BENEFIT

While personal preferences are not inherently sinful, they should not be pursued to the point where one becomes fixated on them or excludes potential spouses based on these minor characteristics. It is crucial to maintain a balanced approach and remember that the ultimate goal is to find a spouse who will be a good companion in both this life and the Hereafter, with piety and good character being the most important factors. Reflect on the following: عن أبي هريرة قال كنت عند النبي ﷺ فأتاه رجل فأخبره أنه تزوج امرأة من الأنصار فقال له رسول الله ﷺ ((أنظرت إليها؟)) قال لا. قال ((فاذهب فانظر إليها فإن في أعين الأنصار شيئا)) رواه مسلم An-Nawawi raḥimahullāh commented in his explanation of the ḥadīth: "The Prophet ﷺ said to the man who married a woman from the Ansar: "Did you look at her?" He replied, "No." The Prophet ﷺ said: "Go and look at her, for there is something in the eyes of the Ansar."...It is said that this refers to smallness (in the eyes), while others suggest it refers to a slight blueness. This serves as evidence for the permissibility of mentioning such details as part of advice. It also indicates the recommended practice of looking at the face of the woman one intends to marry. "For there is something in the eyes of the Ansar" means there is a characteristic that may be unappealing or not naturally liked. The Prophet ﷺ recognised this, either because he observed it in the eyes of the men of the Ansar and thus applied it to the women, as they are their counterparts, or because it was something known and discussed among people. It is said that by "something," he referred to a slight yellowish or bluish tint. [Sharh Al-Mishkah li At-Teebi] ____ Are Blue/Green Eyes Beautiful? Look How Preferences Have Evolved In pre-Islamic Arabia, blue eyes were often associated with misfortune, ugliness, and illness. In some of their poetry, like that of Suwayd ibn Abi Kahil, they considered blue eyes to be a mark of cowardice and ill omen. He insulted someone by referring to their blue eyes, saying: لقد زَرُقت عيناك يا بن مكعبر ... كما كل ضبي من اللؤم أزرق "Your eyes have turned blue, O son of Mak’abir...like (the eye of) every antelope, from cowardice, blue." Thus, blue eyes were seen negatively among the Arabs of the pre-Islamic era for several reasons. One of these was the belief that those who had blue eyes were ill. Az-Zamakhshari mentions in his dictionary that the Arabs considered blue eyes to be a sign of sickness. He added that the Arabs, during Jahiliyyah, observed that "the eyes that lose sight tend to become blue," and thus they linked blue eyes with eye diseases. This belief, when examined by modern science, is not entirely unfounded. Blue eyes are, in fact, not truly coloured; instead, their appearance is a visual illusion due to the lack of a dark layer that gives the eye colour. Hence, blue eyes are more prone to eye diseases compared to brown or black eyes. Additionally, the pre-Islamic Arabs believed that blue eyes were a bad omen for both the individual and their tribe. This belief was further reinforced by the story of Zarqā' Al-Yamāmah, a blue eyed woman with exceptionally strong eyesight. She once warned her tribe about moving trees, but they mocked her, not realising that the "trees" were part of a military strategy by the army of Hassan ibn Tab' who had ordered his soldiers to carry small trees to deceive the enemy. As a result, her tribe was ambushed and defeated. From then on, the story of Zarqa' al-Yamama became a symbol of bad luck among the Arabs. [Forwarded] NOTE: Perhaps this is what was intended in the ḥadīth when he ﷺ mentioned that "there is something in the eyes of the Ansar," warning this companion against something which the Arabs find unattractive. However, the belief that blue or green eyes are associated with bad omens is a pre-Islamic belief. ____ Related Benefit ⤵️ https://t.me/womensbenefits/3