[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ left in the morning one day and went to the women in the mosque. He stood in front of them and said, "O women! I have not seen anyone with deficient intellect and flawed religion like you. Those of you with intelligence should turn towards Allah as I have seen that the majority of the inhabitants of Hellfire are women."

One of the women present was the wife of Abdullah bin Mas'ood. She went to Abdullah bin Mas'ood and informed him of what she had heard from the Prophet ﷺ . She also took some jewelry to him and said, "Do you think I should give this in charity for the sake of Allah and hope that Allah may save me from Hellfire?" Abdullah bin Mas'ood said, "Woe to you! Come, let me give you charity on your behalf and on behalf of my children, for I have found a place of reward for it." However, she insisted on going to the Prophet ﷺ and seeking permission from him.

When she sought permission from the Prophet ﷺ , the people informed him saying, "This is Zainab seeking permission, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ ." he asked, "Which Zainab is it?" They replied, "The wife of Abdullah bin Mas'ood." The Prophet ﷺ then said, "Grant her permission to enter." She entered and said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ , I heard something from you when you stood in front of us. I did not see anyone with more deficient intellect and flawed religion than the women. So, what is it that may cause our religion and our intellect to be deficient?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "O women! Your deficiency in religion is due to the fact that you stay at home during your menses, as Allah has ordained for you. This means that you do not pray or fast. This is from the deficiency in your religion. As for your deficiency in intellect, it is because the testimony of two women is equal to the testimony of one man."  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ انْصَرَفَ مِنَ الصُّبْحِ يَوْمًا فَأَتَى النِّسَاءَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَوَقَفَ عَلَيْهِنَّ فَقَالَ يَا مَعْشَرَ النِّسَاءِ مَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ نَوَاقِصِ عُقُولٍ وَدِينٍ أَذْهَبَ بِقُلُوبِ ذَوِي الْأَلْبَابِ مِنْكُنَّ وَإِنِّي قَدْ رَأَيْتُ أَنَّكُنَّ أَكْثَرَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَتَقَرَّبْنَ إِلَى اللهِ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُنَّ وَكَانَ فِي النِّسَاءِ امْرَأَةُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ فَأَتَتْ إِلَى عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ فَأَخْبَرَتْهُ بِمَا سَمِعَتْ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَخَذَتْ حُلِيًّا لَهَافَقَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ أَيْنَ تَذْهَبِينَ بِهَذَا الْحُلِيِّ؟ فَقَالَتْ أَتَقَرَّبُ بِهِ إِلَى اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لَعَلَّ اللهَ أَنْ لَا يَجْعَلَنِي مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَقَالَ وَيْلَكِ هَلُمَّ تَصَدَّقِي بِهِ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى وَلَدِي فَأَنَا لَهُ مَوْضِعٌ فَقَالَتْ لَا وَاللهِ حَتَّى أَذْهَبَ بِهِ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَذَهَبَتْ تَسْتَأْذِنُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالُوا لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ هَذِهِ زَيْنَبُ تَسْتَأْذِنُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَقَالَ أَيُّ الزَّيَانِبِ هِيَ؟ فَقَالُوا امْرَأَةُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ فَقَالَ ائْذَنُوا لَهَا فَدَخَلَتْ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ مِنْكَ مَقَالَةً فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ وَأَخَذْتُ حُلِيًّا أَتَقَرَّبُ بِهِ إِلَى اللهِ وَإِلَيْكَ رَجَاءَ أَنْ لَا يَجْعَلَنِي اللهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَقَالَ لِي ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ تَصَدَّقِي بِهِ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى وَلَدِي فَإِنَّا لَهُ مَوْضِعٌ فَقُلْتُ حَتَّى أَسْتَأْذِنَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ تَصَدَّقِي بِهِ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى بَنِيهِ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَهُ مَوْضِعٌ ثُمَّ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ مَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْكَ حِينَ وَقَفْتَ عَلَيْنَا مَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ نَوَاقِصِ عُقُولٍ قَطُّ وَلَا دِينٍ أَذْهَبَ بِقُلُوبِ ذَوِي الْأَلْبَابِ مِنْكُنَّ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَمَا نُقْصَانُ دِينِنَا وَعُقُولِنَا؟ فَقَالَ أَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتُ مِنْ نُقْصَانِ دِينِكُنَّ فَالْحَيْضَةُ الَّتِي تُصِيبُكُنَّتَمْكُثُ إِحْدَاكُنَّ مَا شَاءَ اللهُ أَنْ تَمْكُثَ لَا تُصَلِّي وَلَا تَصُومُ فَذَلِكَ مِنْ نُقْصَانِ دِينِكُنَّ وَأَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتُ مِنْ نُقْصَانِ عُقُولِكُنَّ فَشَهَادَتُكُنَّ إِنَّمَا شَهَادَةُ الْمَرْأَةِ نِصْفُ شَهَادَةٍ