O, Nabi Of Allah! We Never Thought That A Woman Could Ever Ask Such A Question.”

Hadhrat Asma’s (Radhiyallahu Anha) interview with Nabi (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) regarding the reward for Women

Hadhrat Asma bint Yazid Ansari (Radhiyallahu Anha) came to Nabi (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) and said: “O, Nabi of Allah! You are more beloved to me than my parents. The Muslim women have sent me as their spokesperson to talk to you on their behalf. Verily you are the Nabi of Allah for both men and women. We remain most of the time within the four walls of our houses. We are held back to our duties of fulfilling the desires of men, bearing children for them and looking after their homes. Despite all this, men beat us in getting rewards for actions which we are unable to perform. They go and say their daily Salaah and weekly Jumu’ah in the musjid, visit the sick, attend the funerals, perform Hajj after Hajj and, above all, fight in the way of Allah. When they go for Hajj or Jihad, we look after their belongings, bring up their children and weave cloth for them. Do we not share their rewards with them?”

Nabi (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) said to the Sahaabah (Radhiyallahu Anhu) sitting around him: “Did you ever hear a woman asking a better question?”
The Sahaabah (Radhiyallahu Anhu) replied: “O, Nabi of Allah! We never thought that a woman could ever ask such a question.”

Then Nabi (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) said to Asma (Radhiyallahu Anha) “Listen carefully and then go and tell the ladies who have sent you that when a woman is kind to her husband, seeks his happiness and carries out the household duties to his satisfaction, then she also gets the same reward as the men for all their services to Allah.”
Hadhrat Asma (Radhiyallahu Anha) returned very happily after getting this reply to her question. Obedience and good behaviour towards the husbands is very valuable for the women, provided they know its worth.

The Sahaabah (Radhiyallahu Anhu) once said to Nabi (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم): ”In foreign countries, people bow down before their kings and Chiefs. You deserve much more respect so allow us to bow to you.”
Nabi (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) said, “No. If it were allowed to bow down (make sajdah) before anybody besides Allah Ta’ala, then I would ask the women to bow down before their husbands.”
He then said, “By him who has my life in His hand, a woman cannot do what she owes to Allah until she has done what she owes to her husband.”
It is reported in a Hadith that once a camel made sajdah before Nabi (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم). The Sahaabah (Radhiyallahu Anhu) on seeing this, said: “When this animal makes sajdah before you, why should we not have this honour too?”
He replied: “Never! If I could ask somebody to make sajdah before anybody besides Allah, I would ask the wives to make sajdah before their husbands.”

The following is reported to have been said by Nabi (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) in this connection:
(1) “A woman whose husband is pleased with her at the time of her death goes straight into Jannat.”
(2) “A woman who is displeased with her husband and she stays away from him in anger for the night, is cursed by the Malaaikah.”
(3) “The Salaah of two persons hardly rises above their heads in its journey to the skies. These two persons are a run-away slave and a disobedient wife.