Excellence of Daughters

تَزَوَّجْتُ‌ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَقَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع كَيْفَ رَأَيْتَ قُلْتُ مَا رَأَى رَجُلٌ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فِي امْرَأَةٍ إِلَّا وَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ فِيهَا وَ لَكِنْ خَانَتْنِي فَقَالَ وَ مَا هُوَ قُلْتُ وَلَدَتْ جَارِيَةً قَالَ لَعَلَّكَ كَرِهْتَهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- آباؤُكُمْ وَ أَبْناؤُكُمْ لا تَدْرُونَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ لَكُمْ نَفْعاً[1].

“I married in al-Madinah and abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), asked me, ‘How is your married life?’ I replied, ‘Every good thing that a man can see in a woman I found with her but she betrayed me.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘How did she do so?’ I replied, ‘She gave birth to a girl.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You may have disliked her but

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَبَا بَنَاتٍ.

“The Messenger of Allah (sw) was a father of daughters.”

إِنَّ أَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع سَأَلَ رَبَّهُ أَنْ يَرْزُقَهُ ابْنَةً تَبْكِيهِ وَ تَنْدُبُهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ.

“Ibrahim (a.s.) asked his Lord to give him a daughter who will weep and mourn for him after his death.”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ لِي بَنَاتٍ فَقَالَ لَعَلَّكَ تَتَمَنَّى مَوْتَهُنَّ أَمَا إِنَّكَ إِنْ تَمَنَّيْتَ مَوْتَهُنَّ فَمِتْنَ لَمْ تُؤْجَرْ وَ لَقِيتَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَوْمَ تَلْقَاهُ وَ أَنْتَ عَاصٍ.

“I once said to Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that I have several daughters. He (the Imam) said, ‘Perhaps you wish that they die. You must take notice that if you wished that they die and they died, you will have no reward and will meet Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, as a disobedient person.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ نِعْمَ الْوَلَدُ الْبَنَاتُ مُلْطِفَاتٌ مُجَهِّزَاتٌ مُونِسَاتٌ مُبَارَكَاتٌ مُفَلِّيَاتٌ‌[2].

‘The best of children are daughters, who are kind, serving, comforting, blessed and nursing (their parents).”’

أُتِيَ رَجُلٌ وَ هُوَ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ص فَأُخْبِرَ بِمَوْلُودٍ أَصَابَهُ فَتَغَيَّرَ وَجْهُ الرَّجُلِ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ع مَا لَكَ فَقَالَ خَيْرٌ فَقَالَ قُلْ قَالَ خَرَجْتُ وَ الْمَرْأَةُ تَمْخَضُ فَأُخْبِرْتُ أَنَّهَا وَلَدَتْ جَارِيَةً فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ص الْأَرْضُ تُقِلُّهَا[3] وَ السَّمَاءُ تُظِلُّهَا- وَ اللَّهُ يَرْزُقُهَا وَ هِيَ رَيْحَانَةٌ تَشَمُّهَا ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَالَ مَ

“A man once was with the Holy Prophet (saww) and he informed him about the birth of a child but his face changed. The Holy Prophet asked him, ‘What is the matter with you?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘Say that it is good.’ He then said, ‘I left and my wife was in labor. I am informed that she has given birth to

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى عَلَى الْإِنَاثِ أَرْأَفُ مِنْهُ عَلَى الذُّكُورِ وَ مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ يُدْخِلُ فَرْحَةً عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَهَا حُرْمَةٌ إِلَّا فَرَّحَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

"The Messenger of Allah (sw) said, 'Indeed, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is more compassionate towards females than He is towards males. And no man brings joy to a woman with whom he has a relationship except that Allah will bring him joy on the Day of Resurrection.'"

الْبَنَاتُ حَسَنَاتٌ وَ الْبَنُونَ نِعْمَةٌ فَإِنَّمَا يُثَابُ عَلَى الْحَسَنَاتِ وَ يُسْأَلُ عَنِ النِّعْمَةِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Daughters are good deeds and sons are bounties. Reward comes only from good deeds and for bounties one will be held for questioning.’”

قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع بَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ وُلِدَ لَكَ ابْنَةٌ فَتُسْخِطُهَا وَ مَا عَلَيْكَ مِنْهَا رَيْحَانَةٌ تَشَمُّهَا وَ قَدْ كُفِيتَ رِزْقَهَا وَ قَدْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَبَا بَنَاتٍ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said to me, ‘I am told a girl is born to you whom you dislike. What has she brought upon you? She is a sweet smelling flower you enjoy and her sustenance is guaranteed, besides, the Messenger of Allah was a father of girls.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ عَالَ ثَلَاثَ بَنَاتٍ أَوْ ثَلَاثَ أَخَوَاتٍ وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص وَ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَقَالَ وَ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَ وَاحِدَةً فَقَالَ وَ وَاحِدَةً.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah (saww) has said, 'One who supports three daughters or three sisters, paradise becomes obligatory for him.’ It then was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what happens if one supports just two?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) replied, ‘Even if they are just two.’ It t

وُلِدَ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا جَارِيَةٌ فَدَخَلَ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَرَآهُ مُتَسَخِّطاً فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَ رَأَيْتَ لَوْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَيْكَ أَنْ أَخْتَارُ لَكَ أَوْ تَخْتَارُ لِنَفْسِكَ مَا كُنْتَ تَقُولُ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ تَخْتَارُ لِي قَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدِ اخْتَارَ لَكَ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ الْغُلَامَ الَّذِي‌ قَتَلَهُ الْعَال

"A man from our companions had a girl born to him, so he entered upon Abu Abdillah al-Sadiq (as) and saw him displeased. Abu Abdillah (as) said to him, 'What would you say if Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, inspired you to choose what He would choose for you or for yourself?' He replied, 'I would say, O Lord, choose fo

الْبَنُونَ نَعِيمٌ وَ الْبَنَاتُ حَسَنَاتٌ وَ اللَّهُ يَسْأَلُ عَنِ النَّعِيمِ وَ يُثِيبُ عَلَى الْحَسَنَاتِ‌[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Sons are bounties and daughters are good deeds, Allah questions one about the bounties but for the good deeds He gives good rewards.”’