What is the authenticity of the following hadith:
Rasullullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that a woman who demands separation from her husband will not smell the fragrance of Jannah. Such a woman is termed a munafiq (hypocrite) in the hadith.
Answer
Sayyiduna Thawban (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The fragrance of Jannah is haram for any woman who asks her husband for a divorce without a valid reason”
(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 1187, Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith: 2226)
Imams Hakim, Dhahabi and Ibn Hibban (rahimahumullah) have classifed the above hadith as authentic (sahih)
(Mustadrak Hakim vol. 2 pg. 200 and Sahih Ibn Hibban; Al Ihsan, Hadith: 4184)
The second part of the narration -regarding these women being termed as hypocrites- is also recorded in Sunan Tirmidhi on the authority of Sayyiduna Thawban (radiyallahu ‘anhu).
Imam Tirmidhi (rahimahullah) has stated that the chain of narrators for this narration is not strong. (wa laysa isnaduhu bil qawiy)
(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 1186)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala