and that you treat them kindly with respect to their clothing and food.” Reported by al-Tirmidhī, who said: “A good, sound hadith.”

His ﷺ word “ʿawan” is the plural of ʿāniya (with an un-dotted ʿayn) and means “captives.” He ﷺ likened a woman, once she comes under her husband’s authority, to a captive taken in war.

“al-ḍarb al-mubriḥ” refers to a harsh, painful blow.

His ﷺ statement, “fa-lā tabghū ʿalayhinna sabīlan” – “do not seek a way against them” – means: do not look for pretexts by which you can argue against them and harm them. Allah knows best.

Explanation

The author – may Allah have mercy on him – relates from ʿAmr ibn al-Ahwas al-Jushamī (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet ﷺ delivering the Farewell Sermon. This took place at ʿArafah, for during the Farewell Pilgrimage the Prophet ﷺ entered Mecca on Sunday, the fourth of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, and remained there until Thursday, the eighth of Dhū al-Ḥijjah.

On Thursday morning he set out for Minā, where he performed the noon, afternoon, sunset, night, and dawn prayers. When the sun rose he proceeded to ʿArafah and halted at Namirah, a well-known place just before ʿArafah and not counted as part of it. When the sun had passed its zenith and the time for the noon prayer had begun, he ordered that his she-camel be prepared; once it was saddled, he mounted and came to the floor of the valley – the valley of ʿUrnah – a broad ravine that marks the western boundary of ʿArafah.