The Meaning of Intimacy (maḥramiyya) of a Believing Man with a Believing Woman in the Hadith of "Definitely, a Believing Man is an Intimate of a Believing Woman"

علوم قرآن و حدیث

Article 9, Volume 55, Issue 2 - Serial Number 111, February 2024, Pages 233-250   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jquran.2023.82643.1529

Authors

Mohammad GhasemiShoob^{* 1}; Somayyeh Azad Del²; Samad Abdullahi Abed³

¹Assistant Professor, Department of Thought and Cultural Studies, Imam Hussein University

²MA Student, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University

³Associate Professor, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University

Abstract

According to some hadiths, a believing man is intimate (maḥram) with a believing woman. The apparent meaning of the hadith "Definitely, a believing man is an intimate of a believing woman" considers all believing men and women as maḥram, and this is contrary to the verses and traditions that define limitations for those who are maḥram.
The main problem of this article is to study the concept of intimacy in this hadith with a descriptive-analytical method, and the result is that in this narration, maḥram is placed next to awliyā' in verse 71 of Surah At-Tawba, and due to the meaning of helping ascribed to awliyā', it can be said that what Imam Ṣādiq (P.B.U.H.) means by maḥram in this hadith is social intimacy, according to which one can trust to get help from the believing men. Therefore, reciting this verse, Imam Ṣādiq (P.B.U.H.) says that it is permissible on the way to Hajj to help women who are not maḥram, but are known to us. This meaning can be inferred according to the context of the hadith and the context of the verse, as well as the Imam's reference to the verse. The purpose of these narrations is to ensure the safety of women during the Hajj journey, and if a woman herself has such security, she can go to Hajj without the presence of her maḥrams. However, if there is a possibility of not having such security, she can go to Hajj with other just and righteous Muslim men whom she can trust. Of course, this is the case if she has no maḥrams or they do not go to Hajj with her.

Keywords

maḥramiyya; social intimacy; men and women as being awliyā'

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