Sunan an-Nasa'i
Sunan an-Nasa'i 3226
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، أَنَّهُ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَقِيَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " أَتَزَوَّجْتَ يَا جَابِرُ " . قَالَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ " بِكْرًا أَمْ ثَيِّبًا " . قَالَ قُلْتُ بَلْ ثَيِّبًا . قَالَ " فَهَلاَّ بِكْرًا تُلاَعِبُكَ " . قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كُنَّ لِي أَخَوَاتٌ فَخَشِيتُ أَنْ تَدْخُلَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُنَّ . قَالَ " فَذَاكَ إِذًا إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ تُنْكَحُ عَلَى دِينِهَا وَمَالِهَا وَجَمَالِهَا فَعَلَيْكَ بِذَاتِ الدِّينِ تَرِبَتْ يَدَاكَ " .
Ismail ibn Masud reported to us; he said: Khalid narrated to us, from Abd al-Malik, from Ata, from Jabir, that he married a woman during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Prophet met him and asked: ‘Have you married, Jabir?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He asked: ‘A virgin or a previously married woman?’ Jabir replied: ‘A previously married woman.’ He said: ‘Why not a virgin, so that she could play with you?’ Jabir said: ‘Messenger of Allah, I have sisters, and I feared she might come between me and them.’ He said: ‘Then that is the reason. A woman is married for her religion, her wealth, and her beauty, so seek the one who is religious. May your hands be rubbed with dust!’
Translation notes
Jabir explains that he chose a previously married woman because he had sisters and feared discord between them. The closing expression تَرِبَتْ يَدَاكَ is an idiomatic exhortation.
قَالَ " فَذَاكَ إِذًا إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ تُنْكَحُ عَلَى دِينِهَا وَمَالِهَا وَجَمَالِهَا فَعَلَيْكَ بِذَاتِ الدِّينِ تَرِبَتْ يَدَاكَ " .
تَرِبَتْ يَدَاكَ literally means “may your hands be covered with dust” and functions as an idiomatic expression whose force can be admonitory or emphatic.
Should the idiom be kept literally or replaced by a more positive English exhortation?