Can prophethood be in women, or is it specific to men only?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The point is that the difference between a prophet and a messenger is that the messenger is the one to whom ... that was sent, and the prophet is ... So if He, Glorified and Exalted, said that He did not send a female messenger, it is possible for her to be a prophetess; meaning, as long as ...?
Eid Abbasi : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
Eid Abbasi : ... .
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : ... We say: it is a general indication, as for ... .
The Shaykh : This is correct, the issue of ... but the important thing is the proof. We mentioned two things, so it seems you are trying to say that His saying, the Exalted:[Yusuf 12:109] is specific to messengers with missions and books, while prophets do not fall under this text, even though "He sent a prophet" is a permissible expression in the language. So it is possible that the verse is broader than messengers, meaning; in that case, we need a text that supports this distinction you are pointing to. Add to that that I said: we do not find absolutely in ... that came in the Book and the Sunnah: So-and-so is a prophetess, she said or was commanded or so on and so forth.
The questioner : I mean like Maryam.
The Shaykh : Yes, I say prophetess, meaning even ... .
The questioner : No, my intention is that Maryam ... was revealed to her explicitly.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is of that kind.
The questioner : No, it is not of that kind, it might be of this kind; meaning it might be that ... the work of the village.
The Shaykh : Why?
The questioner : Because there is explicitness that Allah ... .
The Shaykh : ... Do you not know that there are authentic hadiths that the angels used to come to people like this? So it is itself - also - or ... .
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The coming of Jibril (peace be upon him) to Maryam does not mean that she is a prophetess; because there are many hadiths that an angel used to come to a person, like the angel who came to Musa and gouged out his eye. So not every angel who comes to any person with any news can we establish by that that this person is a prophet; whether male or female. I said: we did not find in the reports a definitive text that resolves the disagreement that So-and-so is a prophetess. As for reports that can be inferred from their apparent meaning that she is a prophetess, they exist; the same story of Musa (peace and blessings be upon them both) can be inferred from its apparent meaning like what is inferred from the story of Maryam, but there is no text that So-and-so is a prophetess. If this text existed, it would be resolving, and this would remove the disagreement, but this does not exist. In addition to the possibility of interpreting these events that can be interpreted as revelation as being divine inspiration.
Please proceed.
The questioner : The evidence for your statement is the saying of Allah, the Exalted: ... the truthful woman ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, this can be said, and the professor just now pointed to something like this.
Yes.
The questioner : Okay, here ... possible ... .
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : ... it did not remain a suggestion.
The Shaykh : It did not remain what?
The questioner : A suggestion, maybe an angel?
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : He told her to do this or that ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, it is possible.
Please proceed.
Eid Abbasi : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
Eid Abbasi : ... .
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : ... We say: it is a general indication, as for ... .
The Shaykh : This is correct, the issue of ... but the important thing is the proof. We mentioned two things, so it seems you are trying to say that His saying, the Exalted:
And We sent not before you [as messengers] except men
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًاThe questioner : I mean like Maryam.
The Shaykh : Yes, I say prophetess, meaning even ... .
The questioner : No, my intention is that Maryam ... was revealed to her explicitly.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is of that kind.
The questioner : No, it is not of that kind, it might be of this kind; meaning it might be that ... the work of the village.
The Shaykh : Why?
The questioner : Because there is explicitness that Allah ... .
The Shaykh : ... Do you not know that there are authentic hadiths that the angels used to come to people like this? So it is itself - also - or ... .
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The coming of Jibril (peace be upon him) to Maryam does not mean that she is a prophetess; because there are many hadiths that an angel used to come to a person, like the angel who came to Musa and gouged out his eye. So not every angel who comes to any person with any news can we establish by that that this person is a prophet; whether male or female. I said: we did not find in the reports a definitive text that resolves the disagreement that So-and-so is a prophetess. As for reports that can be inferred from their apparent meaning that she is a prophetess, they exist; the same story of Musa (peace and blessings be upon them both) can be inferred from its apparent meaning like what is inferred from the story of Maryam, but there is no text that So-and-so is a prophetess. If this text existed, it would be resolving, and this would remove the disagreement, but this does not exist. In addition to the possibility of interpreting these events that can be interpreted as revelation as being divine inspiration.
Please proceed.
The questioner : The evidence for your statement is the saying of Allah, the Exalted: ... the truthful woman ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, this can be said, and the professor just now pointed to something like this.
Yes.
The questioner : Okay, here ... possible ... .
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : ... it did not remain a suggestion.
The Shaykh : It did not remain what?
The questioner : A suggestion, maybe an angel?
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : He told her to do this or that ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, it is possible.
Please proceed.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.