Peace Ambassador1
It seems either I have been unable to communicate my point or you have not understood what I wrote.
In post #4 above … I wrote this
Note in the first instance he (SAW) said that THOSE women were ‘most deficient in intelligence and religion’ but then quoted a general case to support his argument, remember intelligence and religion are really code words as explained in the hadith itself, and in the second instance when relating of how he (SAW) saw many women in hell, he never said THOSE women were any of them.
Rather you are saying Arab women were deficient in the actual sense, but I am not even saying that. I am saying firstly he (SAW) was only talking to that group of women, and what he (SAW) said was only meant for them. Furthermore, because of the use of ‘hyperbole’ and ‘synechdoche’ in his speech to them one can conclude that the ‘deficiency’ was not even literal, but really a bit of reverse psychology.
If you are trying to take a feministic approach then I applaud you, but trust me my version is more in the favour of women than yours as I have neither applied it to any whole nation of women on any time, but simply for a group of female individuals nor that being have I applied it literally.
Another piece of evidence that demonstrates my point is if anyone is ‘intellectually deficient’ why would a wise and clever person use that to argue a point with them? They would neither understand it nor pay attention to it.
However, on the other hand, if the same person is able minded then telling that person something based on some sort of argument would be worth doing, because then they would do something about it. It would create the premise for action - in this case that was charity.
On the grand scheme of things it appears that a caution was effective in getting that specific group of women to act.
Reverse psychology is also usually used with children in order to discipline them. Women back then were dumb I guess… It’s not true anymore hence not needed and many rules regarding women should be changed. Something like that only encourages those who want to abuse and manipulate women, and it’s evident in many Muslim countries. Instead of trying to make others understand the purpose behind what was said to these women, change it!.. We could do without this primitive culture which no longer applies to women.