The Meaning of Perfection in the Hadith “Many men are perfect, but no woman is perfect except…”

We move on to another letter and another topic. The letter is from the listener (H. F. H.), a student of knowledge in Makkah al-Mukarramah. We presented a question for him in a previous session, and in this session he asks and says: Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Hujurat: 13], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: the hadith. Is there a contradiction between the verse and the hadith? And what is the meaning of perfection in the hadith?
Answer: There is no contradiction between the mentioned verse and hadith, and what came in their meaning. The verse clarifies for us that the most noble of people in the sight of Allah are the most righteous of them, not the greatest of them in lineage, nor the most abundant of them in wealth, nor the highest of them in position. He, Exalted and Majestic, says: [Al-Hujurat: 13]. So the most noble of people in the sight of Allah and the best of them with Him are the most righteous of them towards Him. The meaning of “the most righteous of them” is: the most upright of them in fulfilling His right, by obeying Him, Exalted is He, and leaving His disobedience, Exalted and Majestic is He. They are the messengers (peace and blessings be upon them), then the scholars who are upright in the obedience of Allah and His mindfulness, and they are in levels, then the more perfect and the more perfect, and the better and the better in the obedience of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
The point is that the most perfect of people after the messengers are the most righteous of them. They are the most perfect of people and the most noble of people in the sight of Allah . And when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the most noble of people, he said: .
As for the virtue of Khadijah, Asiyah, Maryam the daughter of Imran, Aishah, and Fatimah, all of this is established, and the Sunnah is authentic with it, and there is no contradiction. Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) is the mother of the believers, and she is the mother of most of the children of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And so is Fatimah, his daughter (peace and blessings be upon him). And so is Maryam the daughter of Imran, the mother of Isa (peace be upon him). And so is Asiyah the daughter of Muzahim, the wife of Pharaoh. And so is Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). All of them are among the perfect women. The perfect among women are fewer than the perfect among men. So the perfect among men are many, and among women they are few. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified to them with this hadith that perfection is in terms of the mindfulness of Allah and fulfilling His right . And he said about Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . And “tharid” is bread and meat; wheat bread and meat is called tharid. And this food is the best and most beneficial food: meat and wheat barley.
The point is that Aishah has a great virtue, and Khadijah likewise, and Maryam, and Asiyah, and Fatimah. These five are the most perfect women and the best women, and they are equal in virtue.
The scholars differed on prioritizing some of them over others, and it is sufficient for us that they are the best of women (may Allah be pleased with them and grant them satisfaction and have mercy on them), and their perfection is in terms of their mindfulness of Allah, fulfilling His right, and their uprightness in His religion. But the perfect among men in the mindfulness of Allah and fulfilling His right are more numerous; because they are more patient in mindfulness, and they are more knowledgeable about Allah in the majority of cases, and more informed about the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and more informed about the circles of knowledge and travels for seeking knowledge. For this reason, it is more likely that the knowledge of men is more than the knowledge of women, and their perfection is more due to what Allah has bestowed upon them of strength in seeking knowledge and eagerness to acquire it, and due to what women are created with of weakness in some aspects and inability to acquire knowledge from every angle, due to what befalls them of pregnancy and childbirth, and the needs of the house and the needs of the husband, and so on.
The point is that the perfect among men, by the text of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), are more perfect than the perfect among women, because the perfect among women are few for many reasons, and the perfect among men are many. And there is no contradiction between the hadith and the noble verse. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.