In this world, women and perfume have been made dear to me

The Meaning of 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱, 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲.

“The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: ‘In this world, women and perfume have been made dear to me, and my comfort has been provided in prayer.'”
Sunan an-Nasa’i 3939

Scholars say that this refers to his wives: a wife is the best of worldly blessings, a means for the fulfillment of both religious and worldly life, and a source of stability for a person. She provides the most appropriate environment for the expression of natural emotions and inclinations and is a lifelong companion. Life without a wife is full of hardship. Therefore, why would the Prophet of Mercy who exemplifies the true nature of religion not love her deeply? And there is nothing shameful in saying this.

𝗮) 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝘆𝗸𝗵 𝗧𝗮𝗾𝗶 𝘂𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗸𝗶 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱:

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ لِشَهْوَةٍ مِنْهُ فِي النِّكَاحِ وَلَا كَانَ يُحِبُّ الْوَطْءَ لِلَّذَّةِ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّمَا حُبِّبَ إِلَيْهِ النِّسَاء لنقلهن عَنهُ مَا يستحي هُوَ مِنَ الْإِمْعَانِ فِي التَّلَفُّظِ بِهِ فَأَحَبَّهُنَّ لِمَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْإِعَانَةِ عَلَى نَقْلِ الشَّرِيعَةِ فِي هَذِهِ الْأَبْوَابِ وَأَيْضًا فَقَدْ نَقَلْنَ مَا لَمْ يَنْقُلْهُ غَيْرُهُنَّ مِمَّا رَأَيْنَهُ فِي مَنَامِهِ وَحَالَةِ خَلْوَتِهِ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ الْبَيِّنَاتِ عَلَى نُبُوَّتِهِ وَمِنْ جِدِّهِ وَاجْتِهَادِهِ فِي الْعِبَادَةِ وَمِنْ أُمُورٍ يَشْهَدُ كُلُّ ذِي لُبٍّ أَنَّهَا لَا تَكُونُ إِلَّا لِنَبِيٍّ وَمَا كَانَ يُشَاهِدُهَا غَيْرُهُنَّ فَحَصَلَ بِذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

“𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗵. Rather, women (wives) were made dear to him so that 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆. He loved them for what they provided in helping convey the Sharīʿah in these matters. Moreover, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀, 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱.”

Sharh al Suyuti al Nisai`i 7/64

b) This hadith is narrated by an-Nasa`i in the كتاب عشرة النساء book Regarding the rules and matters of good treatment of women, mutual coexistence, and partnership in life.

c) If we take it generally, that is also fine, because hating women is blameworthy. Consider the profound context in which this was said an era when 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝘄𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀. For example, the leader of the hypocrites, ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy, had 6 slave‑women as per Imam al Nawawi, 𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲. The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), that the women be taken away from him forcefully.

d) This is precisely why it is blameworthy to hate women. 𝗔𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝘆𝗸𝗵 𝗜𝗯𝗻 ‘𝗨𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗲𝗻 (𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗺) 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱:

فَكُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ يَكْرَهُ النِّسَاءَ وَيُعَامِلُهُنَّ الْمُعَامَلَةَ السَّيِّئَةَ فَفِيهِ شَبَهٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ
“𝗦𝗼, 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.”
Fatawa Nur ‘ala al-Darb (24/2).

e) “This world is but provisions, and there is no provision in this world better than a righteous wife.” [Sahih Muslim, Ibn Maja]

𝗳) 𝗜𝗯𝗻 𝗔𝗯𝗱𝘂𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱:
المرأة العفيفة المواتية جنة الدنيا
“The chaste woman is the paradise of this world.”
Adaab al-Shariya 3/588

𝗴) 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻:

The Prophet ﷺ taught that women are among the greatest blessings of this world. A righteous wife is a source of spiritual and worldly fulfillment, emotional comfort, companionship, and stability. Loving and respecting women is not only natural but also a religious and moral duty, while hating or mistreating them is blameworthy and reminiscent of pre-Islamic ignorance. Scholars explain that the Prophet ﷺ loved his wives not for mere desire but to transmit and exemplify the teachings of the Sharīʿah, ensuring guidance in matters of family, worship, and morality. Thus, honoring women, valuing their role, and choosing righteous companions are among the most virtuous and rewarding aspects of life in Islam.