Treating one's spouse well and putting love into words is a sunnah the Prophet valued.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) treated his wives with great kindness. He spoke beautifully with them and consulted them. He helped with household work. He said, "The best of you is the one who is best to his family."
What does the hadith say?
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ لأَهْلِهِ وَأَنَا خَيْرُكُمْ لأَهْلِي وَإِذَا مَاتَ صَاحِبُكُمْ فَدَعُوهُ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ صَحِيحٌ مِنْ حَدِيثِ الثَّوْرِيِّ مَا أَقَلَّ مَنْ رَوَاهُ عَنِ الثَّوْرِيِّ . وَرُوِيَ هَذَا عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُرْسَلٌ .
Text: Jami' at-Tirmidhi, hadith no. 3895. Grade: Sahih, Hasan Sahih, Hasan.
What is the hadith source of this sunnah?
This sunnah rests on the following hadiths. The reference gives the collection, chapter and number where the hadith appears.
- at-Tirmidhi, Book of Suckling, 11 (hadith no. 1162)
- at-Tirmidhi, Book of Virtues, 63 (hadith no. 3895)
- al-Bukhari, Book of Conditions, 15 (hadith no. 2731)
- al-Bukhari, Book of Maintenance, 8 (hadith no. 5363)
- al-Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad, 190
How this page was prepared: sources and verification method.
More sunnahs in Family & Visiting
As a table with references: Family & Visiting sunnahs.
- Loving Children: Loving children, showing them affection and giving them time reflects the warmth of the sunnah.
- Visiting Relatives: Visiting relatives regularly — silat ar-rahim — brings great reward.
- Kindness to Parents: Being kind to one's mother and father is among the most virtuous deeds.