In the well-known book...

In the well-known book, Makarim al-Akhlaq, it has been narrated from Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as) that when the new wife enters the room where her husband is, they should both face the Qiblah and he should place his hand on her forehead and recite the following supplication: أَللّهُمَّ بِأَمانَتِكَ أَخَذْتُها وَبِكَلِماتِكَ إِسْتَحْلَلْتُ فَرْجَها فَإنْ قَضَيْتَ لِي مِنْها وَلَداً فَاجْعَلْهُ مُبارَكاً سَوِيًّا وَلا تَجْعَلْ لِلشَّيْطانِ فِيْهِ شِرْكاً وَلا نَصِيباً Allaahumma bi amaanatika akhadhtuhaa wa bi kalimaatika istahlalatu farjahaa.

Fa in Qadhayta li minhaa waladan, faj-alhu mubaarakan sawiyyan wa laa tajal lish_shaytaani feehi shirkan wa la naseeba. "O' Allah (SwT)! I have taken her through Your trust and have made her lawful for myself by Your words.

Therefore, if You have decreed for me a male child from her, then make him blessed and pious and do not let the Satan have any part in him." In another narration from Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as), it has been mentioned that when a man intends to have intercourse with his wife, he should start in the name of Allah (SwT) by saying بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ . If this is not done, then Shaitan puts his hand in the conception of the child.

When the Imam (as) was asked as to how we could know if this had happened, he replied that we should look at the child and how his love or hate is for the Ahlul Bait (as) - if Shaitan had a role to play in the conception, then that child will have enmity for the Ahlul Bait (as), while the child who loves the Ahlul Bait (as) was protected by Allah (SwT) from the accursed Shaitan.

Another recommended act is that when the bride enters the room, the husband should greet her and take off her shoes and socks. He should then wash her feet in a basin and sprinkle this water around the house. It is through this act, according to the Prophet of Islam (S), that 70,000 types of poverty will be removed and 70,000 types of desires (that the inhabitants need) will enter into the house.

The Prophet (S) went on to mention that 70 blessings and mercies would be showered upon the bride such that each of these will fill the house with mercy and as long as the wife is alive, she will never be afflicted with madness or leprosy. Previous…

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