I have heard that the Prophet ﷺ would assist with housework. Can you outline the ways in which the Prophet ﷺ would do this?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
Answer
The Prophet ﷺ would regularly assist with housework (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 676, 5363, 6039; Sharḥ Ibn Baṭṭāl, 9: 235). Once ʿĀʾishah (d. 58/678) (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked regarding the work of the Prophet ﷺ in the house. She replied that he was a human from among other humans, and would remove lice from his clothes, milk his goat and attend to his own needs (Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, 5675; Shamāʾil al-Tirmidhī, 325). In another narration she explained that he would mend his shoes and clothes, and repair his bucket (Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, 5676).
The famous Mālikī scholar ʿAllāmah Ibn Baṭṭāl (d. 449/1057) writes, “Leaders and scholars should attend to their own needs themselves and this is from the practice of the pious” (Sharḥ Ṣaḥiḥ al-Bukhārī, 2: 297). The famous Ḥanafī scholar Ḥāfiẓ Badr al-Dīn al-ʿAynī (d. 855/1451) writes, “Serving the needs of the house and its inhabitants is a practice of the pious servants of Allah” (ʿUmdah al-Qārī, 21: 21). ʿAllāmah Ibn Baṭṭāl (d. 449/1057) relates from ʿAllāmah Muhallab (d. 435/1044) that this is a sign of humility, and that pride in this regard is not from the qualities of Muslims (Sharḥ Ibn Baṭṭāl, 7: 542). Therefore, the husband should make every effort to support with housework.
Allah knows best
Yusuf Shabbir
9 Jumādā al-Thāniyah 1437 / 18 March 2016