[36] A Lady may be sent to look at a proposed one prior to marriage...

[36] A Lady may be sent to look at a proposed one prior to marriage: عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا رَفَعَ الْحَدِيثَ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) إِذَا أَرَادَ تَزْوِيجَ امْرَأَةٍ بَعَثَ مَنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا وَ يَقُولُ لِلْمَبْعُوثَةِ شَمِّي لِيتَهَا فَإِنْ طَابَ لِيتُهَا طَابَ عَرْفُهَا وَ انْظُرِي كَعْبَهَا فَإِنْ دَرِمَ كَعْبُهَا عَظُمَ كَعْثَبُهَا A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Abu Abdullah, from one of our companions raising the Hadeeth, ‘He -asws said: ‘Whenever the Prophet -saww intended to marry a woman, sent over a woman to look at her and he -saww was saying to the sent woman: ‘’Smell her if she likes a scent, for if her scent is pleasant, her marriage will be pleasant; and look at her heel, for if her heel is full, her ankle will be strong’.

[37] Never marry a lady to an ill-mannered man: مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ بَشَّارٍ الْوَاسِطِيِّ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ( عليه السلام ) أَنَّ لِي قَرَابَةً قَدْ خَطَبَ إِلَيَّ وَ فِي خُلُقِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ فَقَالَ لَا تُزَوِّجْهُ إِنْ كَانَ سَيِّئَ الْخُلُقِ Muhammad Biin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Yaqoub Bin Yazeed, from Al Husayn Bin Bashaar Al Wasity who said, ‘I wrote to Abu Al-Hassan Al-Reza -asws , ‘There is a relative of mine who has sent a proposal to me, and in his mannerisms, there is something (bad)’.

So he -asws said: ‘Do not give in marriage to him if there was evilness in the mannerisms ’. [38] Care must be taken to whom one weds his daughter/sister to: الأمالي للشيخ الطوسي بِإِسْنَادِ الْمُجَاشِعِيِّ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ عَنْ آبَائِهِ ع قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص‏ إِنَّمَا النِّكَاحُ رِقٌّ فَإِذَا أَنْكَحَ أَحَدُكُمْ وَلِيدَةً فَقَدْ أَرَقَّهَا فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَحَدُكُمْ لِمَنْ يُرِقُّ كَرِيمَتَهُ (The book) ‘Al Amali’ of the sheykh Al Tusi – By a chain of Al Mujashie, ‘From Al-Sadiq -asws , from his -asws forefather -asws having said: ‘The Prophet -saww said: ‘But rather, the marriage is a form of servitude (submission).