What is the solution to women outnumbering men by 50 to 1?

WOMEN OUTNUMBERING MEN 50:1: As-Salamu ‘Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh: Have the ‘Ulamah devised methods whereby in the end times a man has the ability to look after 50 women? …4. women will increase in number and men will decrease in number so much so that fifty women will be looked after by one man. (Book #3, Hadith #81) Sahih Al-Bukhari.

If it does not concern us at present we should at least be devising mechanisms whereby this future concern can be troubleshooted, because already there are voices offering their solutions; solutions which may not be right and Halal and whereby a vast multitude of Muslims will be led astray. “Malakat Yad And Akhirul Zaman By Sheikh Imran Hosein “

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7NkVYd5sFI He is saying that in the end times it will become a necessity for women to give up their freedom, arguing from Daroora, in order to obtain the protection of a man; and that such a thing can be condoned in Shari’ah under the rules of necessity. The Europeans concocted such a scheme when in return for the forgiveness of debts they would pledge labor, become slaves, presumably until the debt was repaid: “Debt bondage (also known as debt slavery or bonded labor) is a person’s pledge of their labor or services as security for the repayment for a debt or other obligation.

The services required to repay the debt may be undefined, and the services’ duration may be undefined. Debt bondage can be passed on from generation to generation.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_bondage In our instance the women would be selling their freedom for protection and provision. Is it possible for one to give up one’s freedom in order to become the slave of another human in order to receive some material benefit?

I do not expect this question to be answered in short order, it is a question that may require extensive ijtihad on the part of the elite of the elite ‘Ulama. But it is a topic that must be broached and then plumbed if we are to head off catastrophe in the end times, especially since women are being hooked onto Lesbianism as the alternative lifestyle, a life free of men where women get to do what they want.

Our girls are the most vulnerable, especially in the West, as they are growing up bathed in this kind of culture. As the male population shrinks therefore we have to have mechanisms that preserve the traditional healthy way of life in the midst of alternatives and unneeded “antidotes.”

If there are no ready answers please do forward this question up the chain of command until it reaches someone with insight into the matter. Allah bless you and guide all of us to what pleases Him. 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Before we answer your query, it is important to keep in mind that although Shaykh Imran Hosein is a knowledgeable person, he is known to have many opinions that conflict with traditional Islamic texts and the opinions of many ‘Ulamā, especially in regards to future events surrounding the signs of the last hour. We have conducted an enquiry about Shaykh Imran Hosein and found that it is unsuitable to listen to his talks. Please refer to the following links for more information:

http://askimam.org/public/question_detail/27634

http://www.askimam.org/public/question_detail/28659

Since your query deals with the meaning and interpretation of a hadīth and a solution provided for it based on that interpretation, we shall first explain the meaning of the hadīth in question as explained by the muhaddithūn:

The hadīth in reference is as follows:

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ: لَأُحَدِّثَنَّكُمْ حَدِيثًا لاَ يُحَدِّثُكُمْ أَحَدٌ بَعْدِي، سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: ” مِنْ أَشْرَاطِ السَّاعَةِ: أَنْ يَقِلَّ العِلْمُ، وَيَظْهَرَ الجَهْلُ، وَيَظْهَرَ الزِّنَا، وَتَكْثُرَ النِّسَاءُ، وَيَقِلَّ الرِّجَالُ، حَتَّى يَكُونَ لِخَمْسِينَ امْرَأَةً القَيِّمُ الوَاحِدُ “ 

Anas (radiyallahu ‘anhu) narrates: I will narrate to you a hadīth that none other than I will tell you about after it. I heard Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) saying: From among the signs of the Hour are (the following): Religious knowledge will decrease (by the death of religious learned men). Ignorance will prevail. There will be prevalence fornication. Women will increase in number and men will decrease in number, so much so that there will be one (male) caretaker for fifty women.[1]

While commenting on the portion of this hadīth regarding the number of women, Hafiz ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalānī (rahimahullah) mentions in his famous commentary on Sahīh al-Bukhārī, Fath al-Bārī:

يُحْتَمَلُ أَنْ يُرَادَ بِهِ حَقِيقَةُ هَذَا الْعَدَدِ أَوْ يَكُونَ مَجَازًا عَنِ الْكَثْرَةِ وَيُؤَيِّدُهُ أَنَّ فِي حَدِيثِ أَبِي مُوسَى وَتَرَى الرَّجُلَ الْوَاحِدَ يَتْبَعُهُ أَرْبَعُونَ امْرَأَةً

It is possible that the actual amount (i.e. fifty women) is intended or that it is a figurative expression simply indicating an increase (in the number of women and not the actual number of women). This is substantiated by the hadīth of Abu Mūsā (radiyallahu ‘anh) “and you will see one man being followed by forty women” (i.e. a different number is used there in order to show an increase as well).[2]

‘Allamah ‘Aynī (rahimahullah) also mentions this in his book ‘Umdat al-Qārī: A commentary on Sahīh al-Bukhārī.[3]

Hafiz ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) further comments on the cause behind such a disorder  in the number of men and women by quoting the words of Imam al-Qurtubī from his book At-Tadhkirah bi Ahwāl al-Mawtā wa Umūr al-Ākhirah:

يُحْتَمَلُ أَنْ يُرَادَ بِالْقَيِّمِ مَنْ يَقُومُ عَلَيْهِنَّ سَوَاءٌ كُنَّ مَوْطُوءَاتٍ أَمْ لَا وَيُحْتَمَلُ أَنْ يَكُونَ ذَلِكَ يَقَعُ فِي الزَّمَانِ الَّذِي لَا يَبْقَى فِيهِ مَنْ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ اللَّهُ فَيَتَزَوَّجُ الْوَاحِدُ بِغَيْرِ عَدَدٍ جَهْلًا بِالْحُكْمِ الشَّرْعِيِّ

“It is possible that ‘caretaker’ here refers to someone who will look after the women whether they are slave-women or not. It is also possible that such a situation will take place in a time where there will be no one left to say ‘Allah Allah’; thus, one person will marry without (any restriction in) number due to his ignorance of the Shar’ī ruling.”[4]

Based on the explanations provided above, we would like to highlight the following points:

(1) The number of women being fifty is not definite. It is simply being used to refer to a high number of women without attribution to a specific amount.

(2) It is not definite whether men will be caretakers of women who are regarded as slave-women. It is highly likely that this is not the case.

(3) The beginning portion of the hadīth points to the fact that religious knowledge will become scarce, due to which many men might marry (not enslave) more than four women out of sheer ignorance of legal rulings.

Now that we have discussed the portion of the hadīth under question, we shall continue with answering the rest of your questions.

“If it does not concern us at present we should at least be devising mechanisms whereby this future concern can be troubleshooted, because already there are voices offering their solutions”

It is often heard by many medical doctors that prevention is key when dealing with sicknesses, not treatment. Similarly, the first portion of this hadīth highlights the fact that these are all signs of the Day of Judgment. This hadīth also mentions a prevalence of zinā (fornication); another narration of the same hadīth mentions an increase in the consumption of alcohol as well[5]. There are numerous other signs mentioned throughout a number of ahādīth warning us of the dangers we might face in regards to our imān in the future. The purpose of such ahādīth is to remind us that we should mend our ways and keep our attention focused on the final day, not so we can provide solutions to problems that may or may not happen based off of a possible interpretation of a hadīth.

Furthermore, the hadīth clearly states that a man will become the caretaker of many woman. Why do we have to force ourselves to fit a certain solution regarding how this will play out? If Allah Ta’ālā chooses such an event to take place, it will happen regardless of how we choose to interpret it. It may be through the means of a legal nikāh or through some other means unknown to us at this time. Our job is to focus on the big picture; worshipping Allah Ta’ālā and fixing ourselves before the era of fitan arises and the doors of tawbah are closed for eternity on this Earth.

Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran:

وَلَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا عَلَيْهَا وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

And every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ.[6]

“The Europeans concocted such a scheme when in return for the forgiveness of debts they would pledge labor, become slaves, presumably until the debt was repaid…Is it possible for one to give up one’s freedom in order to become the slave of another human in order to receive some material benefit? “

If anyone is well-acquainted with the texts of the Quran and the ahādīth, they would be aware of the fact that Islam sets out to emancipate all slaves through various means, not to bring free people back into the realm of bondage. There are a huge number of Qur’anic verses and Holy Prophetic traditions which elaborate on the virtues and merits of setting slaves free. In juristic injunctions, pretexts have been looked for to emancipate slaves: expiation for violating fast, for murder, for violating oaths and vows, etc. – in all these cases the first compulsory command is to emancipate a slave.[7] The concept known as debt bondages was nothing other than outright oppression. If the Shari’ah makes it a goal to free all slaves, how can one say that we should go against these ideals by enslaving the poor and labelling it as a “solution”? The collective teachings of the Qur’an and Hadīth lead us to believe that emancipating them is more meritorious than enslavement. Moreover, attributed slavery (i.e. where a person was originally free) was restricted to prisoners of war only during the time of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). It is for this reason that it is inappropriate to even suggest enslaving free Muslim women for such a cause.

“He is saying that in the end times it will become a necessity for women to give up their freedom, arguing from Daroora…it is a question that may require extensive ijtihad on the part of the elite of the elite ‘Ulama.”

It is important to understand that the concept of dharūrah is only relevant to those times where the dharūrah exists. Since the concept of selling a freed person is impermissible in Shari’ah[8], deriving a ruling based off of dharūrah without knowing the reality of the actual situation is not enough to give leeway for it. It is not the job of the ‘Ulamā today to determine a ruling based on dharūrah for a need that is unknown, let alone a need that is currently non-existent. We should rather concern ourselves with the problems that face us today. As mentioned before, the hadīth in question highlights the signs of Yaw Al-qiyāmah whose purpose is mainly to remind us that we should be ready for the trials ahead, not that we should make preparations based off of unknown dharūrāt for something that may or may not happen the way we presume.

Furthermore, it is clearly mentioned in the hadīth that this event will occur during times of fitnah where knowledge will become scarce. This scarcity of knowledge is explained by the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) himself in the following words:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَقْبِضُ العِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ العِبَادِ، وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ العِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ العُلَمَاءِ، حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يُبْقِ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُءُوسًا جُهَّالًا، فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ، فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا

“Allah does not take away the knowledge, by taking it away from (the hearts of) the people, but takes it away by the death of the ‘Ulamā till when none of the (religious learned men) remains, people will take as their leaders ignorant persons who when consulted will give their verdict without knowledge. So they will go astray and will lead the people astray.”[9]

If such will be the situation at this time, where the ‘Ulamā will be no more and the ignorant will be prevalent, how can anyone expect those who live in such a time to abide by the laws of ‘Ulamā in the past, especially when the people themselves will be ignorant of the most simple of laws such as the limit of marrying only four women (as stated by Imam al-Qurtubī in his commentary on this hadīth)?

“Our girls are the most vulnerable, especially in the West, as they are growing up bathed in this kind of culture.”

The laws of Islam are designed to protect the chastity of young men and women by providing guidelines that hinder all possibilities of indecent acts taking place. As such, if someone truly desires to save their children from the negative effects of western culture, then they should instill the teachings of the Quran and ahadīth in the hearts of their children and promote an environment free from external influences that become an obstruction to pure Islamic values such as the effects of television, media, and peer pressure from social circles that do not contain any signs of Deen.

May Allah Ta’ālā protect us all from the trials that lie ahead and grant us success in this life and the hereafter. Ameen.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Bilal Mohammad

Student Darul Iftaa
New Jersey, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net