Al-Kāfi

1- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) النِّسَاءَ أَنْ يَتَبَتَّلْنَ وَيُعَطِّلْنَ أَنْفُسَهُنَّ مِنَ الأزْوَاجِ.

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from ibn abu Ya’fur who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (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, prohibited women from ignoring themselves due to laziness and turning themselves of no benefit for their husbands.’”

2- ابْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ الْعَلاءِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَنْبَغِي لِلْمَرْأَةِ أَنْ تُعَطِّلَ نَفْسَهَا وَلَوْ تُعَلِّقُ فِي عُنُقِهَا قِلادَةً وَلا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ تَدَعَ يَدَهَا مِنَ الْخِضَابِ وَلَوْ تَمْسَحُهَا مَسْحاً بِالْحِنَّاءِ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مُسِنَّةً.

2. Ibn Mahbub has narrated from al-‘ Ala’ from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not proper for women to neglect themselves even from hanging a necklace from their necks. It is not proper for women to leave their hands without dye even if they are old.’”

3- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ قَالَ دَخَلَتِ امْرَأَةٌ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَتْ أَصْلَحَكَ اللهُ إِنِّي امْرَأَةٌ مُتَبَتِّلَةٌ فَقَالَ وَمَا التَّبَتُّلُ عِنْدَكِ قَالَتْ لا أَتَزَوَّجُ قَالَ وَلِمَ قَالَتْ أَلْتَمِسُ بِذَلِكَ الْفَضْلَ فَقَالَ انْصَرِفِي فَلَوْ كَانَ ذَلِكِ فَضْلا لَكَانَتْ فَاطِمَةُ (عَلَيْهِا السَّلام) أَحَقَّ بِهِ مِنْكِ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يَسْبِقُهَا إِلَى الْفَضْلِ.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from ‘Abd al-Samad ibn Bashir who has said the following: “Once, a woman came to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep you well, I am a celibate woman.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What does that mean to you?’ She replied, ‘I do not marry.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘Why do you not marry?’ She replied, ‘I seek thereby excellence.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You must change your mind. Had that been anything of excellence, Fatimah, ‘Alayha al-Salam, would have been more deserving of it than you because no one could succeed against her to excel.’”