Houri (Heavenly Virgin): Difference between revisions

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===White Rasins===
===White Rasins===
This claim originated from Christoph Luxenberg, a modern scholar writing under a pseudonym, in his controversial work ''The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran''. In his work, Luxenberg suggests that the term houri actually meant to describe "white raisins." His broader thesis, which has been accused of having a "Christian apologetic agenda",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livius.org/opinion/Luxenberg.htm |title=Missionary, dilettante or visionary? A review of Ch. Luxenberg, Die Syro-Aramäische Lesart des Qur'an |publisher=Livius |author=Richard Kroes |date=February 19, 2012 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.livius.org/opinion/Luxenberg.htm&date=2012-02-19 |archivedate=2012-02-19 |deadurl=no}}</ref> is that the Quran was drawn from [[Islam and the People of the Book|Christian]] Syro-Aramaic texts in the early 8<sup>th</sup> century, in order to evangelize the Arabs,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/7025?eng=y |title=The Virgins and the Grapes: the Christian Origins of the Koran |publisher=Chiesa press |author=Sandro Magister |date=March 17, 2004 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/7025?eng=y&date=2012-02-19 |archivedate=2012-02-19 |deadurl=no}}</ref> and that the Aramaic word 'hur' (white raisin) had been [[Mistranslated Verses|mistranslated]] by later Arab commentators into the Arabic word 'houri' (virgin).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/03/02/MN128985.DTL |title=Revisionist historians argue Koran has been mistranslated |publisher=New York Times |author=Alexander Stille |date=March 2, 2002 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/03/02/MN128985.DTL&date=2012-02-19 |archivedate=2012-02-19 |deadurl=no}}</ref>
This claim originated from Christoph Luxenberg, a modern scholar writing under a pseudonym, in his controversial work ''The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran''. In his work, Luxenberg suggests that the term houri actually meant to describe "white raisins." His broader thesis, which has been accused of having a "Christian apologetic agenda",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livius.org/opinion/Luxenberg.htm |title=Missionary, dilettante or visionary? A review of Ch. Luxenberg, Die Syro-Aramäische Lesart des Qur'an |publisher=Livius |author=Richard Kroes |date=February 19, 2012 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.livius.org/opinion/Luxenberg.htm&date=2012-02-19 |archivedate=2012-02-19 |deadurl=no}}</ref> is that the Quran was drawn from [[People of the Book|Christian]] Syro-Aramaic texts in the early 8<sup>th</sup> century, in order to evangelize the Arabs,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/7025?eng=y |title=The Virgins and the Grapes: the Christian Origins of the Koran |publisher=Chiesa press |author=Sandro Magister |date=March 17, 2004 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/7025?eng=y&date=2012-02-19 |archivedate=2012-02-19 |deadurl=no}}</ref> and that the Aramaic word 'hur' (white raisin) had been [[Mistranslated Verses|mistranslated]] by later Arab commentators into the Arabic word 'houri' (virgin).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/03/02/MN128985.DTL |title=Revisionist historians argue Koran has been mistranslated |publisher=New York Times |author=Alexander Stille |date=March 2, 2002 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/03/02/MN128985.DTL&date=2012-02-19 |archivedate=2012-02-19 |deadurl=no}}</ref>


The Quran describes the physical characteristics of the houris in many places, such as, large eyes,<ref name="Sura56_22" /> big breasts,<ref name="Sura78_33" /> chaste,<ref name="Sura55_56" /> and restraining their glances.<ref name="Sura55_56" /> The Quran further states that men will be wed to these houri.<ref name="Sura 44 54" /> These relevant verses suggest that Luxenberg's "white rasins" theory is in error.  
The Quran describes the physical characteristics of the houris in many places, such as, large eyes,<ref name="Sura56_22" /> big breasts,<ref name="Sura78_33" /> chaste,<ref name="Sura55_56" /> and restraining their glances.<ref name="Sura55_56" /> The Quran further states that men will be wed to these houri.<ref name="Sura 44 54" /> These relevant verses suggest that Luxenberg's "white rasins" theory is in error.  
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