The Ideal Wife

The ideal wife is the faithful, chaste, highborn, well-mannered, good-looking woman who is well-behaved with her husband.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his household) said: “The best of your ladies are the fertile, the amiable, the chaste, the proud with her family, the humble with her husband, who adorns herself for her husband, behaves decently with others, listens and carries out her husbands’ instructions, provides herself for him when they are alone, and avoids violating good manners, like men.

The worst of your ladies are the humble with her family and proud against her husband, the barren, the spiteful, who does not care if she does something hideous, adorns herself when her husband is absent, behaves chastely with him when he is present, does not listen and does not carry out his instructions, abstains from providing herself to him when they are alone just like a riding animal that prevents the rider from riding it, does not accept his apologies, and does not forgive his flaws.”¹

“The best women of my umma are the most bright-faced and the askers for the less dowry.”²

“He who chooses a wife for her beauty only will not have his aim achieved. As for him who chooses a wife for her wealth only, Allah will leave him with that wealth. Hence, you should choose the religious women for marriage.”³

“Beware of the green-looking women… It is the beautiful women of evil source.”⁴

This prophetic tradition warns against marrying the beautiful women whose families are disreputable.

* Adopted from the book: "Matrimonial Rights" by: "Sayyid Mahdi al-Sadr"

^{1- Quoted from al-Wafi; 12/14 (as quoted from al-Kafi and at-Tahtheeb).
2- Quoted from al-Wafi; 12/15 (as quoted from al-Faqih and al-Kafi).
3- Quoted from al-Wafi; part 12 page 13 (as quoted from at-Tahtheeb).
4- Quoted from al-Wafi; 12/12 (as quoted from al-Faqih and al-Kafi).}