What happens if you try to straighten it
Two outcomes, and only one of them keeps the thing.
الْمَرْأَةُ كَالضِّلَعِ، إِنْ أَقَمْتَهَا كَسَرْتَهَا، وَإِنِ اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا وَفِيهَا عِوَجٌ
Al-marʾatu ka-ḍ-ḍilaʿ. In aqamtahā kasartahā, wa ini-stamtaʿta bihā-stamtaʿta bihā wa fīhā ʿiwaj
A woman is like a rib. If you try to straighten it you break it. And if you take comfort in it, you take comfort in it while it still has its curve.
Where this comes from
A rib is curved because that is the shape that does the job. Straightening it does not improve it, it destroys it, and the thing it was protecting with it.
The full narration
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The woman is like a rib; if you try to straighten her, she will break. So if you want to get benefit from her, do so while she still has some crookedness
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī · 5184
- Agreed upon as authentic (al-Bukhārī / Muslim)