Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 1.djvu/556

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The Prophet says, "Admonish your wives with kindness, because women were created from a crooked bone of the side; therefore, if you wish to straighten it, you will break it; and if you let it alone, it will always be crooked."

"When a woman performs the five times of prayer, and fasts the month of Ramdān, and guards herself in purity, and obeys her husband, then tell her to enter Paradise by whichever door she likes." "Every woman who dies, and her husband is pleased with her, shall enter Paradise."

"No one woman vexes her husband in the world; but the husband's wife in Paradise says, 'Vex not thy husband, may God destroy thee! because he is nothing more than a traveller with thee; he will soon come to me in Paradise.'"

"Verily the best of women are those who are most content with little."

This tradition is recorded:—

"An unknown person came to the Prophet, and said,—'O Muhammad, instruct me in Islām!' The Prophet said, 'Islām is, that thou bear witness there is no God but God, and that Muhammad is his messenger; and be stedfast in prayer, and charitable; and fast during the month of Ramdān; and make a pilgrimage to the Kaaba, if thou have it in thy power to go there.' The man replied, 'Thou hast spoken true.' On which we wondered at his questioning the Prophet, and then telling him that he spoke the truth. Then the man said, 'Instruct me in Imān.' The Prophet said, 'That thou believe in God, and in his angels, and in his books, and in his prophets, and in the day of resurrection, and that every virtue and vice is by the will of God.' The man said, 'Thou hast spoken true.' He then said, 'Inform me in Ih'sān.' The Prophet said, 'That thou worship God as if thou sawest him; for though thou dost not see him, know that he seeth thee.' The man said, 'Thou hast spoken true.' He then said, 'Instruct me concerning the resurrection.' The Prophet said, 'I am no wiser than the questioner.' Omer said, 'After this, the man departed, and I remained sitting a long time; after which the Prophet said to me, 'Didst thou know who that person was?' I replied, 'God