Question:
The first letter in this episode comes from El Minya in the Arab Republic of Egypt, sent by the listener ‘Abd al-Razaq ibn ‘Abd al-Mu’tamid ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid. He asks:
What qualities must be present in a wife, as I am a young man about to get married, Allah willing? I request your guidance and direction. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who follow his guidance. To proceed:
The qualities/characteristics that must be sought in a wife whom a Muslim wishes to marry are those indicated by the Prophet ﷺ :
Firstly, [being religiously committed], as in his statement: “Seek the one who is religiously committed, may your hands be rubbed with dust [i.e., may you prosper].”
So the primary quality is that she adheres to her religion, for religion is entirely good. If she holds fast to her faith, she will obey her husband in good, be trustworthy, and protect her honor, as the religion brings only goodness.
Secondly, [fertility/being fertile], what he ﷺ guided to with his saying: “Marry the loving and fertile, for I will outnumber the [other] nations by you on the Day of Resurrection.”
Among the praiseworthy traits in a woman is that she is fertile, because through that comes offspring, which brings about much good for the parents and for the Muslims by increasing the number of Muslims.
Thirdly, [Affection/being loving]. that the woman is affectionate and loving toward her husband, because this also came in the hadith, his ﷺ saying: “Marry the loving and fertile” in some narrations.
If these qualities are met in a woman—religious commitment, fertility, and affection—she will be a suitable spouse, by the permission of Allah. All other qualities remain secondary to these core traits.