Kinds of Women

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, or ‘Amir al- Mu’minin has said, ‘Women are of four kinds: a universal goodness, a fountain of breeding, an oppressive over-burdening or feed for parasites.”’

“I once I heard abu al-Hassan, Musa ibn Ja‘far (a.s.) - while we were sitting in the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause - discussing issues about women and we delved in it a great deal but he (the Imam) was quiet and did not enter in our discussion not even with one word; but when we became quiet then I heard him (the Imam) saying, ‘As far as free ones are concerned you must not speak about them, however, the best slave-girl is one whom you love, who has power of reason and moral discipline so you do not need to command or prohibit. Next to this is the one whom you love but does not have moral discipline and you need to command and prohibit. Next to this is the one whom you love but who does not have the power of reason and moral discipline and you have to exercise patience because of your love. Next to this is the slave-girl whom you do not love, she does not have the power of reason or moral discipline and you keep between yourself and her, the green ocean.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I then held my beard and wanted to make the sound of loud flatus because of our so much delving and without reaching any meaningful point and for his comprehensive words. He (the Imam) said, ‘Hold it, if you did it I will not sit with you.’”

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘My wife who lived in complete harmony with me has died and I want to marry.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Think where you want to place yourself and whom you are making your partner in your assets, inform of your religion and secrets. If you must marry find a virgin who is spoken of with goodness and of good moral discipline. You must take notice that women are as it is said: ‘Women are of various moral manners; among them are gains and losses. Among them are lawful when she shines for her companion and among them is darkness. Whoever succeeds in finding the righteous among them is a sure fortunate but one who is cheated cannot revenge. ‘They are of three kinds; one kind is a child bearing and loving who helps her husband all the time in the worldly as well as the matters of the hereafter and the world does not work against her. The other kind is woman who is barren without beauty and moral manners and does not help her husband in anything good, she is loud and noisy, roaming around and faultfinding who considers a great deal very little and does not accept things of lesser amount.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (sw) has said, ’Women are of four kinds: Goodness in all respects, a child bearing fountain, a dimwitted destructive one and feed for parasites.”’