"Most of Hell's Inhabitants Are Women": Bukhari 304, the Eid Occasion, and the "Deficient in Intellect and Religion" Exchange
On an Eid morning, a sentence was spoken to the women of Medina that is still debated fourteen centuries later. Bukhari 304's full text, its occasion, the rationale attached to it, and both columns of the dispute — presented exactly as the books record them. The verdict is yours.
By John Shaqi · July 23, 2026 · 15 min read
A Festival Morning, and a Sentence Still Debated
A festival morning in Medina — Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Fitr; the narrator himself was not sure which. The Prophet of Islam walks to the open prayer ground, passes by the rows of women, urges them to give charity, and speaks a sentence that has been quoted, defended, attacked, and explained for fourteen centuries: "I have been shown that you are the majority of the people of the Fire."
The women present did not remain silent. They asked: why? And when the answer contained the phrase "deficient in intellect and religion," they asked again: what deficiency? The whole exchange is preserved in Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 304 — today among the most disputed hadith texts on the internet.
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