Question:
What is the status of this hadith, SS Datuk Mufti? The Prophet PBUH answered when a Companion asked him: What is worse than a dog’s saliva, O Prophet PBUH? He PBUH answered: “Women who are rough-spoken”
Brief Answer:
The saying claimed as coming from the hadith of the Prophet PBUH is not true. This is because, it is found out that the hadith stating that a woman who is rough-spoken is worse than a dog’s saliva is not found in any accredited sources of hadith. Therefore, the text is not a hadith of the Prophet PBUH. However, according to other hadith where the Prophet PBUH prohibits his ummah no matter which gender, position and rank in society to not say something offensive and abusive as it may cause us to be burnt in the Hellfire.
Explanation:
It is not found from any accredited source of hadith which states that the Prophet PBUH said women who are rough-spoken are more depraved than a dog’s saliva, but there is a hadith which states that the Prophet PBUH once advised and commanded the women to fear Allah, obey their husbands and do a tremendous amount of sadaqah. The Prophet PBUH said:
إِنَّ مِنْكُنَّ مَنْ تَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ -وَجَمَعَ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ- وَمِنْكُنَّ حَطَبُ جَهَنَّمَ، -وَفَرَّقَ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ"، فَقَالَتِ الْمَارِدَةُ أَوِ المرادية: يا رسول الله وَلِمَ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ: تَكْفُرْنَ الْعَشِيرَ، وَتُكْثِرْنَ اللَّعْنَ، وَتُسَوِّفْنَ الْخَيْرَ.
Verily, amongst you (women) are those who enter Paradise (while the Prophet putting his fingers together) and most of them will become the fuel for Hellfire (then he PBUH spread his fingers). A woman asked, “Why so O Messenger of Allah?” He answered, “Because you deny our husband’s good deeds, curses and delays goodness”. [1]
Narrated by Ibn Hibban (3320)
Besides, in another hadith, it is narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Umar that the Prophet PBUH said:
لَيْسَ الْمُؤْمِنُ بِالطَّعَّانِ وَلاَ اللَّعَّانِ وَلاَ الْفَاحِشِ وَلاَ الْبَذِيءِ
"The believer does not insult the honor of others, nor curse, nor commit Fahishah, nor is he foul."[2]
Jami’ al-Tirmidhi (1977)
Conclusion
After analyzation is made, hadith which claims that women who are rough-spoken are more depraved than a dog’s saliva is not true as it is not found from any accredited sources of hadith. The saying is only created by irresponsible individuals that it causes a spread in social media. While the text is not known of its original source. Do verify all news come to us before being spread. This may help us abstaining ourselves from saying something which is never said by the Prophet PBUH. Wallahu a’lam.
Source:
[1] Muhammad bin Hibban, Sahih Ibn Hibban, ed. Shu’aib al-Arna’ut (Beirut: Mu’assasah al-Risalah, 1988), 8/113.
[2] Muhammad bin ‘Isa bin Sawrah al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, ed. Ibrahim ‘Atuwwah ‘Aud (Mesir: Matba’ah Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi, 1975), 4/350.