Please explain this extremely sexist sounding Hadith.

RI_RS —

So, My very anti theist, especially anti Islamic friend emailed me this hadith and asked what I 'thought' of it and how I reconciled it with modern thought cos it seems impossible, and I can't so can someone else.

Or tell me it's not authentic or something.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 6, Number 301: Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:
Once Allah's Apostle went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) o 'Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, "O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women)." They asked, "Why is it so, O Allah's Apostle ?" He replied, "You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you." The women asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?" He said, "Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?" They replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?" The women replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her religion."

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Tom (not verified) — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 - 21:28

I have read the explanations of this Hadith, all of them, from the link given. Every single one of them is almost as sexist as the Hadith itself! For example, one of the scholars states “A woman is overloaded by being a mother or a babysitter or pregnant. All these carriers are around the clock, because of what she is, she is always likely to forget more than a man who is devoted to one career only. Allah is merciful, he forgives her and makes it easy for her when she is not fully responsible to give a full testimony as a witness. Nothing of that is defaming a woman”. She is likely to forget more than a man?!? Really? Is this not sexist? Allah has to forgive a woman simply for being a woman? The explanations are weak at best, sexist at worst, but totally unconvincing. But the most alarming thing here is NOT ONE of the scholars makes the slightest attempt to explain why the majority of “Hell dwellers” are women. Any argument that states that this only applies to a small number of women and not every woman on the face of the Earth, falls apart by the very fact that at the beginning of the Hadith it states the majority of hell dwellers are women. This makes it global, this makes it about EVERY woman. This is the most sexist part of the Hadith and not one scholar has tried to explain that one, because they cannot.

laila — Mon, 6 Mar 2017 - 19:56

i've heard this hadith paak many times i am a woman i am trying to be a muslim so of course i agree hear and obey, and anyway aren't there more women in the world then men?

and yes i believe in Koran and Hadith completely 

i have met many muslim so called feminists they really don't have a leg to stand on sorry but as a muslim you can't pick and choose parts of islam you agree with

if we truly believe in Allah and His Rusul ﷺ then we can't question their words 

plus all my life i have tried to not be like the women mentioned in the Hadith paak so yea we can change ourselves and not be one of those ladies destined for hell

less gossiping, more gratefulness to our men folk, more manners all round and humility, sharam would do wonders for us women