'A’isha said that once when God’s Messenger was with a number of the Emigrants and Helpers a camel came and prostrated itself before him. Thereupon his companions said, “Messenger of God, beasts and trees prostrate themselves before you, but we have most right to do so.” He replied, “Worship your Lord and honour your brother. If I were to order any one to prostrate himself before another, I would order a woman to prostrate herself before her husband; and if he were to order her to convey stones from a yellow mountain to a black one, or from a black mountain to a white one, it would be incumbent on her to do so.”
Narrated Abu Sa'id told of a woman who came to God’s Messenger when he was with him and said, “My husband, Safwan b. al-Mu‘attal, beats me when I pray, makes me break my fast when I am observing it, and does not pray the dawn prayer till the sun rises.” Safwan was present, so he asked him about what she had :
“As for her statement that I make her break her fast when she is observing it, she keeps on fasting, and I am a young man who cannot contain himself.” God’s Messenger said, “A woman may fast only with her husband’s permission.”* He continued: “As for her statement that I do not pray till the sun rises; I belong to a family which has such a reputation, hardly awakening till the sun rises.” He said, “Then when you awake, Safwan, you must pray.”
* This refers to fasting which is not obligatory.
Narrated Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “There are three whose prayer is not accepted and whose good deeds are not taken up to heaven:
a runaway slave, till he returns to his patrons and puts his hand in theirs; a woman with whom her husband is displeased; and a drunkard, till he becomes sober.”
Abu Huraira told that when God’s Messenger was asked which woman was best he replied, “The one who pleases when he looks at her, obeys him when he gives a command, and does not go against his wishes regarding her person or property by doing anything of which he disapproves.”
Nasa’i and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, transmitted it.
