56. Imām al-Sādiq (a.s.) said: “There are three things incumbent on the father in regard to the child: to choose a good mother for him, to give him a good name, and to do his best in disciplining him.”1
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Heredity and the Child
57. Imām ‘Ali (a.s.) said: “A man from the Ansār came to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) and said: “O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.)! This is my uncle’s daughter, and I am so and so, son of so and so –until he mentioned up to ten of his forefathers-, and she is so and so, daughter of so and so –also mentioning up to ten of her forefathers-, and there is no black person in my ancestors nor in her ancestors, but she has given birth to a black child!”
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) cast down his head for a long while, and then he raised his head and said: “Verily, you have ninety nine `irq [roots (genes) that transfer people’s characteristics to future generations] and she also has ninety nine `irq. When you copulate with her, the `irq will move and every `irq asks Allah Almighty for the child to be similar to it. Stand up, as it is indeed your child and it came from either an `irq of you or of her.” He [Imām ‘Ali] (a.s.) said: “The man stood up and took the hand of his wife while his happiness with his wife and child increased.”2
58. Imām al-Bāqir (a.s.) said: “One of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) came to him and said: “This is my uncle’s daughter and my wife. I know nothing but good about her. She has brought me a child that is extremely black with large nostrils, fuzzy hair and a flat nose. I know similar to him neither among my uncles nor my ancestors.
He (s.a.w.) asked the man’s wife: “What do you have to say?” She answered: “No, by Him who has appointed you as a prophet in truth, I have never been with anyone else since he has taken me.”
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) cast down his head for a long while then he looked up at the sky, and then he turned to the man and said: “O man! There is no one that does not have between him and Adam ninety nine `irq [genes], and all of them have effects in the descendents. When the sperm arrives into the womb, the `irqs start to move, and they ask Allah that the child be similar to them. Therefore, this is one of the roots that neither your ancestors nor the ancestors of your ancestors have conceived. Take your child.’
The woman said: “O Messenger of Allah! You have solved my problem!”3
1.. Tuhaf al-‘Uqul, p. ۳۲۲. Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۷۸, p. ۲۳۶, h. ۶۷.
2.. Ja‘fariyāt, p. ۹۰. al-Nawādir, p. ۱۷۸, h. ۲۹۷. Both narrating from Imām al-Kāzim (a.s.) from his forefathers (a.s.).
3.. al-Kāfi, vol. ۵, p. ۵۶۱, h. ۲۳.‘Awāli al-La'āli, vol. ۳, p. ۴۱۸, h. ۲۱.
