Is It True That the Messenger (ﷺ) Said a Nation Led by a Woman Will Never Succeed?

In the Name of Allāh, the Ever Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy

Question:

Is it true that the prophet said a nation led by a woman Will never succeed?

Answer:

Yes. The Messenger (ﷺ) said:

لَنْ يُفْلِحَ قَوْمٌ وَلَّوْا أَمْرَهُمُ امْرَأَةً

“Never will a people prosper who place a woman in charge of their affairs.”¹

This is not a cultural opinion. It is not the voice of a particular time or place. It is the words of the Messenger (ﷺ), preserved in the most authentic of collections, explained by the greatest of scholars.

The scholars have made it clear that this ḥadīth prohibits women from holding positions of ultimate authority, political rule, and judicial office. Positions where the command is given and the community is led.

Any claim to the contrary is nothing more than the fabrications of those who oppose the Sunnah, twisting textual evidences to align with their own desires. This ḥadīth is part of the Sharīʿah, and it stands as it is.

Answered by Abū Dilāra Naief al-ʿAydarūs.
Ḏū al-Qaʿdah 19, 1447 | May 6, 2026

1. Narrated by Abū Bakrah Nufayʿ ibn al-Ḥārith (رضي الله عنه): The Messenger (ﷺ) said: “Never will a people succeed who entrust their affairs to a woman.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 4425)