Is the Hadith About Women Being Equal to a Thousand Martyrs Authentic?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

Is the hadith about the reward of a woman being equal to a thousand martyrs authentic?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

This hadith is mentioned in Tafsir al-Tha‘labi. Some of the narrators in the chain are weak.

The reward of a woman being equal to a thousand martyrs is part of a long hadith. The wording is as follows:

Maymuna (Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

“The best men of my nation are those who are best to their wives, and the best women of my nation are those who are best to their husbands. For each woman who treats her husband well, she will be granted the reward of a thousand martyrs who were killed in the path of Allah, patiently and sincerely…” [Tha‘labi, al-Kashf wa al-Bayan ‘an Tafsir al-Quran]

However, other hadiths emphasize the tremendous virtues of women, like the few mentioned below, and also in the linked answer:

A Dutiful Wife Enters Paradise by Any Gate

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,

“If a woman prays her five prayers, fasts her month of Ramadan, guards her chastity, and obeys her husband, she will enter Paradise from any gate she wishes.” [Ibn Hibban]

Related: Is a Woman Ever Rewarded at the Expense of a Man?

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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.