عورت کی حکمرانی سے متعلق حضرت ابو بکرہ رضی اللہ کی روایت اور معاصر شبہات کا تحقیقی و تجزیاتی مطالعہ

A Research and Analytical Study of Hz. Abu Bakrah's (RA) Narration on Female Leadership and Contemporary Doubts

Abstract

Islam has accorded extraordinary importance to the matter of leadership, governance and authority, as the proper direction and sustainability of collective order fundamentally depend upon it. The Islamic Shariah has not left this foundational issue subservient to human whims, shifting societal trends or transient circumstances; rather, it has delineated it through clear principles, robust regulations and definitive texts.

This article presents a detailed, research-oriented, and critical examination of the issue of women's leadership, governance and high offices in the light of the Prophetic traditions. It extends beyond mere theoretical or jurisprudential discourse to deeply scrutinize the modern doubts, objections and novel interpretations raised around these Prophetic hadiths particularly those advanced by certain intellectual and social circles in the contemporary era. Special attention is given to the renowned hadith narrated by Abu Bakrah (RA) which Imam al-Bukhari has included in his Sahih.

The article delves into the chain of narration (Sanad), textual implication (matn), and historical context of this hadith, clarifying that the majority of hadith scholars have affirmed its authenticity or, at the very least, its strong probative force (hujjiyyah). A significant portion addresses the detailed analysis of objections leveled against the narration from Sahih al-Bukhari, including claims of its rarity (gharib), criticism of certain narrators (jarh), alleged conflict with the Quran, and incompatibility with historical observations. These critiques are refuted with reasoned arguments grounded in the principles of hadith criticism, narrator evaluation (jarh wa ta'dil), Quranic exegesis, and jurisprudential norms. It is particularly emphasized that the hadith's rarity does not negate its authenticity or probative value, and that verses such as those on consultation (shura) or other texts are not in conflict with it but, according to the eminent exegetes, actually endorse it.

The article also highlights that the concept of "falah" (success) mentioned in the hadith is not confined to material progress, economic prosperity, or apparent political stability; rather, it denotes comprehensive and true success in both worldly and hereafterly domains. In this context, it is clarified that any apparent progress or stability under female governance in a society does not contradict the hadith's purport, for Shariah measures falah not by superficial achievements but by divine pleasure and adherence to Allah's ordained principles.