Houri (Heavenly Virgin): Difference between revisions

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Notable scholars and apologists such as Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the world's most quoted independent Islamic jurist,<ref name="Faisal">Faisal Bodi - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/aug/28/comment.israelandthepalestinians|2=2012-02-21}} Bombing for God (Special report: Israel and the Middle East)] - The Guardian, August 28, 2001</ref> and [[Dr.]] [[Zakir Naik]], known for his advocacy of "[[Islam and Science|Qur'anic science]]", have justified the use of suicide bombing in Islam.<ref>Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi - [http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503545134 Palestinian Women Carrying Out Martyr Operations] - Islam Online, November 6, 2006</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtZxNqxpb8s Is Suicide Bombing allowed in Islam? By Dr. Zakir Naik] (a YouTube video posted by PeaceTVUK on September 20, 2008</ref> Opinion polls have further shown that an [[Muslim Statistics (Terrorism)‎|extremely large number]] of Muslims from around the world support the practice.<ref name="Faisal"></ref><ref name="JP">Michael Freund - [http://web.archive.org/web/20070210015156/http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467849587&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull Right On: The straightforward arithmetic of jihad] - The Jerusalem Post, January 31, 2007</ref><ref>Khalid A-H Ansari - [{{Reference archive|1=http://web.archive.org/web/20040412010339/http://web.mid-day.com/news/world/2004/march/79639.htm|2=2012-02-11}} 65% Pakistanis support Osama, says report] - Mid Day, March 27, 2004</ref><ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/one_in_eight_uk_muslims_support_terrorist_attacks_1_517610|2=2012-02-04}} One in eight UK Muslims 'support terrorist attacks'] - Scotsman.com, March 15, 2004</ref>
Notable scholars and apologists such as Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the world's most quoted independent Islamic jurist,<ref name="Faisal">Faisal Bodi - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/aug/28/comment.israelandthepalestinians|2=2012-02-21}} Bombing for God (Special report: Israel and the Middle East)] - The Guardian, August 28, 2001</ref> and [[Dr.]] [[Zakir Naik]], known for his advocacy of "[[Islam and Science|Qur'anic science]]", have justified the use of suicide bombing in Islam.<ref>Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi - [http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503545134 Palestinian Women Carrying Out Martyr Operations] - Islam Online, November 6, 2006</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtZxNqxpb8s Is Suicide Bombing allowed in Islam? By Dr. Zakir Naik] (a YouTube video posted by PeaceTVUK on September 20, 2008</ref> Opinion polls have further shown that an [[Muslim Statistics (Terrorism)‎|extremely large number]] of Muslims from around the world support the practice.<ref name="Faisal"></ref><ref name="JP">Michael Freund - [http://web.archive.org/web/20070210015156/http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467849587&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull Right On: The straightforward arithmetic of jihad] - The Jerusalem Post, January 31, 2007</ref><ref>Khalid A-H Ansari - [{{Reference archive|1=http://web.archive.org/web/20040412010339/http://web.mid-day.com/news/world/2004/march/79639.htm|2=2012-02-11}} 65% Pakistanis support Osama, says report] - Mid Day, March 27, 2004</ref><ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/one_in_eight_uk_muslims_support_terrorist_attacks_1_517610|2=2012-02-04}} One in eight UK Muslims 'support terrorist attacks'] - Scotsman.com, March 15, 2004</ref>


The Qur'an states that all Muslim males, not only martyrs, will be rewarded with virgins.<ref name="q56_36">"''Then We have made them virgins''" - {{Quran|56|36}}</ref> However, the Qur'an does also mention that those who [[The Meaning of Qatal|fight]] in the way of [[Allah]] ([[jihad]]) and get killed will be given a "great reward",<ref name="Sura4 74">"''Let those (believers) Who sell the life of this world for the hereafter fight in the cause of Allah and whoso fights in the cause of Allah, - and is slain or gets victory, We shall bestow on him a great reward.''" - {{Quran|4|74}}</ref> and there are also hasan (good) hadith<ref name="QA 8511"></ref> which refer to 72 virgins as one of the "seven blessings from Allah" to the martyr.<ref name="alMiqdaam"></ref> This has lead to the 72 virgins concept being widely used as a way to entice other Muslims into carrying out "martyrdom operations" for Islam.  
The Qur'an states that all Muslim males, not only martyrs, will be rewarded with virgins.<ref name="q56_36">"''Then We have made them virgins''" - {{Quran|56|36}}</ref> However, the Qur'an does also mention that those who [[The Meaning of Qatal|fight]] in the way of Allah ([[jihad]]) and get killed will be given a "great reward",<ref name="Sura4 74">"''Let those (believers) Who sell the life of this world for the hereafter fight in the cause of Allah and whoso fights in the cause of Allah, - and is slain or gets victory, We shall bestow on him a great reward.''" - {{Quran|4|74}}</ref> and there are also hasan (good) hadith<ref name="QA 8511"></ref> which refer to 72 virgins as one of the "seven blessings from Allah" to the martyr.<ref name="alMiqdaam"></ref> This has lead to the 72 virgins concept being widely used as a way to entice other Muslims into carrying out "martyrdom operations" for Islam.  


This is witnessed in [[Palestinian Authority area|Palestine]], where the actions of a mother who sends her son to die as a martyr is sometimes seen as "marrying him off",<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=565|2=2012-02-21}} The model Palestinian mother sends her son to die as Martyr, thereby marrying him off] - Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, January 8, 2012</ref> and where the concept is used in Friday sermons and music videos, both airing on official television.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=565|2=2012-02-21}} 72 wives await the Martyrs for Allah: Six rewards quoted in Hamas TV sermon] - Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas), January 1, 2010</ref><ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=565|2=2012-02-21}} Beautiful virgins await Muslim Martyrs in Paradise] - Palestinian TV (Fatah), February 7, 2010 (1 min)</ref> It has even been used in the [[United Kingdom]], where, in one event, Muslim teens were told to train with Kalashnikov rifles  with the promise that the would receive 72 virgins in paradise if they died as religious martyrs.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2687797.stm British martyrs 'promised 72 virgins'] - BBC News, January 23, 2003</ref>  
This is witnessed in [[Palestinian Authority area|Palestine]], where the actions of a mother who sends her son to die as a martyr is sometimes seen as "marrying him off",<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=565|2=2012-02-21}} The model Palestinian mother sends her son to die as Martyr, thereby marrying him off] - Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, January 8, 2012</ref> and where the concept is used in Friday sermons and music videos, both airing on official television.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=565|2=2012-02-21}} 72 wives await the Martyrs for Allah: Six rewards quoted in Hamas TV sermon] - Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas), January 1, 2010</ref><ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=565|2=2012-02-21}} Beautiful virgins await Muslim Martyrs in Paradise] - Palestinian TV (Fatah), February 7, 2010 (1 min)</ref> It has even been used in the [[United Kingdom]], where, in one event, Muslim teens were told to train with Kalashnikov rifles  with the promise that the would receive 72 virgins in paradise if they died as religious martyrs.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2687797.stm British martyrs 'promised 72 virgins'] - BBC News, January 23, 2003</ref>  

Revision as of 14:57, 11 October 2012

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An artist impression of the 72 virgins. The Qur'an, hadith and Islamic scholars all mention that virgins will be awarded to Muslim men in Paradise.

This article discusses what the Qur'an, hadith and Islamic scholars say about the 72 virgins, and dispels popular misconceptions surrounding them.

Sensual Paradise

In Islam, the concept of 72 virgins (houri) refers to an aspect of Jannah (Paradise). This concept is grounded in Qur'anic text which describe a sensual Paradise where believing men are rewarded by being wed[1] to virgins with "full grown", "swelling" or "pears-shaped" breasts.[2][3]

Contemporary mainstream Islamic scholars, for example; Gibril Haddad, have commented on the erotic nature of the Qur'anic Paradise, by saying some men may need ghusl (ablution required after sexual discharge) just for hearing certain verses.[4]

Orthodox Muslim theologians such as al-Ghazali (died 1111 CE) and al-Ash'ari (died 935 CE) have all discussed the sensual pleasures found in Paradise. It is quoted by Ibn Kathir, in his Qur'anic Commentary, the Tafsir ibn Kathir,[5] and they are graphically described by Qur'anic commentator and polymath, al-Suyuti (died 1505), who, echoing a hasan hadith[6] from Ibn Majah,[7] wrote that the perpetual virgins will all "have appetizing vaginas", and that the "penis of the Elected never softens. The erection is eternal".[8]

The sensual pleasures between believers and houri in Paradise are also confirmed by the two Sahih collections of hadith, namely Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, where we read that they will be virgins who "will not urinate, relieve nature, spit, or have any nasal secretions", and whose "sweat will smell like musk".[9] They are so beautiful, pure and transparent that "the marrow of the bones of their legs will be seen through the bones and the flesh",[10] and that "the believers will visit and enjoy them".[11]

Descriptions

There are several descriptions related to houri that are found in various Islamic references. Some include:

Physical Attributes:

  • Wide and beautiful/lovely eyes [12][13][14]
  • Like pearls [15]
  • Hairless except the eye brows and the head [16]
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In addition to Quranic translations of 78:33 specifying the virgins will be voluptuous[17], Sahih International translates it as "full-breasted [companions] of equal age". Tafsir al-Jalalayn says "and buxom maidens (kawā‘ib is the plural of kā‘ib) of equal age (atrāb is the plural of tirb)". Several Islamic scholars explain that they will have "large, round breasts which are not inclined to hang".[18]

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Sexual Attributes:

  • Untouched / with hymen unbroken by sexual intercourse [23][24]
  • Virgins [25]
  • Voluptuous/full-breasted [17]
  • With large, round breasts which are not inclined to hang [18][3]
  • Appetizing vaginas [8]

Personality Attributes:

Other Attributes:

  • Splendid [27]
  • Pure [19]
  • Non-menstruating / non-urinating/ non-defecating and childfree [9][18][20]
  • Sweat that smells like musk [9]

Authenticity

Whilst there are numerous sources, including the Qur'an, which tell us believing males will be rewarded with virgins, many who are concerned about the authenticity of the 72 virgins concept are under the misconception that there is only one weak (da`if) reference to the exact number of houri given to them. These narrations are in fact found in many hadith collections with varying levels of authenticity, ranging from hasan (good) to sahih (authentic).

For example, in the Sunan Ibn Majah, one of the six major Hadith collections,[28] it states in a hasan (good)[6] narration that every male admitted into Paradise will be given eternal erections and wed to 72 wives, all with libidinous sex organs.[7] Similarly in another hadith with multiple narrators that has been graded hasan (good), it states that the martyr (shahid) will be married to seventy-two of al-hoor al-‘iyn.[29][30]

In the Sunan al-Tirmidhi, another of the six major Hadith collections,[28] it states that the smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode with seventy-two houri.[31] Note that this is not a "weak Hadith that has no Sanad (chain of narrators)", as some have claimed.[32] It has been graded hasan sahih gharib,[6] meaning this hadith is hasan since it has several chains of transmitters, it is sahih as the chains are all authentic and it is gharib in the words that Imam Tirmidhi narrated.[33]

Also reported in Sunan al-Kubra and Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and declared sahih (authentic)[6] by Ibn Abi Shayba, Ibn Hibban, and al-Hakim is the hadith that states the servant in Paradise will be married with seventy wives and that they'll be given the sexual strength for a hundred.[34]

Virgins or Raisins?

This false myth of "white raisins" originated from Christoph Luxenberg, a modern author writing under a pseudonym.[35] His anti-Islamic claim,[36] which has been accused of having a "Christian apologetic agenda",[37] is that the Qur'an was drawn from Christian Syro-Aramaic texts in the early 8th century, in order to evangelize the Arabs,[38] and that the Aramaic word 'hur' (white raisin) had been mistranslated by later Arab commentators into the Arabic word 'houri' (virgin).[39]

The Qur'an describes the physical characteristics of the houri in many places, and a reading of relevant verses show that Luxenberg's theory regarding heavenly white raisins is in error.

Raisins, which are dried grapes, cannot have large eyes,[14] big breasts,[17] cannot restrain their glances,[23] cannot be described as chaste,[23] or have any of the characteristics listed above. The Qur'an further states that men will be wed to these houri.[1] Men cannot be married to raisins or white grapes.

Additionally, for someone to accept this "72 raisins" theory, they would also have to accept that the Qur'an was not written by Allah or revealed to Muhammad in Arabic during the 7th century, but was in fact written by Christian evangelists in Syro-Aramaic during the 8th century.

Terrorism

Suicide is clearly forbidden in Islam, but the permissibility of martyrdom operations (Istishhad) is an altogether different topic, with scholars being split on the issue.

Notable scholars and apologists such as Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the world's most quoted independent Islamic jurist,[40] and Dr. Zakir Naik, known for his advocacy of "Qur'anic science", have justified the use of suicide bombing in Islam.[41][42] Opinion polls have further shown that an extremely large number of Muslims from around the world support the practice.[40][43][44][45]

The Qur'an states that all Muslim males, not only martyrs, will be rewarded with virgins.[25] However, the Qur'an does also mention that those who fight in the way of Allah (jihad) and get killed will be given a "great reward",[46] and there are also hasan (good) hadith[30] which refer to 72 virgins as one of the "seven blessings from Allah" to the martyr.[29] This has lead to the 72 virgins concept being widely used as a way to entice other Muslims into carrying out "martyrdom operations" for Islam.

This is witnessed in Palestine, where the actions of a mother who sends her son to die as a martyr is sometimes seen as "marrying him off",[47] and where the concept is used in Friday sermons and music videos, both airing on official television.[48][49] It has even been used in the United Kingdom, where, in one event, Muslim teens were told to train with Kalashnikov rifles with the promise that the would receive 72 virgins in paradise if they died as religious martyrs.[50]

Contrary to what the Qur'an, hadith, scholars and Muslims themselves say, a Western author named Margaret Nydell in a book that "promotes understanding between modern-day Arabs and Westerners", states that mainstream Muslims regard the belief of 72 virgins in the same way that mainstream Christians regard the belief that after death they will be issued with wings and a harp, and walk on clouds.[51]

However, both the Qur'an and Muhammad in the hadith literature discuss the issue of virgins being provided for men in Paradise. So, unless the Bible, and more specifically Jesus in the four Gospels, claims Christians will indeed be issued with wings and a harp upon their arrival in Heaven, this claim is inaccurate and misleading.

Conclusion

The Qur'anic Paradise is sensual in nature,[4] promising Muslim men voluptuous[17] virgins[25] but does not specify their exact number. This cannot possibly be a mistranslation because raisins do not have large eyes[14] or cannot be wed to men.[1]

The hadith literature compliment the Qur'anic text by specifying the exact number of virgins as 72 and providing us with detailed descriptions of their characteristics. These narrations are not weak but vary in strength from good to authentic.[6][30][52]

We are also given details on the physical attributes given to men to sustain 72 virgins, namely, ever-erect penises that never soften[7][8] and the sexual strength to satisfy 100.[34][53]

Although it does say they will receive a "great reward",[46] and there are also hasan hadith[30] which refer to 72 virgins as one of the "seven blessings from Allah" to the martyr,[29] the Qur'an does not specify these virgins are a reward for jihadists/martyrs, but rather for any Muslim male who gains admittance to Paradise.[25]

Selected Quotations

Abu Umama narrated: "The Messenger of God said, 'Everyone that God admits into paradise will be married to 72 wives; two of them are houris and seventy of his inheritance of the [female] dwellers of hell. All of them will have libidinous sex organs and he will have an ever-erect penis.' "
Sunan Ibn Majah, Zuhd (Book of Abstinence) 39
It was mentioned by Daraj Ibn Abi Hatim, that Abu al-Haytham 'Adullah Ibn Wahb narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudhri, who heard the Prophet Muhammad PBUH saying, 'The smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode where there are eighty thousand servants and seventy-two houri, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine and ruby, as wide as the distance from al-Jabiyyah to San'a.
Al-Tirmidhi, Vol. 4, Ch. 21, No. 2687
Each time we sleep with a Houri we find her virgin. Besides, the penis of the Elected never softens. The erection is eternal; the sensation that you feel each time you make love is utterly delicious and out of this world and were you to experience it in this world you would faint. Each chosen one [i.e. Muslim] will marry seventy [sic] houris, besides the women he married on earth, and all will have appetizing vaginas.
Al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Qur'an, p. 351
Anas said, Allah be well-pleased with him: The Messenger of Allah said, upon him blessings and peace: “The servant in Paradise shall be married with seventy wives.” Someone said, “Messenger of Allah, can he bear it?” He said: “He will be given strength for a hundred.” From Zayd ibn Arqam, Allah be well-pleased with him, when an incredulous Jew or Christian asked the Prophet, upon him blessings and peace, “Are you claiming that a man will eat and drink in Paradise??” He replied: “Yes, by the One in Whose hand is my soul, and each of them will be given the strength of a hundred men in his eating, drinking, coitus, and pleasure.”
Sifat al-Janna, al-`Uqayli in the Du`afa’, and Musnad of Abu Bakr al-Bazzar
This [Qur'an 78:33] means round breasts. They meant by this that the breasts of these girls will be fully rounded and not sagging, because they will be virgins, equal in age.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Abridged, Volume 10 Surat At-Tagabun to the end of the Qur'an, 333-334

Responses to Apologetics

  1. "The Qur'an doesn't talk about 72 virgins, only the hadiths"
    Even though the Qur'an does not mention the number of virgins, it does say in verse 56:36[25] that Muslim men will be awarded with virgins in Paradise. The Qur'an describes their physical attributes, for example they will have large eyes (56:22) and big breasts (78:33)[17] and so on. The actual number of houri is thus a minor issue and 72 is the number of those houris confirmed in multiple hadith. The hadiths are a crucial part of Islam and certain Muslims ignore them because sometimes they contain uncomfortable details about Islam. There are many hadiths and Qur'anic verses which talk about various issues of a sexual nature. According to Sahih Bukhari 1:5:268 which belongs to the most authentic collection of hadiths, Muhammad himself was given the sexual strength of 30 men and so on.
  2. "The 72 virgins hadith has been classified as Da'if (weak) or Maudu (fabricated)"
    Not true. The hadith from Sunan al-Tirmidhi has been graded hasan sahih gharib (a “fair, sound, single-chained hadith”).[6] Additionally there is not only one "72 virgins" hadith. We have quoted narrations here that have been graded both hasan (good) and sahih (authentic), and there are many others.
  3. "Obviously this hadith has been made up, is unreliable and/or is a lie"
    See answers to #1 and 2 above.
  4. "The Qur'an doesn't talk about the number of virgins being seventy two"
    See answer to #1 above.
  5. "It is talking about (white) raisins, not virgins"
    This is a myth originating from Christoph Luxenberg, a recent author with a pseudonym who has no known qualifications or authority on Islamic issues, and has been shown to be in error for various reasons.
  6. "Islam prohibits suicide"
    Yes, hadith do exist that prohibit suicide (Suicide bombing however is a separate issue) but this has nothing to do with the fact that Islam promises women in Paradise as a reward for the "righteous" (i.e. Muslims).
  7. "If the seventy two virgins thing was something big in Islam it would be talked about more frequently."
    Women in Islamic heaven as a reward are talked about frequently in the Qur'an as evidenced by the various places in the Qur'an where their characteristics are talked about. Also if the Qur'an talks about a certain issue only once, it cannot be taken lightly in any way as every word and sentence in the Qur'an is important and holy to Muslims.
  8. "The houri are for both men and women"
    The Qur'an explicitly talks about female virgins with large eyes as rewards for men. On the contrary there is not a single "women will get guys as a reward" verse. Some gender neutral verses do exist but they talk about general rewards only (such as "companionship" etc).
  9. "The houri are only servants and not for sexual purposes"
    If that was true, Qur'an 56:36[25] wouldn't say they are virgins and it wouldn't mention they have big breasts. In addition, while the Qur'an does not explicitly say they're for sexual purposes, other Islamic sources mention that. One hadith says "The believer will be given such and such strength in Paradise for sexual intercourse". Other sources state that "the penis of the Elected never softens" and that men in heaven will have the sexual strength of 100 men.[53]
This page is featured in the core article, Islam and Women which serves as a starting point for anyone wishing to learn more about this topic
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See Also

  • Virgins - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Virgins
  • Numbers of Islam - other number-related facts about Islam

External Links

Articles
Videos
Muslim links
Humor

Videos:

Pictures: much to their surprise...

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Even so (it will be). And We shall wed them unto fair ones with wide, lovely eyes." - Quran 44:54
  2. Several translators like Hilali-Khan (Noble Quran, translated by Hilali-Khan), Arthur John Arberry, Abdul Daryabadi, Umm Muhammad, Edward Henry Palmer, Ahmed Ali, John Medows Rodwell, Ali Ünal, George Sale, Muhammad Sarwar, and Tahir-ul-Qadri (Quran browser, Qur'an Text/Transliteration 78:33) have translated Quran 78:33 as referring to "full grown", "swelling" or "pears-shaped" breasts.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "This [Qur'an 78:33] means round breasts. They meant by this that the breasts of these girls will be fully rounded and not sagging, because they will be virgins, equal in age." - Ibn Kathir. Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Abridged, Volume 10 Surat At-Tagabun to the end of the Qur'an. pp. 333-334. http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=78&tid=56825. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Qur'an does mention that for the inhabitants of Paradise - male and female - {There wait on them immortal youths} (56:17), {There serve them youths of everlasting youth, whom, when you see them, you would take for scattered pearls} (76:19). If this does not make a believing woman happy then, as Imam al-Shafi`i said to the one who is not moved by erotic poetry, "You have no feelings." As for the believing men, as one of the Awliya said, some of them will need ghusl just for hearing the verse {Same-age young-bosomed girls} (78:33). As for us hard-hearted analphabets we may read it and read it without effect." - Sex with slaves and women's rights, Shaykh Gibril Haddad, Living Islam, June 2, 2003
  5. These two gardens are lower, in virtue and in status than the two before them, as supported in the Qur'an
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Shaykh Gibril Haddad - How Many Wives Will The Believers Have In Paradise? - SunniPath, Question ID:4828, July 3, 2005
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Abu Umama narrated: "The Messenger of God said, 'Everyone that God admits into paradise will be married to 72 wives; two of them are houris and seventy of his inheritance of the [female] dwellers of hell. All of them will have libidinous sex organs and he will have an ever-erect penis.' " - Sunan Ibn Majah, Zuhd (Book of Abstinence) 39
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Each time we sleep with a Houri we find her virgin. Besides, the penis of the Elected never softens. The erection is eternal; the sensation that you feel each time you make love is utterly delicious and out of this world and were you to experience it in this world you would faint. Each chosen one [i.e. Muslim] will marry seventy [sic] houris, besides the women he married on earth, and all will have appetizing vaginas." - Al-Suyuti, Al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Qur'an, p. 351
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "They will not urinate, relieve nature, spit, or have any nasal secretions. Their combs will be of gold, and their sweat will smell like musk. The aloes-wood will be used in their centres. Their wives will be houris. All of them will look alike and will resemble their father Adam (in statute), sixty cubits tall." - Sahih Bukhari 4:55:544
  10. "Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "The first batch (of people) who will enter Paradise will be (glittering) like the full moon, and the batch next to them will be (glittering) like the most brilliant star in the sky. Their hearts will be as if the heart of a single man, for they will have neither enmity nor jealousy amongst themselves; everyone will have two wives from the houris, (who will be so beautiful, pure and transparent that) the marrow of the bones of their legs will be seen through the bones and the flesh." - Sahih Bukhari 4:54:476
  11. "Allah’s Apostle (The blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "In Paradise there is a pavilion made of a single hollow pearl sixty miles wide, in each corner of which there are wives who will not see those in the other corners; and the believers will visit and enjoy them." - Sahih Bukhari 6:60:402
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 "And besides them will be chaste women, restraining their glances, with big eyes (of wonder and beauty)." - Quran 37:48
  13. "They will recline (with ease) on Thrones (of dignity) arranged in ranks; and We shall join them to Companions, with beautiful big and lustrous eyes." - Quran 52:20
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 "And (there are) fair ones with wide, lovely eyes,-" - Quran 56:22
  15. "Like unto Pearls well-guarded." - Quran 56:23
  16. 16.0 16.1 Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, hadith: 5638
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 "And voluptuous women of equal age;" - Quran 78:33
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Vol. 2.
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 Sahih Bukhari: Vol:4 Book :54, Number: 476
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Al Ghazzali, Ihya Uloom Ed-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) Vol. 4
  21. Ibn Kathir: The Reward of Those on the Right After
  22. Muhammad Asad, The Message of the Qur'an,Publisher: The Book Foundation; Bilingual edition (December 2003), Language: English, ISBN 1904510000,Chapter (Surah) Al-Waqiah (That which must come to pass)(56):38, note 15
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 "In them will be (Maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched;-" - Quran 55:56
  24. "Companions restrained (as to their glances), in (goodly) pavilions;- Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?- Whom no man or Jinn before them has touched;-" - Quran 55:72-74
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 "Then We have made them virgins" - Quran 56:36
  26. Muhammad Asad, The Message of the Qur'an,Publisher: The Book Foundation; Bilingual edition (December 2003), Language: English, ISBN 1904510000,Chapter (Surah) Sad (38):52
  27. Muhammad Asad, The Message of the Qur'an, Publisher: The Book Foundation; Bilingual edition (December 2003) Language: English, ISBN 1904510000,Chapter (Surah) An-Naba (The Tiding)(78):33, note 16
  28. 28.0 28.1 Shaykh Gibril Haddad - Various Issues About Hadiths - Living Islam, April 4, 2003
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 It was reported in the hadeeth of al-Miqdaam ibn Ma’di Karb that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The martyr (shaheed) has seven blessings from Allaah: he is forgiven from the moment his blood is first shed; he will be shown his place in Paradise; he will be spared the trial of the grave; and he will be secure on the Day of the Greatest Terror (the Day of Judgement); there will be placed on his head a crown of dignity, one ruby of which is better than this world and all that is in it; he will be married to seventy-two of al-hoor al-‘iyn; and he will be permitted to intercede for seventy of his relatives.” According to another report, the martyr has six blessings from Allaah. According to other reports (the number is) six, or nine, or ten - Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who said it is a hasan hadeeth. Also narrated by Ibn Maajah in al-Sunan, by Ahmad, by ‘Abd al-Razzaaq in al-Musannaf, by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, and by Sa’eed ibn Mansoor in al-Sunan
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 Shaykh Waleed al-Firyaan - The six blessings of the martyrs - Islam Q&A, Fatwa No. 8511
  31. "It was mentioned by Daraj Ibn Abi Hatim, that Abu al-Haytham 'Adullah Ibn Wahb narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudhri, who heard the Prophet Muhammad PBUH saying, 'The smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode where there are eighty thousand servants and seventy-two houri, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine and ruby, as wide as the distance from al-Jabiyyah to San'a." - Al-Tirmidhi, Vol. 4, Ch. 21, No. 2687
  32. Nashid Abdul-Khalliq - Debunking the ‘Suicide for 72 Virgins’ Myth - TheUglyTruth, March 4, 2007
  33. Imam Tirmidhi (209 - 279 H) - As-Sunnah Foundation of America, accessed February 20, 2012
  34. 34.0 34.1 "Anas said, Allah be well-pleased with him: The Messenger of Allah said, upon him blessings and peace: “The servant in Paradise shall be married with seventy wives.” Someone said, “Messenger of Allah, can he bear it?” He said: “He will be given strength for a hundred.” From Zayd ibn Arqam, Allah be well-pleased with him, when an incredulous Jew or Christian asked the Prophet, upon him blessings and peace, “Are you claiming that a man will eat and drink in Paradise??” He replied: “Yes, by the One in Whose hand is my soul, and each of them will be given the strength of a hundred men in his eating, drinking, coitus, and pleasure.”" - Sifat al-Janna, al-`Uqayli in the Du`afa’, and Musnad of Abu Bakr al-Bazzar
  35. Christoph Luxenberg - Wikipedia, accessed February 19, 2012
  36. The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran - Wikipedia, accessed February 19, 2012
  37. Richard Kroes - Missionary, dilettante or visionary? A review of Ch. Luxenberg, Die Syro-Aramäische Lesart des Qur'an - Livius, accessed February 19, 2012
  38. Sandro Magister - The Virgins and the Grapes: the Christian Origins of the Koran - Chiesa press, March 17, 2004
  39. Alexander Stille - Revisionist historians argue Koran has been mistranslated - New York Times, March 2, 2002
  40. 40.0 40.1 Faisal Bodi - Bombing for God (Special report: Israel and the Middle East) - The Guardian, August 28, 2001
  41. Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi - Palestinian Women Carrying Out Martyr Operations - Islam Online, November 6, 2006
  42. Is Suicide Bombing allowed in Islam? By Dr. Zakir Naik (a YouTube video posted by PeaceTVUK on September 20, 2008
  43. Michael Freund - Right On: The straightforward arithmetic of jihad - The Jerusalem Post, January 31, 2007
  44. Khalid A-H Ansari - 65% Pakistanis support Osama, says report - Mid Day, March 27, 2004
  45. One in eight UK Muslims 'support terrorist attacks' - Scotsman.com, March 15, 2004
  46. 46.0 46.1 "Let those (believers) Who sell the life of this world for the hereafter fight in the cause of Allah and whoso fights in the cause of Allah, - and is slain or gets victory, We shall bestow on him a great reward." - Quran 4:74
  47. The model Palestinian mother sends her son to die as Martyr, thereby marrying him off - Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, January 8, 2012
  48. 72 wives await the Martyrs for Allah: Six rewards quoted in Hamas TV sermon - Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas), January 1, 2010
  49. Beautiful virgins await Muslim Martyrs in Paradise - Palestinian TV (Fatah), February 7, 2010 (1 min)
  50. British martyrs 'promised 72 virgins' - BBC News, January 23, 2003
  51. Margaret Kleffner Nydell. Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times. Intercultural Press. pp. 109. ISBN 1931930252, 2006. 
  52. The number of Hoors (70 or more) in Jannah for a Shaheed or a Jannathi is fixed by which hadeeth, and in which book - Mufti Ebrahim Desai, Ask-Imam, Question No. 7007, October 29, 2002
  53. 53.0 53.1 "The Holy Prophet said: 'The believer will be given such and such strength in Paradise for sexual intercourse. It was questioned: O prophet of Allah! can he do that? He said: "He will be given the strength of one hundred persons." - Mishkat al-Masabih Book IV, Chapter XLII, Paradise and Hell, Hadith Number 24