Download - University of Salford Institutional Repository

The qualities which men souRht In their wives
Generally. both men and girls used to got married young.
The Arabian man preferred to marry a young girl because this would
give him a chance to father more children, particularly sons.
The Arabian man used to desire some specific features in his
bride, besides youth. These are sometimes referred to in the
amatory verses with which poets began their works. We can
summarise these qualities: firstly. a man wanted his bride to be of
noble origins, but this does not mean she had to be rich* On the
contrary, he preferred that she was poor@ because she would not demand
things that he could not afford. as we gather from the words of
QWsibn Zuhavr, the chief and hero of Bani cAbbs. when he asked for
a wife who was humbled by poverty, but had the good manners of the
,, 2
rich. Secondly, the Arabian admired beauty in a woman, which was
clear in the amatory poetry. The poets used to start their poems
in praise of the woman's beauty and her noble qualities. ThLrdly.
the Arabian admired elegance of speech in a woman (for example. abu
Rairada divorced his wife because she had an impediment in her speech. )
He preferred his wife to be sharp witted. For instance, Imrsil al-Qays
made a vow that he was not going to marry anyone unless she could
explain his riddle. On eventually meeting a girl who could explain
his riddle. he marbied her. Generally speaking, the man in
Jahiliyyah hated women who were stupid or foolish because they might
give birth to children who might become stupid as well. However*
fathers in Jahiliyyah did not let their daughters be married in an
1. al-Sabb7agh'. op. cit.. P. 137
2. al-ýZ; fr, op. cit,,, P. 150
3. Ibia. P. 156
19
3