The Book of Suckling - Sahih Muslim 1470 b

These are some of the ahadith which Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) narrated to us from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and one of these (this one): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Had it not been for Bani Isra'il, food would not have become stale, and meal would not have gone bad; and had it not been for Eve, a woman would never have acted unfaithfully toward her husband.

Scholarly Commentary

This hadith employs historical examples to illustrate the principle of human imperfection and the transmission of certain traits. The reference to Bani Isra'il (Children of Israel) refers to their practice of hoarding manna and quail beyond their daily needs, which led to spoilage, establishing this as a natural consequence of greed and lack of trust in divine provision.

The mention of Hawwa (Eve, peace be upon her) refers to the primordial incident in Paradise where she was deceived by Satan, leading to the introduction of disobedience. This establishes that the potential for deception and error exists within human nature, particularly illustrating how women might be susceptible to actions that breach marital trust.

The Prophet (ﷺ) used these examples not to condemn these figures absolutely, but to explain the origin of certain worldly phenomena and moral weaknesses. The wisdom lies in understanding these as cautionary tales about the consequences of disobedience and the importance of adhering to divine guidance.

Legal and Moral Implications

This narration does not imply that all women are inherently unfaithful, but rather explains the origin of this particular moral test. Islamic jurisprudence maintains that each individual is accountable for their own actions regardless of historical precedents.

The teaching encourages believers to learn from past communities' mistakes and to cultivate trust in Allah's provision rather than hoarding out of fear of scarcity.