Hadith 12
The Book on Divorce and Li'an
Abu Hurairah narrated that:
The Messenger of Allah said: "Indeed the woman is like a rib, if you try to straighten her you will break her, and if you leave her, what you enjoy from her will be with the crookedness."
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي زِيَادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَخِي ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ كَالضِّلَعِ إِنْ ذَهَبْتَ تُقِيمُهَا كَسَرْتَهَا وَإِنْ تَرَكْتَهَا اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا عَلَى عِوَجٍ
Hadith gradings, numbering and translations can differ between editions. For legal rulings or detailed interpretation, consult qualified scholarship and the referenced edition.