Question:
May Allah reward you with goodness, Virtuous Shaykh. From Qatar, the questioner Hasan Ahmad says in this question: Virtuous Shaykh, we hope that you could explain this hadith, may Allah reward you with goodness. On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “There are two types of the people of Hellfire whom I have not yet seen: a people with whips like the tails of cattle with which they strike the people, and women who are clothed yet naked, walking with an enticing gait and enticing others, their heads like the tilted humps of camels. They will not enter Paradise, nor will they perceive its fragrance, even though its fragrance can be perceived from such-and-such a distance.” The question is: Could you explain this hadith for us?
Answer:
Yes. The Prophet ﷺ informed us that there would be two types of people whom he had not yet seen. The first type involves committing aggression against people without right, using authority to transgress against them; these are “a people with whips like the tails of cattle with which they strike the people”—meaning, without justification. The people of knowledge (scholars) said: These are the police—the police of tyrants who beat people without right, so they are among the people of Hellfire, because whoever assists a wrongdoer bears a share of their sin as they deserve.
The second type is “women who are clothed yet naked,” meaning they wear clothing but are effectively naked. The scholars said: This is either due to the tightness of the clothing, its thinness such that the skin can be seen through it, or its shortness.
As for his (ﷺ) saying, “walking with an enticing gait and enticing others”: Enticing others: means they alter their clothing, hair parting, or cause men to incline toward them through their temptation. Walking with an enticing gait: means they themselves have deviated from the truth because of their actions.
And his (ﷺ) saying: “Their heads like the tilted humps of camels” means that one of them styles herself in this fashion, gathering her hair into a bun on top of her head until it tilts to the right or left like a camel’s hump. The Bukht is a known breed of camel recognized for its large hump that slants to one side.
In summary, these women engage in actions that cause temptation both within themselves and for others.