawān عَوَانٌ - [Lane's Lexicon] p. 2204</ref> The version of al-Tabari and Ibn Ishaq adds that the women possess nothing for themselves. | |||
{{Quote|{{Al Tirmidhi||2|10|1163}}|Sulaiman bin Amr bin Al-Ahwas said: | {{Quote|{{Al Tirmidhi||2|10|1163}}|Sulaiman bin Amr bin Al-Ahwas said: | ||
“My father narrated to me that he witnessed the farewell Hajj with the Messenger of Allah. So he thanked and praised Allah and he reminded and gave admonition. He mentioned a story in his narration and he (the Prophet) said: “And indeed I order you to be good to the women, '''for they are but captives with you over whom you have no power than that, except if they come with manifest Fahishah (evil behavior). If they do that, then abandon their beds and beat them with a beating that is not harmful.''' And if they obey you then you have no cause against them. Indeed you have rights over your women, and your women have rights over you. As for your rights over your women, then they must not allow anyone whom you dislike to treat on your bedding (furniture), nor to admit anyone in your home that you dislike. And their rights over you are that you treat them well in clothing them and feeding them.” | “My father narrated to me that he witnessed the farewell Hajj with the Messenger of Allah. So he thanked and praised Allah and he reminded and gave admonition. He mentioned a story in his narration and he (the Prophet) said: “And indeed I order you to be good to the women, '''for they are but captives with you over whom you have no power than that, except if they come with manifest Fahishah (evil behavior). If they do that, then abandon their beds and beat them with a beating that is not harmful.''' And if they obey you then you have no cause against them. Indeed you have rights over your women, and your women have rights over you. As for your rights over your women, then they must not allow anyone whom you dislike to treat on your bedding (furniture), nor to admit anyone in your home that you dislike. And their rights over you are that you treat them well in clothing them and feeding them.” | ||
"}} | "}} | ||
{{Quote|{{Ibn Majah|9|3|9|1851}}|It was narrated that: Sulaiman bin Amr bin Ahwas said: “My father told me that he was present on the Farewell pilgrimage with the Messenger of Allah. He praised and glorified Allah, and reminder and exhorted (the people). The he said: 'I enjoin good treatment of women, for '''they are prisoners with you''', and you have no right to treat them otherwise, unless they commit clear indecency. If they do that, then '''forsake them in their beds and hit them''', but without causing injury or leaving a mark if they obey you, then do not seek means of annoyance against them. You have rights over your women and you women have rights over you. Your rights over you women are that they are not to allow anyone whom you dislike on treat on your bedding (furniture), not allow anyone whom you dislike to enter your houses. And their right over you are that should treat them kindly with regard to their clothing and food.' ” (Sahih)}}{{Quote|Ibn Ishaq. ''Sirat Rasul Allah''. 969. p. 651|You have rights over your wives and they have rights over you. You have the right that they should not defile your bed and that they should not behave with open unseemliness. '''If they do, God allows you to put them in separate rooms and beat them''' but not with severity. If they refrain from these things they have the right to their food and clothing with kindness. Lay injunctions on women kindly, '''for they are prisoners with you having no control of their persons.''' You have taken them only as a trust from God, and you have the enjoyment of their persons by the words of God, so understand…}}{{Quote|{{Quran|4|34}}|Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, | {{Quote|{{Ibn Majah|9|3|9|1851}}|It was narrated that: Sulaiman bin Amr bin Ahwas said: “My father told me that he was present on the Farewell pilgrimage with the Messenger of Allah. He praised and glorified Allah, and reminder and exhorted (the people). The he said: 'I enjoin good treatment of women, for '''they are prisoners with you''', and you have no right to treat them otherwise, unless they commit clear indecency. If they do that, then '''forsake them in their beds and hit them''', but without causing injury or leaving a mark if they obey you, then do not seek means of annoyance against them. You have rights over your women and you women have rights over you. Your rights over you women are that they are not to allow anyone whom you dislike on treat on your bedding (furniture), not allow anyone whom you dislike to enter your houses. And their right over you are that should treat them kindly with regard to their clothing and food.' ” (Sahih)}}{{Quote|Ibn Ishaq. ''Sirat Rasul Allah''. 969. p. 651|You have rights over your wives and they have rights over you. You have the right that they should not defile your bed and that they should not behave with open unseemliness. '''If they do, God allows you to put them in separate rooms and beat them''' but not with severity. If they refrain from these things they have the right to their food and clothing with kindness. Lay injunctions on women kindly, '''for they are prisoners with you having no control of their persons.''' You have taken them only as a trust from God, and you have the enjoyment of their persons by the words of God, so understand…}} | ||
These versions of the farewell sermon all allude to a verse in the Quran in which [[Wife Beating in Islamic Law|beating of women]] is mandated in certain situations. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|4|34}}|Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places '''and beat them'''; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great.}} | |||
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||