Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1188
حَدَّثَنَا 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 صلى الله عليه وسلم " 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 .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abd Allah ibn Abi Ziyad narrated to us: Yaqub ibn Ibrahim ibn Sa'd narrated to us: Ibn Akhi Ibn Shihab narrated to us, from his uncle, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, from Abu Hurairah, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: A woman is like a rib; if you try to straighten it, you will break it, but if you leave it, you can enjoy her while she remains bent. It is also reported in this chapter from Abu Dharr, Samurah, and Aishah. Abu Isa said: The hadith of Abu Hurairah is hasan sahih gharib through this route.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report uses a figurative comparison to a rib; the translation retains that image and the source's wording.