Question:
What is the status of this hadith?
ضَاعَ الْعِلْمُ فِي أَفْخَاذِ النِّسَاءِ
“Knowledge is lost at the thighs of women”
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
According to the above question, the hadith is included by scholars of hadith who collect fake hadiths. The above hadith is also stated with slightly different wording:
ضَاعَ الْعِلْمُ بَيْنَ أَفْخَاذِ النِّسَاءِ
“Knowledge is lost in between the thighs of women”
Both stated hadiths above are not from the Prophet PBUH and are just words of Bisyr al-Hafi. This is stated by Imam al-Sakhawi and Syeikh Mulla Ali al-Qari. Among the hadith scholars who state that the hadith is fake in their books are:
- Imam al-Sakhawi. [See: al-Maqasid al-Hasanah, 640]
- Syeikh al-Zurqani. [See: Mukhtasar al-Maqasid, 597]
- Syeikh al-Ajlouni. [See: Kasyf al-Khafa’, 34/2]
- Syeikh Mulla Ali al-Qari. [See: al-Asrar al-Marfu’ah, 237/1][See: al-Mashnu’ Fi Ma’rifah al-Hadith al-Maudhu’, 120]
- Syeikh al-Qauqaji. [See: al-Lu’lu’ al-Marshu’, 112/1]
Conclusion
As a conclusion, the above hadith is unauthentic and we are prohibited from ever relaying the hadith to others. Furthermore, we are also prohibited from saying that it is from the Prophet PBUH. The reason is, the punishment for those who lie on the name of the Prophet PBUH will be punished in hellfire. Lastly, may Allah SWT protect our tongues from conveying and spreading fake and unauthentic hadiths. Amin
Wallahua’lam.