The Table-Talk of MuhammadIslamScripture SelectionArabic source tradition rendered through EnglishShareTable-Talk of Muhammad 9Stanley Lane-Poole 1882 - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableStanley Lane-Poole 1882LanguageEnglishEspañol‹Table-Talk of Muhammad 1Table-Talk of Muhammad 2Table-Talk of Muhammad 3Table-Talk of Muhammad 4Table-Talk of Muhammad 5Table-Talk of Muhammad 6Table-Talk of Muhammad 7Table-Talk of Muhammad 8Table-Talk of Muhammad 9Table-Talk of Muhammad 10Table-Talk of Muhammad 11Table-Talk of Muhammad 12Table-Talk of Muhammad 13Table-Talk of Muhammad 14Table-Talk of Muhammad 15Table-Talk of Muhammad 16›Of Women and SlavesTable-Talk of Muhammad 9ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1The world and all things in it are valuable, but the most valuable thing in the world is a virtuous woman. 2I have not left any calamity more hurtful to man than woman. 3A Muslim cannot obtain (after righteousness) anything better than a well-disposed, beautiful wife: such a wife as, when ordered by her husband to do anything, obeyeth; and if her husband look at her, is happy; and if her husband swear by her to do a thing, she doth it to make his oath true; and if he be absent from her, she wisheth him well in her own person by guarding herself from inchastity, and taketh care of his property. 4Verily the best of women are those who are content with little. 5Admonish your wives with kindness; for women were created out of a crooked rib of Adam, therefore if ye wish to straighten it, ye will break it; and if ye let it alone, it will be always crooked. 6Every woman who dieth, and her husband is pleased with her, shall enter into paradise. 7That which is lawful but disliked by God is divorce. 8A woman may be married by four qualifications: one, on account of her money; another, on account of the nobility of her pedigree; another, on account of her beauty; a fourth, on account of her faith; therefore look out for religious women, but if ye do it from any other consideration, may your hands be rubbed in dirt. 9A widow shall not be married until she be consulted; nor shall a virgin be married until her consent be asked, whose consent is by her silence. 10When the Prophet was informed that the people of Persia had made the daughter of Chosroes their Queen, he said, The tribe that constitutes a woman its ruler will not find redemption. 11Do not prevent your women from coming to the mosque; but their homes are better for them. 12O assembly of women, give alms, although it be of your gold and silver ornaments; for verily ye are mostly of Hell on the Day of Resurrection. 13When ye return from a journey and enter your town at night, go not to your houses, so that your wives may have time to comb their dishevelled hair. 14God has ordained that your brothers should be your slaves: therefore him whom God hath ordained to be the slave of his brother, his brother must give him of the food which he eateth himself, and of the clothes wherewith he clotheth himself, and not order him to do anything beyond his power, and if he doth order such a work, he must himself assist him in doing it. 15He who beateth his slave without fault, or slappeth him in the face, his atonement for this is freeing him. 16A man who behaveth ill to his slave will not enter into paradise. 17Forgive thy servant seventy times a day. ‹Previous chapterTable-Talk of Muhammad 8Next chapterTable-Talk of Muhammad 10›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the United States via Project Gutenberg