The Prophet seeks intimacy in a lawful way
📖Sahih Muslim 1403
Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a woman, then he went to his wife Zaynab while she was tanning leather, and he fulfilled his need with her. Then he came out to his companions and said, “Verily, a woman advances and withdraws in the form of a devil. So if one of you sees a woman and is attracted to her, let him go to his wife, for that will repel what he feels in his heart.”
Does it mean all women are devils?
No. The Prophet ﷺ did not say all women are devils.
- He said “a woman” (imra’ah) in the singular, not “women” (an-nisā’) in general.
- He was describing a moment of temptation, not the nature of all women.
- In that instant, Shayṭān uses attraction to push toward unlawful desires.
The hadith only mentions a woman, but the Prophet ﷺ clearly said that anyone who tries to attract another person to commit adultery or awaken sexual desire is acting against Allah and becomes an agent of the devil if done knowingly, In this hadith, there was even a Prophet ﷺ present, yet the temptation occurred. So it is not referring to all women or every Muslim woman, but only to those who knowingly disobey Allah’s commands. By deliberately leading others into sin, they place themselves against Allah and follow the way of Shayṭān, like apostates or disbelievers in this context.
So the solution is:
- Turn your eyes away immediately.
- Channel the desire lawfully – “go to your wife.
Are only women are devil?
No. Shayṭān in Islam refers to anything negative or rebellious against Allah’s command, not just women.
Examples:
- Allah said wear clothing (Quran 7:26). If you deliberately expose nakedness, you are acting as a shayṭān.
- Allah said do not eat pork (Quran 2:173). If someone knowingly eats it, he follows shayṭān.
- Allah said do not kill without justice (Quran 17:33). If someone murders unjustly, he acts like a shayṭān.
The Prophet ﷺ was warning against situations where a woman is used as a tool of Shayṭān to lead toward adultery or sexual arousal. The desire itself is natural, but Shayṭān twists it toward sin. The remedy is to protect the eyes and fulfill desire lawfully within marriage.
📖Sahih Muslim 1847 b
The Prophet ﷺ said: “There will come after me leaders who will not be guided by my guidance, and will not follow my Sunnah. There will be among them men who will have the hearts of devils in the bodies of human beings.”
- This does not mean men are Iblis himself, but that their actions resemble the work of Iblis.
- Just as in the hadith where the Prophet ﷺ said a woman may appear “in the form of a devil,” it refers to behavior and influence, not identity.
- When someone knowingly tempts others with immodesty, they act as a devil’s agent.
- When a leader corrupts, lies, and abandons Sunnah, his actions are like the heart of a devil.
Quranic references showing humans can act as devils:
📖Quran 6:112
And so We have made for every prophet enemies – devils from mankind and jinn, inspiring one another with embellished speech as a delusion.
📖Quran 2:14
And when they meet those who believe, they say, “We believe.” But when they are alone with their devils, they say, “Indeed, we are with you; we were only mocking.”
📖Quran 114:1-6
Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind… from the evil of the retreating whisperer – who whispers into the hearts of mankind – from among jinn and mankind.”
- The “evil of the retreating whisperer” refers to Iblis.
- He first whispered to mankind (Adam and Hawwa) and continues whispering to both humans and jinn.
- When humans and jinn follow his whispers, they act as his agents, spreading sin and corruption.
📖Quran 25:68
And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity, or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. Whoever should do that will meet a penalty.
Killing the innocent is rebellion against Allah — making one from the devils. And since murder is instigated by Shayṭān, the killer follows the path of the devil.
📖Quran 2:169
He only commands you to evil and immorality and to say about Allah what you do not know.
Every act of killing and immorality is commanded by Shayṭān, so the killer becomes his agent among mankind – a devil in human form.
Summary:
- Women are not inherently devils.
- Anyone who knowingly disobeys Allah and tempts others, spreads sin, or commits immorality is acting like a shayṭān.
- Both men and women, humans in general, can fall into the category of devils if they follow negative, rebellious, or corrupt actions.
Islam Prohibits Unlawful Glances
📖Riyad as-Salihin 1625
Jarir ibn Abdullah reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the sudden glance (at a woman). He said, “Turn your gaze away.
Explanation:
- Islam does not allow looking at women without a valid, lawful reason.
- A person who deliberately places themselves in front of men to tempt them is committing a sinful act and following Shayṭān.
- The Prophet ﷺ described such behavior in Sahih Muslim 1403 as being “in the form of a devil”, meaning the action itself is evil, not a description of the person’s nature.
Why the term “devil” is used:
- The woman (or anyone) who tempts knowingly has been whispered to by Iblis, leading them to act against Allah.
- This is why the evil action is called “devil-like”: the person is working for Shayṭān by spreading sin.
📖Quran 114:1-6
Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, The Sovereign of mankind, The God of mankind, From the evil of the retreating whisperer – Who whispers into the hearts of mankind – From among jinn and mankind.”
- The “retreating whisperer” refers to Iblis.
- Those who follow his whispers and deliberately mislead others are considered agents of Shayṭān.
Connection to 📖Sahih Muslim 1403:
- That hadith refers to a woman who knowingly tries to lead someone into sin.
- Islam first commands men to turn their gaze away as a sign of respect and self-protection.
- The evil here is in the action influenced by Shayṭān, not the person’s inherent identity.
The Hadith is Not for Believers or the Unaware, but for Those Who Knowingly Tempt Others
📖Quran 9:71
The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, establish prayer, give zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. It is they upon whom Allah will have mercy. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.
- So based on the verse the hadith is not referring to any Muslim, but when someone disobeys God. It is not for a believer as such, but for a moment when even a Muslim can cause someone into temptation. Either man or woman, if they knowingly do it, they fall into the devil category because they are leading people towards that path. The same applies to any non-Muslim who leads towards that path. And these things only apply when someone knows the truth yet denies it and does it. The Prophet’s statement “woman in the form of a devil” was said in that time since the woman knew there was a Prophet among her yet she behaved immodestly, and that is what makes her work as an agent of Iblis trying to lead people into sin. But the Prophet gave the example that a person must avoid such people and not follow them, rather they can have sexual relations lawfully with their wives, and this protects society from evil.
📖Quran 7:27
O children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing to show them their shame.
- If someone deliberately promotes these things to excite desires and lead people into sin → they are acting as tools of Shayṭān.
- If someone doesn’t know, is careless, or simply follows fashion without realizing the weight of it → they are not in the same category, though they still need guidance.
Allah judges on knowledge and intention. A mistake out of ignorance is not like a deliberate act of spreading corruption. One is misled, the other is misleading.
📖Quran 24:30-31
Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity… and tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity.
📖Quran 33:5
There is no blame upon you for what you do by mistake, but only for what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
This is the principle – mistakes are forgiven, but deliberate intentions are accountable.