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Why are there hadiths that are offensive to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in the authentic books, such as the claim that he attempted suicide, or that he had intercourse with his wives while they were menstruating, or his call to drink camel urine, or the existence of hadiths in Sahih al-Bukhari that indicate a deficiency in the Quran? And how can these hadiths be reconciled with the condition that a hadith must conform to reason and the character of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him?

2 min readAlso available in العربية

A sound transmitted text cannot contradict a clear intellect, except in one's mind, not in reality. What is attributed to Islamic Sharia or the Sunnah of the Prophet that seems to contradict reason, is either authentically transmitted but misunderstood, or it is not authentically transmitted.

This is clarified by the following:

1. Cursing and Insulting: The Prophet, peace be upon him, was never obscene or vulgar, even with his enemies. What has been narrated to the contrary was for an overriding interest in specific circumstances. 2. Killing and Shedding Blood Without Cause: The Prophet, peace be upon him, did not order killing except as a punishment for a deserving crime. 3. Breastfeeding an Adult: This does not establish prohibitory kinship (mahramiyya). Even according to those who hold this view, its meaning and jurisprudence have been misunderstood. 4. Marrying a Deceased Woman: There is nothing narrated from the Prophet, peace be upon him, regarding this, and its prohibition is a matter of consensus. 5. Sexual Relations with an Infant: Nothing has been authentically established regarding this from the Sunnah. 6. The Prophet's Intention to Commit Suicide: This Hadith is not authentic. 7. The Prophet's Sexual Intercourse with His Menstruating Wife: The issue is intimacy with a menstruating woman without actual coitus, not sexual intercourse. 8. Drinking Camel Urine: The Prophet, peace be upon him, guided people to seek treatment with camel milk and urine for certain ailments, and their therapeutic benefits have been medically proven. 9. Doubting the Quranic Nature of Al-Mu'awwidhatayn: This is an error in interpretation, and there is no room to doubt them due to their mass transmission (tawatur). 10. Loss of Some Parts of the Quran: The Quran is preserved in hearts and transmitted through mass transmission, and what has been said about the loss of some verses is a misunderstanding of its implication.

Human intellects are limited and cannot fully grasp the wisdom of legislation. They should not be used to judge what has been authentically transmitted. Hadiths that actually contradict reason are often weak or fabricated. A fabricated Hadith is known by several signs, including being contradicted by sensory perception, being inherently false, contradicting the clear Quran, or the presence of indicators of its falsehood.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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