Why
Did Sarah Feel Jealous Of Hajar Even Though She Was A
Woman Of Such Righteousness And Virtue?
Islamic Rulings -
Living Shariah Verdicts
Islamic Questions & Answers
When Hajar gave birth to Ismaeel (upon him be peace)
was Sarah jealous of her? If so why would a noble lady
like Sarah get jealous? Is her jealousy the reason why
Ibraheem (upon him be peace) was ordered to send Hajar
and Ismaeel (upon him be peace) to the desert?.
Praise be to Allaah.
A woman’s jealousy towards her co-wives is something
that is entirely natural, and it is not something that
only some women feel and not others. Hence she will
not be called to account for it unless she
transgresses the limits and lets it lead to wronging
her sister, which is something that Allaah has
forbidden, by backbiting or spreading gossip or
demanding the divorce of her co-wife or plotting
against her and so on.
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:
Basically, jealousy is natural and is not something
that only some women feel and not others, but if a
woman oversteps the mark then she is to be blamed. The
guideline concerning that is the hadeeth which was
narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Ateek al-Ansaari, who
attributed it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him): “There is a kind of jealousy
which Allaah loves, and a kind which Allaah hates. As
for the kind of jealousy which Allaah loves, it is
jealousy when there are grounds for suspicion. And as
for the kind of jealousy which Allaah hates, it is
jealousy when there are no grounds for suspicion.”
Classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Irwa’,
7/80.
So jealousy on the part of the husband and wife, if it
is of the type that is part of human nature which no
woman is free from, then it is excused, so long as she
does not overstep the mark and do or say anything that
Allaah has forbidden. This is the way in which the
reports from the salaf which speak of women’s jealousy
are to be understood.
Fath al-Baari, 9/326.
Ibn Muflih (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Al-Tabari and other scholars said: Jealousy on the
part of women is to be overlooked and they are not to
be punished for it because it is part of their nature.
Al-Adaab al-Shar’iyyah, 1/248
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said, commenting on the hadeeth which describes
‘Aa’ishah breaking the vessel of one of her co-wives:
They – i.e., all those who commented on this hadeeth –
said: this indicates that the jealous women is not to
be taken to task for what she does, because in that
case her reasoning is overshadowed by the strong anger
that was provoked by jealousy. Abu Ya’la narrated from
‘Aa’ishah with an isnaad with which there is nothing
wrong a marfoo’ report which says: “A jealous woman
cannot tell the bottom of the valley from its top.”
Fath al-Baari, 9/325
The jealousy that occurred on the part of the best of
women is something which no one can avoid, and they
will not be taken to ask for it because it is not an
action that transgresses the laws of Allaah.
The jealousy that Sarah felt towards Hajar comes under
this heading. For a woman to ask her husband not to
let her see her co-wife and not to make her live with
her is something that cannot be denounced. It should
be noted that the scholars said that Ibraaheem (peace
be upon him) is the one who took Hajar and her son
away, and Sarah did not ask for that.
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:
And it is said that Sarah was intensely jealous, so
Ibraaheem took Ismaa’eel and his mother to Makkah
because of that.
Fath al-Baari, 6/401
This is also indicated by the words of Hajar: “O
Ibraaheem, will you go and leave us in this valley in
which there are no people and nothing?” She said that
to him several times, and he did not answer her. Then
she said to him: “Is it Allaah Who has commanded you
to do this?” He said: “Yes.” She said: “Then He will
not forsake us.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3184.
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: When what happened between
Ibraaheem and his wife happened, he went out with
Hajar and Ismaa’eel, carrying a skin full of water….
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3185.
Al-Haafiz said:
The words of Ibn ‘Abbaas – “When what happened between
Ibraaheem and his wife happened” - “his wife” refers
to Sarah and “what happened” refers to Sarah’s
jealousy when Haajar bore Ismaa’eel.
Fath al-Baari, 6/407
And Allaah knows best
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