What Did the Prophet Mean by ‘Their Mouths Are Sweeter’?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

What is the meaning of the Hadith ‘See well to marrying virgins because their mouths are sweeter and they can give birth more easily,’ of course I don’t doubt the words of the Prophet (saw) but this Hadith can be taken to feed the virginity obsession many cultures have.

By ‘give birth more easily’ I assume it means that women are more fertile when they are younger, is that correct? I’m not sure what it means by their mouths are sweeter though, what is its meaning?

Answer

Thank you for your question. The best answer that I can give you in detail is here:
Marrying a Virgin

Sweeter Mouths

Here is one explanation that I found for the phrase: “The phrase has two possible meanings. The first: is that it is a metaphor for the sweetness of the kiss of the virgin, for there is no doubt that a virgin has more youth and grace than a non-virgin. The second: is that it is a metaphor for her speech being sweeter, and not caustic or obscene, because often, a virgin has more shyness than a non-virgin, and with that, she is shyer to speak obscenities or has a sharp tongue. [Qari, Mirqat al-Mafatih]

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.