The Hadeeth of the
Eleven Women : Sahih
Muslim

Muslim narrated the following hadith:
Isnad: Suleiman bin ‘Abdir Rahman and
‘Ali bin Hujr » ‘Ibsai bin Bunus » Hisham
bin ‘Urwa » ‘Abd Allaah bin ‘Urwah »
‘Urwah
Narrated ‘Aisha (radi Allaahu ‘anha):
Eleven women sat (at a place) and
promised and contracted that they would
not conceal anything of the news of their
husbands.
The first one said, “My husband is like the
meat of a lean weak camel which is kept
on the top of a mountain which is neither
easy to climb, nor is the meat fat, so that
one might put up with the trouble of
fetching it.”
The second one said, “I shall not relate
my husband’s news, for I fear that I may
not be able to finish his story, for if I
describe him, I will mention all his
defects and bad traits.”
The third one said, “My husband is a tall
man; if I describe him (and he hears of
that) he will divorce me, and if I keep
quiet, he will neither divorce me nor treat
me as a wife.”
The fourth one said, “My husband is a
moderate person like the night of Tihama
which is neither hot nor cold. I am
neither afraid of him, nor am I
discontented with him.”
The fifth one said, “My husband, when
entering (the house) is a leopard, and
when going out, is a lion. He does not ask
about whatever is in the house.”
The sixth one said, “If my husband eats.
he eats too much (leaving the dishes
empty), and if he drinks he leaves
nothing, and if he sleeps he sleeps alone
(away from me) covered in garments and
does not stretch his hands here and there
so as to know how I fare (get along).”
The seventh one said, “My husband is a
wrong-doer or weak and foolish. All the
defects are present in him. He may injure
your head or your body or may do both.”
The eighth one said, “My husband is soft
to touch like a rabbit and smells like a
Zar’nab (a kind of good smelling grass).”
The ninth one said, “My husband is a tall
generous man wearing a long strap for
carrying his sword. His ashes are
Aboondant and his house is near to the
people who would easily consult him.”
The tenth one said, “My husband is
Maalik, and what is Maalik? Maalik is
greater than whatever I say about him.
(He is beyond and above all praises which
can come to my mind). Most of his camels
are kept at home (ready to be slaughtered
for the guests) and only a few are taken
to the pastures. When the camels hear the
sound of the lute (or the tambourine)
they realize that they are going to be
slaughtered for the guests.”
The eleventh one said, “My husband is
Aboo Zar’ and what is Aboo Zar’ (i.e.,
what should I say about him)? He has
given me many ornaments and my ears
are heavily loaded with them and my
arms have become fat (i.e., I have become
fat). And he has pleased me, and I have
become so happy that I feel proud of
myself. He found me with my family who
were mere owners of sheep and living in
poverty, and brought me to a respected
family having horses and camels and
threshing and purifying grain . Whatever I
say, he does not rebuke or insult me.
When I sleep, I sleep till late in the
morning, and when I drink water (or
milk), I drink my fill. The mother of Aboo
Zar’ and what may one say in praise of
the mother of Aboo Zar’? Her saddle bags
were always full of provision and her
house was spacious. As for the son of
Aboo Zar’, what may one say of the son of
Aboo Zar’? His bed is as narrow as an
unsheathed sword and an arm of a kid (of
four months) satisfies his hunger. As for
the daughter of Aboo Zar’, she is obedient
to her father and to her mother. She has
a fat well-built body and that arouses the
jealousy of her husband’s other wife. As
for the (maid) slave girl of Aboo Zar’,
what may one say of the (maid) slave girl
of Aboo Zar’? She does not uncover our
secrets but keeps them, and does not
waste our provisions and does not leave
the rubbish scattered everywhere in our
house.” The eleventh lady added, “One
day it so happened that Aboo Zar’ went
out at the time when the milk was being
milked from the animals, and he saw a
woman who had two sons like two
leopards playing with her two breasts.
(On seeing her) he divorced me and
married her. Thereafter I married a noble
man who used to ride a fast tireless horse
and keep a spear in his hand. He gave me
many things, and also a pair of every kind
of livestock and said, ‘Eat (of this), O Um
Zar’, and give provision to your relatives.”
She added, “Yet, all those things which
my second husband gave me could not fill
the smallest utensil of Aboo Zar’s.” ‘Aisha
then said: Allaah’s Apostle said to me, “I
am to you as Aboo Zar’ was to his wife
Um Zar’.”