Choosing a Wife
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1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّمَا الْمَرْأَةُ قِلادَةٌ فَانْظُرْ إِلَى مَا تَقَلَّدُهُ قَالَ وَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ لَيْسَ لِلْمَرْأَةِ خَطَرٌ لا لِصَالِحَتِهِنَّ وَلا لِطَالِحَتِهِنَّ أَمَّا صَالِحَتُهُنَّ فَلَيْسَ خَطَرُهَا الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ بَلْ هِيَ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَأَمَّا طَالِحَتُهُنَّ فَلَيْسَ التُّرَابُ خَطَرَهَا بَلِ التُّرَابُ خَيْرٌ مِنْهَا.
1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muskan from certain persons of his people who has said the following: “I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, saying, ‘A woman is a necklace, so consider what you are placing around your neck.’ I (the narrator) also heard him (the Imam) saying, ‘Women are priceless and it applies to both, virtuous and otherwise, among them. Gold and silver cannot become the price for a virtuous woman because she is better than gold and silver. The price of the wicked ones among women is not even worth a piece of dirt because dirt is better than them.”’
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2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) اخْتَارُوا لِنُطَفِكُمْ فَإِنَّ الْخَالَ أَحَدُ الضَّجِيعَيْنِ.
2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Choose for your seed (the best ground) thus, maternal uncle is one of the two bedfellows (close associates).”’
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3- وَبِإِسْنَادِهِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَنْكِحُوا الأكْفَاءَ وَانْكِحُوا فِيهِمْ وَاخْتَارُوا لِنُطَفِكُمْ.
3. Through the same chain of narrators as that of the previous Hadith the following is narrated: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Get married but the party must be a proper match, so marry from them (proper matches) and choose (proper environment) for your seeds.’”
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4- وَبِإِسْنَادِهِ قَالَ قَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) خَطِيباً فَقَالَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِيَّاكُمْ وَخَضْرَاءَ الدِّمَنِ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ وَمَا خَضْرَاءُ الدِّمَنِ قَالَ الْمَرْأَةُ الْحَسْنَاءُ فِي مَنْبِتِ السَّوْءِ.
4. Through the same chain of narrators as that of the previous Hadith the following is narrated: “The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, one day stood up to give a speech and said, ‘O people, I warn you against Khadra’ al-Deman (a green plant that grows on the dump-site).’ It was asked, ‘What is Khadra’ al- Deman O Messenger of Allah?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) replied, ‘It is the good looking women who have grown in a wicked environment.’”