Confusion about the hadeeth which says that the prayer is interrupted by a woman, a donkey and a dog

We can answer this one who is
objecting or is confused by mentioning a number of basic matters which must
be borne in mind in order to understand this topic and examine it: 

Firstly: 

There is nothing in existence
but it has some similarities with other things, even in some general
aspects. Man is similar to inanimate objects in that both exist and are
created. He is similar to animals in many ways – both of them are living
creatures that eat and drink, and live and die. In fact philosophers define
man as “a talking animal.” 

Similarly, there are many
similarities between man and plants, in that both of them are alive and grow
and need nourishment, and so on. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
(may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

No two things exist but there
must be some similarity between them in some way, even if it is a very
subtle similarity. To suggest that there is no similarity at all (between
any two things that exist) is like suggesting that they do not exist. No
such notion has ever been narrated from any wise man or thinker.

End quote from Bayaan Talbees
al-Jahamiyyah (7/569) 

It is not known that any wise
man or thinker ever regarded any of the similarities mentioned above as
something reprehensible in man that deserved to be criticised and condemned.
They are similarities which are either praiseworthy or are physical
similarities that are subject to neither praise nor condemnation. 

Secondly: 

Comparing or likening, from a
logical and linguistic point of view is based on four principles: the item
being likened to something else, the thing to which it is likened, the
aspects in which they are similar, and the words used to highlight this
similarity.

If we ask about the ruling on a
particular comparison and whether it is made by way of condemnation or of
praise, then it is not right to limit our focus to the thing to which it is
being likened. Rather we must also think of the ways in which they are
similar. 

It was narrated from one of the
Sahaabah that he likened his own action to the action of an animal, as
‘Ammaar ibn Yaasir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent me on an errand and I
became junub. I could not find any water, so I rolled in the clean earth
like an animal.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (347)
and Muslim (368). 

No one understood this as
meaning that he likened himself to an animal in all aspects in a blameworthy
manner – Allah forbid – because from a linguistic point of view it can never
be taken to mean such a thing. 

So it is essential to understand
Arabic, which is the language of the Qur’an and Sunnah, before indulging in
such baseless specious arguments, which are indicative of utter ignorance of
Arabic style and usage. And it is essential to examine the ways in which the
two things are similar, before making accusations that this likening is an
insult to all women or is derogatory to womankind. 

Thirdly: 

The hadeeth mentioned in the
question is the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who
said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: “Prayer is interrupted by a woman, a donkey and a dog, but something
like the back of a saddle protects against that.” Narrated by Muslim (511).
The one who reads this hadeeth will realise that the “likening” referred to
here has nothing to do with the bad attributes of either donkeys or dogs, or
that women are on the same level as these animals – Allah forbid. This is
wrong thinking and a foolish notion. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with
her) did not mean that at all when she heard this hadeeth and said: “Are you
likening us to donkeys and dogs?”! Narrated by al-Bukhaari (514). 

Rather the similarity between
them that is referred to here is their simply having a specific action in
common that has to do with the prayer, which is distracting the worshipper
from his humble focus and connection with Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did not agree that the
passage of a woman (in front of one who is praying) disrupts the humble
focus of the worshippers towards Allah, may He be glorified, but many of the
Sahaabah disagreed with her on that. 

We should point out that the
basic principle about passing in front of a worshipper and the worshipper’s
prayer being affected by the one who walks in front of him, no matter who
the one who walks in front of him is – man or woman, human or animal – is
that all of that (i.e., passing in front of one who is praying) is not
allowed. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, with
regard to preventing anyone from doing this blameworthy action: “If the one
who passes in front of the worshipper realised what there is (of blame and
sin) on him, standing (and waiting) for forty would be better for him than
passing in front of him.” Abu’n-Nadr said: I do not know whether he said
forty days or months or years. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (510). 

Indeed, al-Bukhaari (487) and
Muslim (505) narrated that Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with
him) used to pray on Fridays facing something that would screen him from the
people. A young man from Banu Abu Mu‘ayt wanted to pass in front of him, and
Abu Sa‘eed shoved him in the chest. The young man looked, but he could not
find any way to get by except walking in front of him, so he tried again to
pass in front of him, and Abu Sa‘eed shoved him harder than the first time.
He said something bad to Abu Sa‘eed, then he entered upon Marwaan and
complained to him about what Abu Sa‘eed had done to him. Abu Sa‘eed entered
upon Marwaan after him and (Marwan) said: What is going on between you and
your brother’s son, O Abu Sa‘eed? 

He said: I heard the Messenger
of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “If one of you
prays facing towards something that is screening him from the people, and
someone wants to pass (directly) in front of him, let him push him away, and
if he insists then let him fight him, for he is nothing but a devil.” 

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy
on him) said: 

With regard to the words of the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “for he is a devil”, al-Qaadi
said: It was said that what is meant is that it is only the Shaytaan who
made him pass in front of him and made him refuse to go back. It was also
said that what is meant is that he (the one who wants to pass in front of
the worshipper) is doing a devilish action, because the Shaytaan is far
removed from goodness and acceptance of the Sunnah. And it was suggested
that what is meant by the shaytaan here is the qareen (devil companion), as
it says in another hadeeth: “for he has the qareen with him.” And Allah
knows best.

End quote from Sharh Muslim
(4/167) 

It is quite clear that this
hadeeth is general in meaning and applies to anyone who wants to pass in
front of one who is praying; this story of Abu Sa‘eed has nothing to do with
women at all! 

Fourthly: 

Because passing in front of one
who is praying is forbidden in all cases, and applies equally to men and
women, and that also affects his prayer, some of the scholars are of the
view that the passing in front mentioned in these hadeeths is to be
understood as not rendering the prayer invalid and making it obligatory to
repeat it. Rather what is meant is that it has an impact on its perfection
and humble focus in the prayer, because it is a distraction that attracts
the attention of the worshipper. 

Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy
on him) said: 

That is because a woman may be a
source of fitnah, a donkey may bray and a dog may be frightening, and the
one who thinks about that may become so distracted that his prayer is
interrupted and spoiled. Because these things could lead to interruption of
the prayer, they are described as interrupting it.

End quote from al-Mufhim lima
ashkala min Talkhees Saheeh Muslim (2/109) 

Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy
on him) said, after mentioning a similar interpretation: 

It would be more correct to say,
instead of this interpretation: because the worshipper is focusing on
conversing with Allah, and he is very close to Him, the worshipper is
instructed to take precautions against the Shaytaan interfering in this
private conversation and closeness to Allah. Therefore it is prescribed to
use a sutrah (screen) to guard against the interference of the Shaytaan when
praying, because, in this situation, he will try to interrupt the worshipper
who is conversing with his Lord. As the Shaytaan is cursed and expelled far
away from the Divine presence, if he comes close to the worshippers, that
would lead to taking the worshipper away from his Lord and interrupt his
conversing with his Lord. 

It is for this reason – and
Allah knows best – that these three are singled out for taking precautions
against them. They are: 

Women – because women are the
traps of the Shaytaan, and when a woman goes out of her house, the hopes of
the Shaytaan are raised; the Shaytaan sought to bring about the expulsion of
Adam from Paradise by means of women. 

The black dog is a devil, as is
stated in the hadeeth. 

The same applies to donkeys,
hence one is to seek refuge with Allah when hearing the voice of a donkey in
the night, because it has seen the Shaytaan. 

Hence the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the worshipper to draw close to the
sutrah (screen), lest the Shaytaan interrupt his prayer. But that does not
necessarily mean that the prayer is invalidated and must be repeated, and
Allah knows best. Rather it detracts from the prayer, as was stated by the
Sahaabah such as ‘Umar and Ibn Mas‘ood – as is mentioned above about a man
passing in front of a worshipper: the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) instructed him to shove him and fight him, and he said, “for he
is nothing but a devil”; according to another report, he said: “for he has
the qareen with him.” But the interruption that is caused by the passing of
these animals which are particularly associated with the Shaytaan is
greater. This is what is meant by interrupting the prayer; it does not mean
that it is rendered invalid and must be repeated. And Allah knows best.

End quote from Fath al-Baari
by Ibn Rajab (4/135) 

Fifthly: 

It is unfair and unjust for a
researcher, no matter what his religion or school of thought is, to
deliberately quote a single, ambiguous report that is open to interpretation
and has nothing to do with the topic he is researching, then use it to
impugn a perfect religion that has a complete set of guidelines on laws and
etiquette, such as the religion of Islam, whilst turning a blind eye to
dozens of texts and teachings that honour women in that religion in such a
way that they are not honoured in any other religion, law or legal system. 

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah
(may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Women are the twin halves of men.”

Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (113);
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood (234). 

Al-Khattaabi said: The words
“Women are the twin halves of men” mean they are their peers and are like
them in physical makeup and attitude, so it as if they are the twins of
men. 

In terms of fiqh, this indicates
that whenever something is stated in the masculine, it is also addressed to
women, except in specific cases where there is evidence to indicate that
they are exclusive (to men).

End quote from Ma‘aalim as-Sunan
(1/79) 

The scholars quoted this hadeeth
as evidence for the principle that what is obligatory for males is also
obligatory for females, and what is permissible for males is also
permissible for females, and there is no differentiation between them unless
there is a text to that effect. 

Hence the Qur’an addresses women
just as it addresses men, and there are many texts that indicate that, such
as the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“Verily, the Muslims (those who
submit to Allah in Islam) men and women, the believers men and women (who
believe in Islamic Monotheism), the men and the women who are obedient (to
Allah), the men and women who are truthful (in their speech and deeds), the
men and the women who are patient (in performing all the duties which Allah
has ordered and in abstaining from all that Allah has forbidden), the men
and the women who are humble (before their Lord Allah), the men and the
women who give Sadaqat (i.e. Zakat, and alms, etc.), the men and the women
who observe Saum (fast) (the obligatory fasting during the month of Ramadan,
and the optional Nawafil fasting), the men and the women who guard their
chastity (from illegal sexual acts) and the men and the women who remember
Allah much with their hearts and tongues (while sitting, standing, lying,
etc. for more than 300 times extra over the remembrance of Allah during the
five compulsory congregational prayers) or praying extra additional Nawafil
prayers of night in the last part of night, etc.) Allah has prepared for
them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise)”

[al-Ahzaab 33:35] 

For more information, please see
the answers to questions no. 70042,
40405 and 132959 

And Allah knows best.