Love of Women

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مِنْ أَخْلَاقِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ حُبُّ النِّسَاءِ.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’Love for women is of the moral manners of the prophets.’”

مَا أَظُنُّ رَجُلًا يَزْدَادُ فِي الْإِيمَانِ خَيْراً إِلَّا ازْدَادَ حُبّاً لِلنِّسَاءِ.

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘I do not think a man can increase anything good in his belief except that he increases his love for women.’”

سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُوسَى الرِّضَا ع يَقُولُ‌ ثَلَاثٌ مِنْ سُنَنِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ الْعِطْرُ وَ أَخْذُ الشَّعْرِ وَ كَثْرَةُ الطَّرُوقَةِ[1].

‘Three things are of the traditions of the Messengers (of Allah): use of perfume, trimming hairs and ampleness of (relation in) marriage.’”

يَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ أَمَّا قَوْلُكَ فِي النِّسَاءِ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا كَانَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَ أَمَّا قَوْلُكَ فِي الطَّعَامِ فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يَأْكُلُ اللَّحْمَ وَ الْعَسَلَ.

“Sukayn al-Nakha‘iy worshipped and had given up women, perfume and food. He wrote to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and asked him (the Imam) about it. He (the Imam) wrote to him in answer, ‘About your words concerning women, take notice about the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy

مَا أَظُنُّ رَجُلًا يَزْدَادُ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ خَيْراً إِلَّا ازْدَادَ حُبّاً لِلنِّسَاءِ[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘I do not think anyone increases goodness in this issue (belief in the Divine Authority of ‘A’immah) without his increasing love for women.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَا أُحِبُّ مِنْ دُنْيَاكُمْ إِلَّا النِّسَاءَ وَ الطِّيبَ.

‘I do not love anything from your world except women and perfume.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ جُعِلَ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلَاةِ[3] وَ لَذَّتِي فِي النِّسَاءِ.

‘The delight for my eyes is placed in Salat (prayer) and my pleasure in women.’”

سَأَلَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَيُّ الْأَشْيَاءِ أَلَذُّ قَالَ فَقُلْنَا غَيْرَ شَيْ‌ءٍ فَقَالَ هُوَ ع أَلَذُّ الْأَشْيَاءِ مُبَاضَعَةُ النِّسَاءِ[4].

“We once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ’What is the most enjoyable thing? 5 We said other things. He (the Imam) said, ’The most enjoyable of things is sexual intercourse with women.”’

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ جُعِلَ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلَاةِ وَ لَذَّتِي فِي الدُّنْيَا النِّسَاءُ وَ رَيْحَانَتَيَّ الْحَسَنُ وَ الْحُسَيْنُ.

“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, has said, ‘The delight of my eyes is placed in Salat (prayer), my enjoyment of the world in women and my comfort and relief with al-Hassan and al-Husayn (a.s.).”’

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مَا تَلَذَّذَ النَّاسُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ بِلَذَّةٍ أَكْثَرَ لَهُمْ مِنْ لَذَّةِ النِّسَاءِ وَ هُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَواتِ مِنَ النِّساءِ وَ الْبَنِينَ‌ إِلَى آخِرِ الْآيَةِ[5] ثُمَّ قَالَ وَ إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ مَا يَتَلَذَّذُونَ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ أَشْهَى عِنْدَهُمْ مِنَ النِّكَاحِ لَا طَعَامٍ وَ لَا شَرَابٍ.

‘The most enjoyable thing people experience in this world and in the hereafter is enjoyment with women and it is in the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘The love and enjoyment for women and children is made attractive for people.’ (3:13) He (the Imam) then said, ‘People of paradise will not enjoy from any