O' ye peoples! Women are deficient in Faith, deficient in shares and deficient in intelligence. As regards the deficiency in their Faith, it is their abstention from prayers and fasting during their menstrual period. As regards deficiency in their intelligence it is because the evidence of two women is equal to that of one man. As for the deficiency of their shares that is because of their share in inheritance being half of men. So beware of the evils of women. Be on your guard even from those of them who are (reportedly) good. Do not obey them even in good things so that they may not attract you to evils.
(1). Amir al-mu'minin delivered this sermon after the devastation
created by the Battle of Jamal. Since the devastation resulting
from this battle was the outcome of blindly following a woman's
command, in this sermon he has described women's physical defects
and their causes and effects. Thus their first weakness is that
for a few days in every month they have to abstain from prayer
and fasting, and this abstention from worship is a proof of their
deficiency in Faith. Although the real meaning of `iman
(belief) is heart-felt testimony and inner conviction yet metaphorically
it also applies to action and character. Since actions are the
reflection of Belief they are also regarded as part of Belief.
Thus, it is related from Imam `Ali ibn Musa ar-Rida (p.b.u.t.)
that:
The second weakness is that their natural propensities do not
admit of full performance of their intelligence. Therefore, nature
has given them the power of intelligence only in accordance with
the scope of their activities which can guide them in pregnancy,
delivery, child nursing, child care and house-hold affairs. On
the basis of this weakness of mind and intelligence their evidence
has not been accorded the status of man's evidence, as Allah says:
The third weakness is that their share in inheritance is half
of man's share in inheritance as the Qur'an says:
This shows woman's weakness because the reason for her share in
inheritance being half is that the liability of her maintenance
rests on man. When man's position is that of a maintainer and
care taker the status of the weaker sex who is in need of maintenance
and care-taking is evident.
After describing their natural weakness, Amir al-mu'minin points
out the mischief of blindly following them and wrongly obeying
them. He says that not to say of bad things but even if they say
in regard to some good things it should not be done in a way that
these should feel as if it is being done in pursuance of their
wish, but rather in a way that they should realise that the good
act has been performed because of its being good and that their
pleasure or wish has nothing to do with it. If they have even
the doubt that their pleasures has been kept in view in it they
would slowly increase in their demands and would wish that they
should be obeyed in all matters however evil, the inevitable consequence
whereof will be destruction and ruin. ash-Shaykh Muhammad `Abduh
writes about this view of Amir al-mu'minin as under:
`iman (belief) is testimony at heart, admission by the
tongue and action by the limbs.
. . . then call to witness two witnesses from among your men
and if there not be two men then (take) a man and two women, of
those ye approve of the witnesses, so that should one of the two
(women) forget the (second) one of the two may remind the other...
(Qur'an, 2:282)
Allah enjoineth you about your children. The male shall have
the equal of the shares of two females...(4:11)
Amir al-mu'minin has said a thing which is corroborated by experiences
of centuries.