1 - Hadith: “Woman is married for four reasons: her wealth, her social status, her beauty and her religion. So, marry religious women (otherwise) may your hands be soiled with dust (a metaphor for You shall be among the loser).” (*)
This Hadith was narrated by Abu Hurayrah, Jabir, Abu Sa`id and `A'ishah.
1/1- The Hadith of Abu Hurayrah was reported by Al Bukhari (2), Muslim (3), Abu Dawud (4), An-Nasa'i (5), Ibn Majah (6), Ahmad (7), Ad-Darimi (8), Ibn Hibban (9), and Ad-Daraqutni (10). All of them recorded the Hadith on the authority of Yahya ibn Sa`id from`Ubaydullah ibn `Umar, from Sa`id ibn Abu Sa`id from his father. The Hadith was reported by the same wordings except for some differences in the narration of Ad-Darimi and whose names were mentioned after him.
2/1- The Hadith of Jabir was reported by Muslim (11), At-Tirmidhi (12), An-Nasa'i (13), Ibn Abu Shaybah (14) , Ahmad (15), and Ad-Darimi (16). All of them narrated the Hadith from different ways on the authority of `Abdul-Malik ibn Abu Sulayman, from `Ata' ibn Rabah from Jabir who said: “I married a woman in the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him) whereupon I met the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him) and he asked me: “O Jabir! Have you married?” I replied: Yes. He asked: “A virgin or a previously married woman?” I said: A previously married woman. Then he (the Messenger) asked: “Why did not you marry a young girl so that you could play with her and she could play with you?” I replied: O Messenger of Allah! I have many sisters and I feared that she would interfere (corrupt the relation) between me and them (my sisters) thereupon he (the Messenger) said: “If that is the reason, what you have done is better, a woman is married for (the following reasons): her religion, wealth, beauty and religion. So, choose the religious woman lest your hand may be soiled with dust (to be among the losers).”
The Hadith that At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Abu Shaybah reported begins with the phrase “A woman is married ...” without mentioning the story of Jabir's marriage, whereas Ad-Darimi reported it from the way of Abu Hurayrah.
At-Tirmidhi said: "The Hadith of Jabir is good and authentic."
3/1- Hadith of Abu Sa`id was reported by Ibn Abu Shaybah (17), Ahmad (18), `Abd ibn Humayd (19), Al Bazzar (20), Ibn Hibban (21), Ad-Daraqutni (22), Al Hakim.(23) All of them reported the Hadith from different ways on the authority of Muhammad ibn Musa from Sa`d ibn Ishaq, from his aunt, from Jabir who stated that the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “A woman is married for one of three characteristics: 1- A woman is married for her beauty, 2- a women is married for her wealth, 3- or a woman is married for her religion, so choose women who are religious and well-mannered, may your hands be soiled with dust.”
The word “Three” has not been mentioned in the narration of Al Bazzar who narrated the Hadith by the addition of a fourth characteristic that is “For her good-manner”, which is in the narration of Al Hakim instead of the word “For her wealth”.
The word “and good-manner” was not mentioned in the narration of Ad-Daraqutni and Al Hakim. Al Hakim said: "This Hadith was narrated with an authentic chain of transmission but was not reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim with this addition.” Adh-Dhahabi agreed with him to this judgment. The narration of Al Bukhari and Muslim has been mentioned above.
The narrator of the Hadith is Muhammad ibn Musa is Al Fitri (24) who was a trustworthy narrator but was accused of being a Shiite. (25)
The aunt of Sa`d ibn Ishaq is Zaynab, the daughter of Ka`b ibn `Ujrah. Al Hafiz Ibn Hajar said about her: “Her narrations were acceptable, however it was said that she was a female Companion. (26)
Al Bazzar said: "We do not know anyone reported the Hadith and mentioned the word “good-manner” but Abu Sa`id (the narrator of the Hadith that was reported by Al Bazzar) through this chain of transmission.” End of quote.
Anyhow, the chain of transmission Al Bazzar's narration is weak, therefore the word "good-manner" was not authentically reported.
4/1- The Hadith of `A'ishah was reported by Ahmad (27) on the authority of `Abdus- Samad from his father, from Hussein ibn Dhakwan, from `Ata’ from `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) with words similar to the Hadith of Jabir, but without mentioning the word “good-manner”.
`Abdus-Samad is the son of `Abdul-Warith (a truthful and a trustworthy narrator) (28). `Ata’ is son of Abu Rabah, and it seems that he heard the Hadith from Jabir and `A’ishah. And Allah knows best!
The Hadith of `A’ishah is of good chain of transmission, so it supports the preceded narration but without the word “good-Manner”.
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(1) – I have quoted the latter part of this title from the classification of Imam Al Bukhari in his Sahih, where he entitled the twelfth chapter of the book of marriage with (the chapter about those who are taken in marriage, which women are good, and the preference of choosing women for offspring— preference without obligation). (Sahih Al Bukhari with its commentary Fathul-Bary). (9/124)
(*) - Between Medicine and Islam (p. 16).
(2) - Sahih Al Bukhari in the book of Marriage, chapter on (Suitable mates according to religion) (9/132 Hadith No. 5090).
(3) - Sahih Muslim in the book of breastfeeding, chapter on (The virtue of marrying a religious woman) (2/1086 Hadith No. 1466).
(4) - Sunan Abu Dawud in the book of Marriage, chapter on (Instruction to help religious woman to get married) (2/539, 540 Hadith No. 2047).
(5) – Sunan An-Nasa'i in the book of Marriage, chapter on (Undesirability of giving girls in marriage to adulterers) (6/68 Hadith No. 3230).
(6) - Sunan Ibn Majah in the book of Marriage, chapter on (Marriage of religious woman) (1/597 Hadith No. 1858).
(7) – Al Musnad (2/428).
(8) - Sunan Ad-Darimi (2/133).
(9) – Al Ihsan (6/137 Hadith No. 4025).
(10) - Sunan Ad-Daraqutni (3/302, 303 Hadith No. 212).
(11) - Sahih Muslim (2/1087 Hadith No. after Hadith No.1464). Note: The number of this Hadith in printed copy is 715, probably it is a miss printing, as I returned to the book according to the catalog of Muhammad Fu'ad `Abdul-Baqi, but could not spot it. (12) - Sunan At-Tirmidhi in the book of Marriage, chapter on (a woman is married for three qualities) (3/396 Hadith No. 1086).
(13) – Sunan An-Nasa'i in the Book of Marriage, chapter on (For which characteristics a woman is married) (6/65 Hadith No. 3226).
(14) – Musannaf Ibn Abu Shaybah (4/2/310).
(15) – Al Musnad (3/302).
(16) - Sunan Ad-Darimi (2/134).
(17) - Musannaf Ibn Abu Shaybah (4/2/310,311).
(18) – Al Musnad (3/80, 81).
(19) – Al Muntakhab (the selected) from Musnad `Abd ibn Humayd (2/104 Hadith No. 986).
(20) – Kashf Al Astar (2/149,150 Hadith No. 1403).
(21) – Al Ihsan (6/137 Hadith No. 4026).
(22) - Sunan Ad-Daraqutni (3/303 Hadith No. 213).
(23) – Al Mustadrak (2/161).
(24) – The word Al Fitri has been changed to Al `Itri in Kashf Al Astar, Al Fitri is attributed to Al Fitriyyeen, the freed slaves of Banu Makhzum. (Al Lubab 2/435).
(25) -Taqrib At-Tahdhib (p. 509).
(26) - Taqrib At-Tahdhib (p. 747). It was mentioned in Al Isabah (8/97) that Abu Ishaq ibn Al Amin mentioned her name in his commentary to Al Isti`ab as well as Ibn Fathun. Some other narrators included her among in the Followers, as Ibn Sa`d mentioned her in his book At-Tabaqat (8/479).
He said: "She has narrated from Al Furay`ah, the daughter of Malik ibn Sinan, the sister of Abu Sa`id, and Al Furay`ah heard the Hadith from the prophet (may the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him)."
(27) – Al Musnad (6/152).
(28) - Taqrib At-Tahdhib (p. 356).
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