Answered by Shaykh Shuaib Ally
Question: Assalam alaykum,
Did Imam ‘Ali – God be pleased with him – say “If the eyes of a female cry over a man that oppressed her, angels will curse him with every step he walks”?
Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
I have not found this quote, authentic or otherwise, in any of the available Sunni sources. It is possible that the quote has been attributed to Imam ‘Ali – God be pleased with him – in Shi’i sources.
Because the quote does not appear to be authentically traced back in Sunni sources to Imam ‘Ali – God be pleased with him – it is better to not attribute it to him. There are many other similar verses of the Qur’an, authentic narrations of the Prophet – peace and blessings of God be upon him – or statements attributed to the companions or later scholars that carry a similar meaning of dealing well with one’s spouse, specifically female, and prohibiting oppression in all its forms.
The Qur’an commands us to “Live with them kindly; if you hate them, it might be that you hate something and God has placed in them a lot of good” [Qur’an; 4.19].
The Prophet – peace and blessings of God be upon him – said, “The best of you are the best to their families; I am the best of you towards his family” [Tirmidhi; Ibn Majah]. He also said, “The elect among you are the best to your women” [Ahmad].
He also is reported to have said, “Fear the prayer of the oppressed, for it is answered!” [Abu Dawud]. In the same vein, he is reported to have warned Mu’adh b. Jabal – God be pleased with him – to “fear the prayer of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and God!” [Bukhari; Muslim].
God knows best.
Shuaib Ally