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.
muslim:715lḤarmalah b. Yaḥyá > Ibn Wahb > Yūnus > Ibn Shihāb > Ibn al-Musayyab > Abū Hurayrah

Woman is like a rib. When you attempt to straighten it, you would break it. And if you leave her alone you would benefit by her, and crookedness will remain in her.  

مسلم:٧١٥lوَحَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ كَالضِّلَعِ إِذَا ذَهَبْتَ تُقِيمُهَا كَسَرْتَهَا وَإِنْ تَرَكْتَهَا اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا وَفِيهَا عِوَجٌ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Tirmidhī, Aḥmad, Dārimī, Ṭabarānī
bukhari:5184ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. ʿAbdullāh > Mālik > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The woman is like a rib; if you try to straighten her, she will break. So if you want to get benefit from her, do so while she still has some crookedness."  

البخاري:٥١٨٤حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ الْمَرْأَةُ كَالضِّلَعِ إِنْ أَقَمْتَهَا كَسَرْتَهَا وَإِنِ اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا وَفِيهَا عِوَجٌ  

tirmidhi:1188ʿAbdullāh b. Abū Ziyād > Yaʿqūb b. Ibrāhīm b. Saʿd from my cousin Ibn Shihāb from his uncle > Saʿīd b. al-Musayyab > Abū Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah said: "Indeed the woman is like a rib, if you try to straighten her you will break her, and if you leave her, what you enjoy from her will be with the crookedness."  

الترمذي:١١٨٨حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي زِيَادٍ حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَخِي ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عَمِّهِ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ كَالضِّلَعِ إِنْ ذَهَبْتَ تُقِيمُهَا كَسَرْتَهَا وَإِنْ تَرَكْتَهَا اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا عَلَى عِوَجٍ قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ وَسَمُرَةَ وَعَائِشَةَ  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ
ahmad:9524Yaḥyá > Ibn ʿAjlān > Abū > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "A woman is like a rib. If you try to straighten it, you will break it, and if you leave it alone, it will remain crooked."  

أحمد:٩٥٢٤حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلَانَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الْمَرْأَةُ كَالضِّلَعِ فَإِنْ تَحْرِصْ عَلَى إِقَامَتِهِ تَكْسِرْهُ وَإِنْ تَتْرُكْهُ تَسْتَمْتِعْ بِهِ وَفِيهِ عِوَجٌ  

ahmad:9795Yazīd > Muḥammad b. Isḥāq > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ said, "A woman cannot be straightened according to one nature, for she is like a rib. If you try to straighten her, you will break her. And if you leave her, she will remain crooked."  

أحمد:٩٧٩٥حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَا تَسْتَقِيمُ لَكَ الْمَرْأَةُ عَلَى خَلِيقَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ إِنَّمَا هِيَ كَالضِّلَعِ إِنْ تُقِمْهَا تَكْسِرْهَا وَإِنْ تَتْرُكْهَا تَسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا وَفِيهَا عِوَجٌ  

ahmad:10856ʿAlī b. Ḥafṣ > And Rqāʾ > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , said: "A woman will never be straight and upright in character, she is like a rib. If you try to straighten her, you will break her. And if you leave her alone, she will continue to be crooked."  

أحمد:١٠٨٥٦حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَفْصٍ حَدَّثَنَا وَرْقَاءُ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَا تَسْتَقِيمُ لَكَ الْمَرْأَةُ عَلَى خَلِيقَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَإِنَّمَا هِيَ كَالضِّلَعِ إِنْ تُقِمْهَا تَكْسِرْهَا وَإِنْ تَتْرُكْهَا تَسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا وَفِيهَا عِوَجٌ  

ahmad:26384ʿĀmir b. Ṣāliḥ > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > ʿĀʾishah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "A woman is like a rib. If you try to straighten her, you will break her, and if you enjoy her, you will do so while she is bent."  

أحمد:٢٦٣٨٤حَدَّثَنَا عَامِرُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي هِشَامُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ الْمَرْأَةُ كَالضِّلَعِ إِنْ أَقَمْتَهَاكَسَرْتَهَا وَهِيَ يُسْتَمْتَعُ بِهَا عَلَى عِوَجٍ فِيهَا  

darimi:2268Khālid b. Makhlad > Mālik > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Indeed, a woman is like a rib: if you straighten her, she will break; and if you enjoy her, you enjoy her with her flaw."  

الدارمي:٢٢٦٨أَخْبَرَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنْ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِنَّمَا الْمَرْأَةُ كَالضِّلَعِ إِنْ تُقِمْهَا تَكْسِرْهَا وَإِنْ تَسْتَمْتِعْ بها تَسْتَمْتِعْ وَفِيهَا عِوَجٌ»  

tabarani:6992Ḥafṣ b. ʿUmar b. al-Ṣabbāḥ al-Raqqī > Muḥammad b. Kathīr al-ʿAbdī > Jaʿfar b. Sulaymān > ʿAwf > Abū Rajāʾ al-ʿUṭāridī > Samurah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "A woman is like a rib, if you try to straighten it, you will break it; so, leave her as she is and live with her."  

الطبراني:٦٩٩٢حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ الصَّبَّاحِ الرَّقِّيُّ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ الْعَبْدِيُّ ثنا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عَوْفٍ عَنْ أَبِي رَجَاءٍ الْعُطَارِدِيِّ عَنْ سَمُرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «إِنَّمَا الْمَرْأَةُ كَالضِّلَعِ إِنْ أَقَمْتَهَا كَسَرْتَهَا فَدَارِهَا تَعِشْ بِهَا»