Are women the majority in Hellfire?
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Understanding the แธคadฤซth The Majority of the Dwellers of the Fire are Women
It is incorrectly claimed that women are a majority of people in Hellfire according to Islam because women are of lesser piety, worth, or value than men. However, the reason women are a majority in Hellfire is because women are the majority of humankind overall. It is further forbidden in Islam for men and women to boast to each other in this regard.
The following prophetic traditions are cited, without commentary or in light of other authentic traditions, to make this false claim against women:
Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
ุงุทููููุนูุชู ููู ุงููุฌููููุฉู ููุฑูุฃูููุชู ุฃูููุซูุฑู ุฃูููููููุง ุงููููููุฑูุงุกู ููุงุทููููุนูุชู ููู ุงููููุงุฑู ููุฑูุฃูููุชู ุฃูููุซูุฑู ุฃูููููููุง ุงููููุณูุงุกู
I looked into Paradise and saw a majority of its people were poor. I looked into Hellfire and saw a majority of its people were women.
Source: แนขaแธฅฤซแธฅ Muslim 2737, Grade: Sahih=Authentic
In another narration, the Prophet (แนฃ) said:
ุฅูููู ุฃูููููู ุณูุงููููู ุงููุฌููููุฉู ุงููููุณูุงุกู
Verily, a minority of the residents of Paradise are women.
Source: แนขaแธฅฤซแธฅ Muslim 2738, Grade: Sahih=Aurhentic
The realities of the Hereafter were not revealed to the Prophet (แนฃ) all at once. That he saw a minority of women in Paradise does not indicate that this is the case for all time, as many believers will enter Paradise after the Greater Intercession when sinners are taken out of Hellfire.
Al-Munawi commented on these traditions, writing:
ุฅู ุฃูู ุณุงููู ุงูุฌูุฉ ุงููุณุงุก ุฃู ูู ุฃูู ุงูุฃู ุฑ ูุจู ุฎุฑูุฌ ุนุตุงุชูู ู ู ุงููุงุฑ ููุง ุฏูุงูุฉ ููู ุนูู ุฃู ูุณุงุก ุงูุฏููุง ุฃูู ู ู ุงูุฑุฌุงู ูู ุงูุฌูุฉ
Women are a minority in Paradise, meaning, at the beginning of the matter before the sinful among them are removed from Hellfire. There is no evidence in this tradition that the women of the earth are less than men in Paradise.
Source: Fayแธ al-Qadฤซr 2/428
Ibn Hajar also suggests that the sub-narrator of the tradition about women as a minority in Paradise had transmitted the meaning he misunderstood, rather than the actual wording of the Prophet (แนฃ):
ููููุญูุชูู ููู ุฃููู ููููููู ุงูุฑููุงููู ุฑูููุงูู ุจูุงููู ูุนูููู ุงูููุฐูู ููููู ููู ู ููู ุฃูููู ููููููููููู ุฃูููุซูุฑู ุณูุงููููู ุงููููุงุฑู ููููุฒูู ู ู ููููู ุฃููู ููููููู ุฃูููููู ุณูุงููููู ุงููุฌููููุฉู ููููููุณู ุฐููููู ุจูููุงุฒูู ู ููู ูุง ููุฏููู ูุชููู
It is possible the narrator related the tradition by the meaning he understood, that if they make up the majority of residents in Hellfire, they must be the minority of residents in Paradise. That is not necessarily so, as I mentioned previously.
Source: Fatแธฅ al-Bฤrฤซ 6/325
Another tradition clarifies that there are more women than men overall, and it forbids men and women from arrogantly boasting to each other as if one gender were better than the other.
Muhammad ibn Sirin reported: People were boasting to each other, whether men or women would be a majority in Paradise.
Abu Huraira said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say:
ุฅูููู ุฃูููููู ุฒูู ูุฑูุฉู ุชูุฏูุฎููู ุงููุฌููููุฉู ุนูููู ุตููุฑูุฉู ุงููููู ูุฑู ููููููุฉู ุงููุจูุฏูุฑู ููุงูููุชูู ุชููููููุง ุนูููู ุฃูุถูููุฅู ููููููุจู ุฏูุฑููููู ููู ุงูุณููู ูุงุกู ููููููู ุงู ูุฑูุฆู ู ูููููู ู ุฒูููุฌูุชูุงูู ุงุซูููุชูุงูู ููุฑูู ู ูุฎูู ุณููููููู ูุง ู ููู ููุฑูุงุกู ุงููููุญูู ู ููู ูุง ููู ุงููุฌููููุฉู ุฃูุนูุฒูุจู
Verily, the first group to enter Paradise will have faces as bright as the full moon at night. The next group will have faces as bright as shining stars in the sky. Every man will have two wives and the marrow of their shanks would glimmer beneath their skin and there will be no one in Paradise without a wife.
Source: แนขaแธฅฤซแธฅ Muslim 2834, Grade: Sahih=Authentic
Every man will have โtwo wivesโ in Paradise, who will not experience worldly jealousy as they would in this life. This has been understood by some scholars to indicate that women are the majority of humankind.
Al-Qadi โIyad comments on this tradition, saying:
ุธูุงููุฑู ููุฐูุง ุงููุญูุฏููุซู ุฃูููู ุงููููุณูุงุกู ุฃูููุซูุฑู ุฃููููู ุงููุฌููููุฉู ููููู ุงููุญูุฏููุซู ุงููุขุฎูุฑู ุฃููููููููู ุฃูููุซูุฑู ุฃููููู ุงููููุงุฑู ููุงูู ููููุฎูุฑูุฌู ู ููู ู ูุฌูู ููุนู ููุฐูุง ุฃูููู ุงููููุณูุงุกู ุฃูููุซูุฑู ููููุฏู ุขุฏูู ู
This tradition demonstrates that women are the majority of the people of Paradise, and in another tradition that they are a majority of the people of Hellfire. What can be deduced from them together is that women are the majority of the children of Adam.
Source: Sharแธฅ al-Nawawฤซ โalรก แนขaแธฅฤซแธฅ Muslim 2834
And Ibn Hajar writes:
ููุงุณูุชูุฏูููู ุฃูุจูู ููุฑูููุฑูุฉู ุจูููุฐูุง ุงููุญูุฏููุซู ุนูููู ุฃูููู ุงููููุณูุงุกู ููู ุงููุฌููููุฉู ุฃูููุซูุฑู ู ููู ุงูุฑููุฌูุงูู ููู ูุง ุฃูุฎูุฑูุฌููู ู ูุณูููู ู ู ููู ุทูุฑูููู ุจู ุณููุฑูููู ุนููููู ูููููู ููุงุถูุญู
Abu Huraira used this tradition as evidence for there being more women in Paradise than men, as narrated from Muslim by way of Ibn Sirin; this is clear.
Source: Fatแธฅ al-Bฤrฤซ 6/325
That women are a majority overall is supported by other traditions speaking about periods of time in the future when women will greatly outnumber men. It is a sign of the coming of the Day of Judgment if we see many more women than men.
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
ููุชูููุซูุฑู ุงููููุณูุงุกู ููููููููู ุงูุฑููุฌูุงูู ุญูุชููู ููููููู ููุฎูู ูุณูููู ุงู ูุฑูุฃูุฉู ุงูููููููู ู ุงููููุงุญูุฏู
There will be an abundance of women and scarcity of men such that fifty women will be maintained by a single man
Source: แนขaแธฅฤซแธฅ al-Bukhฤrฤซ 81, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi= Agreed upon its authenticity which is the highest level of Authentic Hadith.
In another narration, the Prophet (แนฃ) said:
ููููุฑูู ุงูุฑููุฌููู ุงููููุงุญูุฏู ููุชูุจูุนููู ุฃูุฑูุจูุนูููู ุงู ูุฑูุฃูุฉู ููููุฐููู ุจููู ู ููู ูููููุฉู ุงูุฑููุฌูุงูู ููููุซูุฑูุฉู ุงููููุณูุงุกู
A man will be seen followed by forty women seeking refuge with him due to the scarcity of men and abundance of women.
Source: แนขaแธฅฤซแธฅ al-Bukhฤrฤซ 1348, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi= Agreed upon its authenticity which is the highest level of Authentic Hadith.
Hence, polygyny (a man marrying up to four wives) is permissible in Islam, as it would be necessary in contexts such as this when women greatly outnumber men, although many scholars recommended that a man marry only one wife at a time under normal circumstances.
In sum, compiling all the prophetic traditions on this topic conclusively determines that women are the majority of humankind overall, which is why they are a majority in Paradise and in Hellfire.
Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.
Abu Amina