THE JIHAD OF MEN AND WOMEN

Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.

Extracting this specific portion of the narration may give the impression that women are not equal to men. However, when the narration is read in its entirety, the concept of equality becomes evident.

Al-Kulayni reports the narration as follows:

علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن أبي الجوزاء، عن الحسين بن علوان، عن سعد بن طريف، عن الأصبغ بن نباتة، قال: قال أمير المؤمنين(عليه السلام): كتب الله الجهاد على الرجال والنساء، فجهاد الرجل بذل ماله ونفسه حتّى يقتل في سبيل الله، وجهاد المرأة أن تصبر على ما ترى من أذى زوجها وغيرته. وفي حديث آخر: جهاد المرأة حسن التبعل.

"Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Abu al-Jawza’, from al-Husayn ibn ‘Alwan, from Sa‘d ibn Tarif, from al-Asbagh ibn Nubata, who said: The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: ‘Allah has ordained jihad for both men and women. A man’s jihad is to sacrifice his wealth and his life until he is martyred in the way of Allah. A woman’s jihad is to endure the harm and jealousy of her husband.’ In another narration, it is stated: A woman’s jihad is to be a good spouse.’ [1]

Thus, a man's jihad involves sacrificing his wealth and life in the path of Allah, whereas a woman's jihad, as mentioned in another narration, is fulfilling the duties of a good spouse, and in this narration, it is described as enduring her husband's jealousy. By nature, men tend to be possessive, and this may sometimes result in actions or words that cause discomfort to the wife. Her patience in such situations is regarded as her jihad.

How can this form of jihad be equated with sacrificing one's life in the path of Allah, which is the duty of men? Undoubtedly, the latter is more difficult. Therefore, the perceived inequality arises from the fact that men are assigned a more arduous responsibility, whereas women are given a comparatively easier obligation.

May you remain under Allah’s care.

References

[1] Al-Kafi, Shaykh Al-Kulayni, Volume 5, Book 1, Chapter 2, Hadith 1

The original text in Arabic can be found here

Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.

A narration states: "A woman's jihad is to endure the harm she experiences from her husband."

At first glance, this may appear to suggest a lack of equality—as if the woman is solely required to endure harm, while the husband is not held to a similar standard. Could this imply an imbalance in responsibilities?

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