Commentary:

The message of the hadith is quite clear that when the leaders of the Ummah will be those who are righteous and just and the rich are large-handed and generous, and the affairs of the Muslim Ummah are sorted out by an advisory board, without giving preference one to another, then the face of the planet will be better for the Muslims than the inner part. It means that in this case life is better than death. On the contrary, if the rulers and leaders are mean and lacking justice and good character, and the rich among you are miserly and short-handed who refrain from spending money on religious projects and the causes of social uplift, and the women are appointed as advisors for mutual consultations and their advice is followed with giving much thinking to them, then the people would better die than live alive on the face of this planet. Death in such a situation is better than life.

It is stated in some hadith that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Consult the women and oppose them for there is blessing in their opposition." But this hadith has a very weak chain of narration.

It is also narrated on the authority of Ayesha (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Following women's advice may bring disgrace." This hadith has been transmitted through different chains of narration which are all weak. Therefore, Ibnal-Jauzi has termed this hadith as Maudu fabricated. Allama Mubarakpuri, the author of Tuhfah Al-Ahwadi, has commented that terming this hadith as to be fabricated is not right. In the same way, the opinion of Sheikh Nasiruddin Albani about this hadith that it is Maudu is also not right.

Consulting women

This detail shows that following women in all affairs may deprive a person of many blessings. The reason is that women often offer half-baked opinions lacking good judgment and proper thinking. Therefore, it is not good to follow them and obey their suggestions. However, if a woman gives advice in some matter and it is totally based on the commandment of Allah or his Messenger, then it is no doubt something to be followed. In the same way, we see that some women are more knowledgeable in many affairs than some men. Hence it would not be wrong to obey their suggestions and reject their opinions outright. We have a report that the Messenger of Allah (saws) consulted Umme Salama on the occasion of the battle of Hudaibiyah and he followed heradvice.

In brief, it is disgracing to follow the women who lack good sense of judgment in all cases. Therefore, the males among the Muslim society should be careful enough not to hand over all their affairs to women to be sorted out by them.

Today we see that the women are most often followed in many religious and social affairs by men and many affairs are decided by their judgment and indication which is a serious fault committed by the males among the Muslim society. What about the destruction of a nation or community whose all fairs are sorted out by the fair sex who even has reached in modern times to the seats of government and authority? It is a sad news that in some Muslim state in the past, a woman was appointed as prime minister. This is the period of time in which the inner part of the earth has been stated to be better than the upper part by the Prophet of Allah(saws).