1.
Are Women Deficient
in Intellect and Faith?
An exploration of the sermon on
the deficiencies of women
attributed to Imam ‘Ali (‫ع‬) in Nahj
al-Balaghah
Amina Inloes

2.
Why discuss this?
• Several quotations attributed to Imam ‘Ali
(‫ع‬) in Nahj al-Balaghah appear
misogynistic.
• Cognitive dissonance
– “The truth is with ‘Ali (‫ع‬) , and ‘Ali (‫ع‬) is with the
truth.”
– Intellectually advanced women today
– Fatimah al-Zahra (‫ع‬) ?
• Taboo subject?

3.
Sermon 80
After the Battle of the Camel, in Condemnation of Women
‫النساء‬ ‫ذم‬ ‫في‬ ‫الجمل‬ ‫حرب‬ ‫بعد‬ ‫السالم‬ ‫عليه‬ ‫له‬ ‫خطبة‬ ‫ومن‬:‫الن‬ ‫إن‬ ‫الناس‬ ‫معاشر‬‫ساء‬
‫العقول‬ ‫نواقص‬ ‫الحظوظ‬ ‫نواقص‬ ‫اإليمان‬ ‫نواقص‬.‫فقعو‬ ‫إيمانهن‬ ‫نقصان‬ ‫فأما‬‫عن‬ ‫دهن‬
‫حيضهن‬ ‫أيام‬ ‫في‬ ‫والصيام‬ ‫الصالة‬.‫على‬ ‫فمواريثهن‬ ‫حظوظهن‬ ‫نقصان‬ ‫وأما‬
‫الرجال‬ ‫مواريث‬ ‫من‬ ‫االنصاف‬.‫الر‬ ‫كشهادة‬ ‫امرأتين‬ ‫فشهادة‬ ‫عقولهن‬ ‫نقصان‬ ‫وأما‬‫جل‬
‫الواحد‬.‫النساء‬ ‫شرار‬ ‫فاتقوا‬.‫في‬ ‫تطيعوهن‬ ‫وال‬ ‫حذر‬ ‫على‬ ‫خيارهن‬ ‫من‬ ‫كونوا‬
‫المنكر‬ ‫في‬ ‫يطمعن‬ ‫ال‬ ‫حتى‬ ‫المعروف‬.
O people! Women are deficient in faith, deficient in shares, and
deficient in intellect. As for their deficiency in faith, it is their sitting
back from ritual prayers and fasting in the days of their menstruation.
As for their deficiency in shares, it is because their inheritance is half
that of men. And as for their deficiency in intellect, it is because the
testimony of two women is like the testimony of one man. So beware
the evils of women. Be on guard against the good ones among them
and do not obey them in good so that they do not desire evil.

4.
Responses
1. Authentic and true for all women.
2. Authentic and socially contextualized for
that era.
3. Authentic but with an esoteric meaning
which we do not understand.
4. Authentic but directed only at
‘A’ishah.
5. Inauthentic.

5.
Authentic or inauthentic?
• Why are we afraid to discuss the authenticity of
selections of Nahj al-Balaghah?
– Are we “allowed” to discuss it at all?
– Sanctity of the book: “For us, whoever wrote Nahj al-
Balaghah is ‘Ali (‫ع‬) , even if he lived a century ago.”
– Polemical reasons
– Argument that no one but Imam ‘Ali (‫ع‬) could have
produced such complex texts
– Is the authenticity of Nahj al-Balaghah an all-or-
nothing question?
• When and how was Nahj al-Balaghah
compiled?
– Did Imam ‘Ali (‫ع‬) write it? Did al-Sharif al-Radi write
it?
– Al-Sharif al-Radi (d. 977 CE, Baghdad)

6.
How can we explore the
authenticity of a selection?
• Chains of narration
• Other sources
• Agreement with the Qur’an, other narrations, or
logic
• Is there a possible motivation or explanation for
it being a fabrication?

7.
Alternative sources
1. Tadhkirat al-Khawass by Sibt Ibn
al-Jawzi (d. 1256/1257 CE, Hanafi)
2. Qut al-Qulub by Abu Talib al-Makki
(d. 996 CE, Sufi Shafi‘i)
3. al-Kafi by Shaykh al-Kulayni (d. 941
CE, Shi‘i)
4. al-Amali by Shaykh al-Saduq (d. 991
CE, Shi‘i)
5. al-Ikhtisas by Shaykh al-Mufid (d.
1022 CE, Shi‘i)
Source: Masadir Nahj
al-Balaghah by Sayyid
‘Abd al-Zahra al-Khatib

8.
Al-Kafi
‫عدة‬، ‫أبيه‬ ‫عن‬ ، ‫هللا‬ ‫عبد‬ ‫أبي‬ ‫بن‬ ‫أحمد‬ ‫عن‬ ، ‫أصحابنا‬ ‫من‬‫ذكره‬ ‫عمن‬‫عن‬ ،‫الحسين‬‫ابن‬، ‫المختار‬
‫هللا‬ ‫عبد‬ ‫أبي‬ ‫عن‬(‫السالم‬ ‫عليه‬)‫قال‬:‫المؤمنين‬ ‫أمير‬ ‫قال‬(‫السالم‬ ‫عليه‬)‫له‬ ‫كالم‬ ‫في‬:
‫اتقوا‬‫شرارالنساء‬‫يط‬ ‫كيال‬ ‫فخالفوهن‬ ‫بالمعروف‬ ‫أمرنكم‬ ‫وإن‬ ‫حذر‬ ‫على‬ ‫خيارهن‬ ‫من‬ ‫وكونوا‬‫معن‬
‫منكم‬‫المنكر‬ ‫في‬.
From a group of our companions, from Ahmad ibn Abi ‘Abd Allah, from
whoever related it, from al-Husayn ibn al-Mukhtar, from Abi ‘Abd Allah (‫ع‬) :
The Commander of the Faithful (‫ع‬) said, “Beware the evils
of women, and be on guard from them. And if they
command you to good, then oppose them, so that they
may not desire evil from you.
(Volume 5, page 517, number 5)
Chain of narration – Deficiencies of women – Where is the rest of the text?

9.
Al-Amali and al-Ikhtisas
‫عن‬، ‫الجارود‬ ‫أبي‬ ‫عن‬ ، ‫سنان‬ ‫بن‬ ‫محمد‬ ‫عن‬ ، ‫الخطاب‬ ‫أبي‬ ‫بن‬ ‫الحسين‬ ‫بن‬ ‫محمد‬‫عن‬‫أبي‬‫جده‬ ‫عن‬ ، ‫أبيه‬ ‫عن‬ ، ‫الباقر‬ ‫جعفر‬(‫السالم‬ ‫عليهم‬)‫قال‬ ،:
‫المؤمنين‬ ‫أمير‬ ‫قال‬(‫السالم‬ ‫عليه‬):‫من‬‫وقف‬‫كانت‬ ‫سره‬ ‫كتم‬ ‫ومن‬ ، ‫الظن‬ ‫به‬ ‫أساء‬ ‫من‬ ‫يلومن‬ ‫فال‬ ‫التهمة‬ ‫موقف‬ ‫نفسه‬‫الخيرة‬‫بيده‬‫جاوز‬ ‫حديث‬ ‫وكل‬ ،
‫منه‬ ‫يأتيك‬ ‫حتى‬ ‫أحسنه‬ ‫على‬ ‫أخيك‬ ‫أمر‬ ‫وضع‬ ، ‫فشا‬ ‫اثنين‬‫ما‬‫يغلبك‬‫محمال‬ ‫الخير‬ ‫في‬ ‫لها‬ ‫تجد‬ ‫وأنت‬ ‫سوءا‬ ‫أخيك‬ ‫من‬ ‫خرجت‬ ‫بكلمة‬ ‫تظنن‬ ‫وال‬ ،،‫وعليك‬
‫البالء‬ ‫عند‬ ‫وجنة‬ ‫الرخاء‬ ‫عند‬ ‫عدة‬ ‫فإنهم‬ ، ‫اكتسابهم‬ ‫من‬ ‫فأكثر‬ ‫الصدق‬ ‫بإخوان‬،‫وشاور‬‫التقوى‬ ‫قدر‬ ‫على‬ ‫االخوان‬ ‫وأحبب‬ ، ‫هللا‬ ‫يخافون‬ ‫الذين‬ ‫حديثك‬ ‫في‬
،‫واتقوا‬‫شرار‬‫النساء‬‫كيال‬ ، ‫فخالفوهن‬ ‫بالمعروف‬ ‫أمرنكم‬ ‫إن‬ ، ‫حذر‬ ‫على‬ ‫خيارهن‬ ‫من‬ ‫وكونوا‬ ،‫يطمعنمنكم‬‫في‬‫المنكر‬.
Al-Amali (50th session): [From unspecified] from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Abi al-Khattab,
from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Abu al-Jarud, from Abu Ja‘far al-Baqir, from his father, from his
grandfather (‫ع‬) , that the Commander of the Faithful (‫ع‬) said:
… And it is upon you to [associate with] sincere brothers, and increase your
benefit from them, for they are a resource in ease and a shield in misfortune.
And, in your speech, consult those who fear Allah, and love your brothers
according to their amount of piety, and beware of the evils of women, and be on
guard from the good among them. If they command you to good, then disobey
them so that they may not make you desire evil.
Al-Ikhtisas: The same text, with the chain of narration as Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, from Muhammad
ibn Sinan, from some of his men (ba‘d rijalihi), from Abu Jarud, narrating without links (yarfa‘ahu) from the
Commander of the Faithful (‫ع‬) .
Chain of narration – Deficiencies – Different context – Women vs. believers

10.
Qut al-Qulub
‫وفي‬‫البنه‬ ‫لقمان‬ ‫وصية‬:‫تش‬ ‫فإنها‬ ‫السوء‬ ‫المرأة‬ ‫ق‬ّ‫ت‬‫ا‬ ‫بني‬ ‫يا‬‫قبل‬ ‫يبك‬
‫وكان‬ ، ‫خير‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫يدعون‬ ‫ال‬ ّ‫فإنهن‬ ‫النساء‬ ‫شرار‬ ‫ق‬ّ‫ت‬‫وا‬ ، ‫المشيب‬‫من‬
‫حذر‬ ‫على‬ ‫خيارهن‬
And in the advice of Luqman to his son: “O my
son, beware the evil woman, for she will make
you old before you grow old; and beware the
evils of women, for they do not call to good,”
and he was on guard from the good ones among
them.
Not attributed to Imam ‘Ali (‫ع‬)
No chain of narration or source – Not a Shi‘i text

11.
Tadhkirat al-Khawass
• Close to the text that is in Nahj al-
Balaghah
• Attributed to “biographical scholars” (no
source or chain of narration)
• Significantly after Nahj al-Balaghah
• Not a Shi ‘i text

12.
Sunni narration: Sahih al-Bukhari (et al.)
Once Allah's Apostle (‫)ص‬ went out to the musalla (to offer the prayer) or 'Id-al-
Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, “O women! Give
alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you
(women).”
They asked, “Why is it so, O Allah's Apostle?”
He replied, "You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have
not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious
sensible man could be led astray by some of you.”
The women asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What is deficient in our intelligence and
religion?”
He said, “Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?”
They replied in the affirmative.
He said, “This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman can
neither pray nor fast during her menses?” The women replied in the affirmative.
He said, “This is the deficiency in her religion.”
Does this reinforce or cast doubt on the attribution to Imam ‘Ali (‫?)ع‬

13.
Addressed only to ‘A’ishah?
• Other narrations give a different context.
• Would we accept it if the Prophet (‫)ص‬ or
Imam ‘Ali (‫ع‬) made a similar statement
about another group, such as men or an
ethnic minority?
• It still presents a negative view of women.

14.
The Qur’an
• Does the Qur’an say that women have less faith or intellect?
• Does the Qur’an say that two female witnesses equal one male witness
because of their intellect?
• The Qur’an does not present Hazrat Maryam or Hazrat Asiya as “exceptions”
to normal women.
• Does the Qur’an present women as evil?
O people! Women are deficient in faith, deficient in shares, and deficient in
intellect. As for their deficiency in faith, it is their sitting back from ritual
prayers and fasting in the days of their menstruation. As for their deficiency in
shares, it is because their inheritance is half that of men. And as for their
deficiency in intellect, it is because the testimony of two women is like the
testimony of one man. So beware the evils of women. Be on guard against the
good ones among them and do not obey them in good so that they do not
desire evil.

15.
Logic
• Do women fast less than men?
• Do women always receive half the inheritance of
men?
• Menstruation
– Is menstruation bad in the Islamic tradition?
– Pre-Islamic beliefs about menstruation
O people! Women are deficient in faith, deficient in shares, and
deficient in intellect. As for their deficiency in faith, it is their sitting
back from ritual prayers and fasting in the days of their menstruation.
As for their deficiency in shares, it is because their inheritance is half
that of men. And as for their deficiency in intellect, it is because the
testimony of two women is like the testimony of one man. So beware
the evils of women. Be on guard against the good ones among them
and do not obey them in good so that they do not desire evil.

16.
Why might it be inauthentic?
• Pre-Islamic beliefs
– Ancient Greek philosophy: deficiency of women,
women’s intellect, male authority
– Judaeo-Christian beliefs: evils of women, reproductive
physiology
– Abbasid cultural norms: absence of women
• Absence of women from the canonization of
Islamic thought
• Fabricated to defame Fatimah al-Zahra (‫ع‬) and
remove her claim to Fadak
– Emphasis on lesser reliability female witnesses and
female inheritance
– “Do not obey them even in good”
– Compare to the narration on Imam ‘Ali (‫ع‬) wanting to
marry the daughter of Abu Jahl

17.
Why are women willing to accept
and defend that they are lesser?
• We believe what we are told
• Internalized prejudice
• Socially advantageous
• Resisting Westernization
We live in a society where we say these
things but do not generally act on
them

18.
Conclusions
• We are allowed to discuss the authenticity of
selections from Nahj al-Balaghah.
• A variety of responses to this sermon
(authentic to inauthentic)
• No extant reliable sources – at most, we can
say it is attributed to Imam ‘Ali (‫ع‬)
• Therefore, a discussion of the reliability of
this text rests on whether or not it agrees
with the Holy Qur’an and other reliable
narrations
• If we choose to defend this narration, we
should do it for the right reasons.