Explanation of Anas’s description of his mother as an old woman in the hadith
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. Regarding the statement of Anas, “And the old woman stood up behind us,” where he means by the old woman his mother (may Allah be pleased with her). He says: I heard some preachers say that calling a father “old” or a mother “an old woman” is a breach of etiquette. Is there a refutation of this claim in this hadith?
The Shaykh:
Yes, indeed. The hadith is clear. Even if it were considered a disparagement of her, it is actually a statement of reality, a mention of the facts. It is not a disparagement of her for being an old woman. Yes.[Hud 11:72]? It is not a disparagement of Sarah, the mother of Isaac and the wife of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). It is merely a statement of reality.
The presenter:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success.
The Shaykh:
And this is [regarding] “And my husband is an old man.” She said,[Hud 11:72] It is not a disparagement; it is a statement of reality. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. Regarding the statement of Anas, “And the old woman stood up behind us,” where he means by the old woman his mother (may Allah be pleased with her). He says: I heard some preachers say that calling a father “old” or a mother “an old woman” is a breach of etiquette. Is there a refutation of this claim in this hadith?
The Shaykh:
Yes, indeed. The hadith is clear. Even if it were considered a disparagement of her, it is actually a statement of reality, a mention of the facts. It is not a disparagement of her for being an old woman. Yes.
Shall I give birth while I am an old woman
أَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا عَجُوزٌThe presenter:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success.
The Shaykh:
And this is [regarding] “And my husband is an old man.” She said,
while I am an old woman and this, my husband, is an old man? Indeed, this
وَأَنَا عَجُوزٌ وَهَٰذَا بَعْلِي شَيْخًا إِنَّ هَٰذَا
Source
شرح كتاب المنتقى من أخبار المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم، بداية من باب موقف الصبيان والنساء من الرجال — islamhouse.com (50:01)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.