1462 - Narrated Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him): On `Eid al Fitr or `Eid al-Adha, Allah's Messenger ﷺ went out to the Musalla. After finishing the prayer, he ﷺ delivered the sermon and ordered the people to give alms. He said, "O people! Give alms." Then he ﷺ went towards the women and said: "O women! Give alms, for I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-Fire were you (women)." The women asked, "O Allah's Messenger! What is the reason for it?" He ﷺ replied, "O women! You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion who can make a cautious wise man irrational than you." Then he ﷺ left. When he ﷺ reached his house, Zaynab, the wife of Ibn Mas`ood, came and asked permission to enter. The Prophet ﷺ was informed of her visit so it was said, "O Allah's Messenger! It is Zaynab." He ﷺ asked, 'Which Zaynab?" The reply was that she was the wife of Ibn Mas'ood. He said, "Yes, allow her to enter." And she was admitted. Then she said, "O Prophet of Allah! Today you ordered people to give alms and I had an ornament and intended to give it as alms, but Ibn Mas`ood said that he and his children deserved it more than anybody else." The Prophet ﷺreplied, "Ibn Mas`ood had spoken the truth. Your husband and your children have more right to it than anybody else.".

Commentary : Zakat, which Allah has made obligatory, charity, which Allah has encouraged and made optional, are two great deeds that can help us attain safety in this life and the Hereafter. He who has indulged in sins and disobedience should give charity to purify himself from his sins, hoping from Allah, Exalted be He, His blessings and goodness. The Prophet ﷺ would encourage people so often to give charity and explain its virtue and who are most deserving of it.
In this hadeeth, Abu Sa’eed al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ went to the Musalla to offer the Eid prayer on ‘Eid al-Fitr or ‘Eid al-Adhah. The Musalla is a spacious outdoor area, and the location of the Musalla of the Prophet ﷺ was in a known area in al-Madeenah, that is 1000 arms away from the gate of his Mosque. After he ﷺ finished the ‘Eid prayer, he ﷺ addressed the attendees and preached to them about what would benefit them in their worldly life and the Hereafter. The preaching sermon should be short and not lengthy. He ﷺ exhorted to give in charity and then walked to the Musalla of women to exhort and preach them since they were segregated from men and may not have heard his first preach. Or, it is possible that he went to them to give them a special reminder. He reminded them of Paradise and Hellfire and addressed all of them in his speech by saying: O women! Then, he ﷺ ordered them to give away in charity, and explained that he saw during the ascending journey - or in other events – that most of the dwellers of Hellfire were from women. This makes the reason he ordered them to give away in charity is that giving charity increases the scale of good deeds and extinguishes the Lord’s anger. In other words, he ﷺ directed them to a good deed that would save them from Hellfire, hoping that Allah will have mercy on them because of their charity. The women asked the Prophet ﷺ about the reason that made them most of the people in Hellfire. He clarified that it is because of their excessive verbal abuse and cursing or invoking against others to be expelled from Allah’s mercy. The other reason he ﷺ offered was that women are often ungrateful to their husbands i.e., a woman would deny that her husband was ever kind to her whenever she is upset with him or sees from him something not of her liking even if it was a trivial matter. This part of the hadeeth sends women a strong warning against verbal abuse and cursing and warns them against denying the favors and kind treatment of their husbands. Then, he ﷺ described them of being deficient in intelligence and religion and that their influence is so strong such that it can even lure a resolve and sensible man. The latter is used in the form of exaggeration to highlight their strong influence over men to show that if they are determined to do something they would keep argue with men until they do it, regardless of it being right or wrong.
Their deficiency in intellect and religion is explained in the authentic hadeeth in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, which reads:”They asked, “What is the deficiency of our religion and our intelligence, messenger of God?” He replied, “Is not the testimony of a woman equivalent to half the testimony of a man?” They said, “Yes.” Remarking that that pertained to the deficiency of her intelligence, he asked, “Is it not the case that when she menstruates, she neither prays nor fasts?” When they replied, “Yes,” he said, “That pertains to the deficiency of her religion.” The mention of their deficiency of religion and intellect is not to blame them, it is intended to warn men from falling for their temptations, and not as a derogatory remark or to blame them, because it is beyond their power and a part of their innate nature that Allah has created.
After, the Prophet ﷺ left to his house. Zaynab, the wife of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood followed him to his house and asked his permission to enter. The one who informed the Prophet ﷺ of her visit and request to enter upon him was Bilaal ibn Rabaah (may Allah be pleased with him). He ﷺ allowed her to enter after he learned who she was. She informed him ﷺ that her husband, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him), objected when she wanted to giveaway in charity some of her jewelry, and explained that he and their children are more deserving of her charity. The Prophet ﷺ supported the view of Ibn Mas’ood and confirmed that her poor husband and children are more deserving of her charity. He ﷺ, according to the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, further added: “She will have two rewards, the reward for charity and the reward for upholding ties of kinship.”
From the benefits that we could learn from this hadeeth is knowing that cursing and ungratefulness between spouses are admonished.
It shows that the word “kufr” (translation: denying and ungratefulness) can be used to refer to sins that do not take people outside the fold of Islam to highlight its seriousness.
It teaches us that giving a harsh advice could be a way to rid of a quality that is condemned, and encourages us to give charity, particularly to poor and needy relatives, and that charity keeps us away from Allah’s punishment.
It shows that a student can discuss the opinion of his teacher about aspects that he does not understand.
It depicts to us the great character of the Prophet ﷺ, his tolerance, compassion, and kindness. .