Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:26258Ḥasan b. Mūsá > Muṭīʿ b. Maymūn al-ʿAnbarī Yukná Bā Saʿīd > Ṣafiyyah b. ʿIṣmah > ʿĀʾishah

A woman made a sign from behind a curtain to indicate that she had a letter for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ closed his hand, saying: I do not know this is a man's or a woman's hand. She said: No, a woman. He said: If you were a woman, you would make a difference to your nails, meaning with henna. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4166)   

أحمد:٢٦٢٥٨حَدَّثَنَا حَسَنُ بْنُ مُوسَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُطِيعُ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ يُكْنَى أبَا سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَتْنِي صَفِيَّةُ بِنْتُ عِصْمَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَتْ

مَدَّتْ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ وَرَاءِ السِّتْرِ بِيَدِهَا كِتَابًا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَبَضَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَدَهُ وَقَالَ مَا أَدْرِي أَيَدُ رَجُلٍ أَوْ يَدُ امْرَأَةٍ؟ فَقَالَتْ بَلْ امْرَأَةٌ فَقَالَ لَوْ كُنْتِ امْرَأَةً غَيَّرْتِ أَظْفَارَكِ بِالْحِنَّاءِ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Nasāʾī, Abū Dāwūd
nasai:5089ʿAmr b. Manṣūr > al-Muʿallá b. Asad > Muṭīʿ b. Maymūn > Ṣafiyyah b. ʿIṣmah > ʿĀʾishah

A woman reached out her hand (to give) a letter to the Prophet [SAW], and he withdrew his hand. She said: "O Messenger of Allah, I reached out my hand (to give you) a letter and you did not take it." He said: "I did not know whether it was the hand of a woman or a man." She said: "It is the hand of a woman." He said: "If you were a woman, you would change your nails (by dyeing them with Henna)."  

النسائي:٥٠٨٩أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعَلَّى بْنُ أَسَدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُطِيعُ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ حَدَّثَتْنَا صَفِيَّةُ بِنْتُ عِصْمَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ امْرَأَةً مَدَّتْ يَدَهَا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِكِتَابٍ فَقَبَضَ يَدَهُ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَدَدْتُ يَدِي إِلَيْكَ بِكِتَابٍ فَلَمْ تَأْخُذْهُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي لَمْ أَدْرِ أَيَدُ امْرَأَةٍ هِيَ أَوْ رَجُلٍ قَالَتْ بَلْ يَدُ امْرَأَةٍ قَالَ لَوْ كُنْتِ امْرَأَةً لَغَيَّرْتِ أَظْفَارَكِ بِالْحِنَّاءِ  

abudawud:4166Muḥammad b. Muḥammad al-Ṣūrī > Khālid b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Muṭīʿ b. Maymūn > Ṣafiyyah b. ʿIṣmah > ʿĀʾishah

A woman made a sign from behind a curtain to indicate that she had a letter for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ closed his hand, saying: I do not know this is a man's or a woman's hand. She said: No, a woman. He said: If you were a woman, you would make a difference to your nails, meaning with henna.  

أبو داود:٤١٦٦حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الصُّورِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ حَدَّثَنَا مُطِيعُ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ عَنْ صَفِيَّةَ بِنْتِ عِصْمَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ قَالَتْ

أَوْمَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ وَرَاءِ سِتْرٍ بِيَدِهَا كِتَابٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَبَضَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَدَهُ فَقَالَ مَا أَدْرِي أَيَدُ رَجُلٍ أَمْ يَدُ امْرَأَةٍ قَالَتْ بَلِ امْرَأَةٌ قَالَ لَوْ كُنْتِ امْرَأَةً لَغَيَّرْتِ أَظْفَارَكِ يَعْنِي بِالْحِنَّاءِ