What is the authenticity of the narration attributed to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab: "Seek help against women with nakedness, for if one of them has many clothes and her adornment is beautiful, she will be pleased to go out"?

This narration attributed to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, with the wording: "Seek help against women by their nudity, for if one of them has many clothes and her adornment is good, she will be pleased to go out," was stated by Ibn Kathir to have a sound chain of narration. However, Al-Albani weakened it due to the presence of Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i, who was a mudallis (one who conceals defects in narration) and confused.

It was also narrated as being مرفوع (traced back to the Prophet, peace be upon him) with weak and unsound chains, such as the hadith of Maslamah: "Strip women naked so they cling to their chambers," and the hadith of Anas: "Seek help against women by their nudity," and "Keep women hungry with a non-harmful hunger, and keep them naked with a non-harmful nakedness." Ibn al-Jawzi clarified that none of these ahadith are sound, detailing the defects in each chain.

As for the meaning of the narration—assuming its authenticity—al-Munawi and al-San'ani clarified that it does not mean making the woman literally naked, but rather reducing the lavishness in her clothing and limiting it to what protects her from heat and cold, especially ornamental clothes. This is because an abundance of clothes and fine adornment might encourage a woman to go out and show off, leading to fitan (trials) and corruptions. The narration thus urges the blocking of means (sadd al-dhara'i') to prevent them from unlawful going out, and emphasizes that their place is in their homes, in compliance with the words of Allah Almighty: "And abide in your houses" [Al-Ahzab: 33].