Hadith - the woman compared to a calf ?

[Karim_sunni]

Salaam Aleikom dear brothers and sisters, i have a question about the next hadith:

the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The right of divorce belongs to the one who takes hold of the calf [ i.e., her husband ]

source:

narrated by Ibn Majaah (2072)

Polemics against Islam argue that in this hadeeth a woman is compared to a calf. Is this hadeeth weak or authentic ? if authentic how did scholars explain the expression in question ?

ma salama

[ammardiwan]

Probably a poor translation

There are authentic reports that compare a husband to a flock keeper. That doesn't mean women are animals. If that was the case, then that would mean the male children of the family would also be animals. The myth of female oppression is debunked.

[Colonel_Hardstone]

Asslamo Allaikum,

What a Bunch of Muppets on Fraggle-Rock!

http://hadith.al-islam.com/Display/D...E1%CD%CF%ED%CB

The complete Hadeeth in Arabic is:

‏حدثنا ‏ ‏محمد بن يحيى ‏ ‏حدثنا ‏ ‏يحيى بن عبد الله بن بكير ‏ ‏حدثنا ‏ ‏ابن لهيعة ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏موسى بن أيوب الغافقي ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏عكرمة ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏ابن عباس ‏ ‏قال ‏
‏أتى النبي ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏رجل فقال يا رسول الله إن سيدي زوجني أمته وهو يريد أن يفرق بيني وبينها قال فصعد رسول الله ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏المنبر فقال يا أيها الناس ما بال أحدكم يزوج عبده أمته ثم يريد أن يفرق بينهما ‏ ‏إنما الطلاق لمن أخذ بالساق

1) The correct translation of As-Saaq is Calf (as in Shin) and not Calf (as in the cow's kid , whatever the correct word for that is ).

2) This same word Saaq is also used in the Qur''aan and a bone of Salafi/Sufi dispute:

http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11339

http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6122

We Ahlus-Sunnah don't take the word Saaq (Shin) literally for the Qur'aan so for the same reason why would we take it literally in Hadeeth? A women is not literally the Claf (Shin) of a man? And off course Allah (SWT) literally doesn't have a Shin!

3) The Hadeeth is weak as it has Ibn Laheema in the Chain!

‏قوله ( إنما الطلاق لمن أخذ بالساق ) ‏
‏أي الطلاق حق الزوج الذي له أن يأخذ بساق المرأة لا حق المولى وفي الزوائد في إسناده ابن لهيعة وهو ضعيف والله أعلم

[Karim_sunni]

Djazakallah dear brother Muadh_Khan for the excellent answer ! May Allah grant you jannah.