Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 02:51, 2 May 2007

You must add a |reason= parameter to this Cleanup template – replace it with {{Cleanup|reason=<Fill reason here>}}, or remove the Cleanup template.

Part of a series on
Islam
Beliefs Oneness of God Angels Revealed Books Prophets Day of Resurrection Predestination
Practices Profession of Faith Prayer Almsgiving Fasting Pilgrimage
Texts Foundations Quran Sunnah (Hadith, Sirah) Tafsir (exegesis) Aqidah (creed) Qisas al-Anbiya ("Stories of the Prophets") Mathnawi (Poems) Fiqh (jurisprudence) Sharia (law)
History Timeline Jahiliyyah Muhammad Ahl al-Bayt Sahabah Rashidun Caliphate Imamate Spread of Islam Succession to Muhammad
Culture and society Academics Animals Art Association football Calendar Children Circumcision Demographics Diaspora Denominations Sunni Shia Economics Education Ethics Exorcism Feminism Festivals Finance Madrasa Moral teachings Mosque Music Mysticism Philosophy Poetry Politics Proselytizing Science Sexuality LGBTQ Slavery Concubinage Social welfare Women
Related topics Apostasy Criticism Muhammad Quran Hadith Arabic language Other religions Islamism Violence terrorism war Islamophobia Jihad Jihadism Salafi jihadism Deobandi jihadism Military laws Glossary
Islam portal
v t e

In Islam, the ḥūr or ḥūrīyah (Template:ArB) are described as "(splendid) companions of equal age (well-matched)", "lovely eyed", "voluptuous", "pure beings" or "companions pure" of paradise, denoting humans and jinns who enter paradise after being recreated anew in the hereafter.. There are graphical descriptions of physical pleasures in heaven, but also clear references to a greater joy that exceeds the pleasures of flesh: the acceptance from God, or good pleasure of God (ridwan) (see ). Islam also has a strong mystical tradition which places these heavenly delights in the context of the ecstatic awareness of God.

Etymology

According to classical Arabic usage in the time when the Qur'an was revealed, Hur'in is made of two words Hur and In. The word 'Hur' is the plural of both Ahwar (Masculine) and Hawra (Feminine) which literally translates into persons distinguished by Hawar, signifying "intense whiteness of the eyeballs and lustrous black of the pupils." (ref: Qamus ), hence 'the purity' (ref: Tafsir al'Tabari, and Tafsir al-Razi in 3:52). And as for the phrase, "In it is the plural of both 'Ayan' (Masculine) and 'Ainao' (Feminine)", it was used to refer to the beautiful eyes of the wild-cow whose eyes are blond. In general, this word implies 'most beautiful eye' irrespective of the person's gender. Thus, the most appropriate English endering of the compound word Hur'In will be: "Companions pure, most beautiful of eye." (ref: Muhammad Asad, Message of the Quran in 56:22 ); and it is applicable to both male and female

Qur'an

You must add a |reason= parameter to this Cleanup template – replace it with {{Cleanup|reason=<Fill reason here>}}, or remove the Cleanup template.
Here are some selections where Hur are mentioned in the Qur'an. These verses are from the English translation by Muhammad Asad.

"Thus shall it be. And We shall pair(zawajnahoom: pair them, marry them). Note zawj (lit., “a pair” or - according to the context - “one of a pair”) applies to either of the two sexes, as does the transitive verb zawaja, “he paired” or “joined”, i.e., one person with another)them with companions pure, most beautiful of eye."

"In these will be mates of modest gaze, whom neither man nor invisible being will have touched ere then."

" companions pure and modest, in pavilions

"reclining on couches ranged in rows!” And We shall mate them with companions pure, most beautiful of eye

Here is verses that refer to one’s spouse renewal to a pure state :

"And spouses, raised high: for, behold, We shall have brought them into being in a life renewed, having resurrected them as virgins

And among His wonders is this: He creates for you mates out of your own kind so that you might incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness between you: in this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who think! … And He it is who creates in the first instance, and then brings it forth anew: and most easy is this for Him, since His is the essence of all that is most sublime in the heavens and on earth, and He alone is almighty, truly wise.

A verse regarding both genders explicitly:

God has promised the believers, both men and women (Lit., waalmuminoona (male believers) waalmuminatu (female believers), gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide, and goodly dwellings in gardens of perpetual bliss: but God's goodly acceptance is the greatest -for this, this is the triumph supreme!

A verse regarding other companionship:

“And, O our Sustainer, bring them into the gardens of perpetual bliss which Thou hast promised them, together with the righteous from among their forebears, and their spouses, and their offspring - for, verily, Thou alone art almighty, truly wise

Hadith

This article may require cleanup to meet Misplaced Pages's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can. (February 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Islamic belief in an afterlife replete with hur is reinforced in the following hadith (source: ):

Collected by Imam at-Tirmidhi in "Sunan" (Volume IV, Chapters on "The Features of Heaven as described by the Messenger of Allah", Chapter 21: "About the Smallest Reward for the People of Heaven", hadith 2687) and also quoted by Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir (Koranic Commentary) of Surah Rahman (55), ayah (verse) 72:

"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 (Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) saying, 'The smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode where there are eighty thousand servants and seventy two wives, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine and ruby, as wide as the distance from al-Jabiyyah to San'a.

Regarding the above it has been stated: “The narration, which claims that everyone would have seventy-two wives has a weak chain of narrators” .

It should be pointed out that the above hadith comes from Imam at-Tirmidhi's Sunan, whose compilation of hadith, which while considered by most Sunni Muslims to be one of the six major compilations and canonical, is not considered sahih (authentic) in its entirety as the sahih compilations of Sahih Bukhari and Muslim. Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim do not authenticate the claim of seventy-two wives in their Sahih books, the Sahih Bukhariand the Sahih Muslim, even though there is a multitude of narration from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri authenticated in their Sahih Books, none of which contain the one mentioned above . The Science of Hadith is whole field on which many scholars have worked and continue to work on. Irregularities in isnad (chain of naration) and texts are well-known among scholars. Al-Shafi'i states that a shadhdh ("irregular") hadith is one which is reported by a trustworthy person but goes against the narration of a person more reliable than him." Ibn Hajar states if a narration which goes against another authentic hadith is reported by a weak narrator, it is known as munkar (denounced). Al-Khatib (d. 463) quotes al-Rabi' b. Khaitham (d. 63) as saying, "Some ahadith have a light like that of day, which we recognise; others have a darkness like that of night which makes us reject them." He also quotes al-Auza'i (d. 157) as saying, "We used to listen to ahadith and present them to fellow traditionists, just as we present forged coins to money-changers: whatever they recognise of them, we accept, and whatever they reject of them, we also reject." It should be noted that if some texts of hadith contain addition by a reporter to the text of the saying being narrated is termed mudraj (interpolated). See Sunni view of Hadith. The text of the hadith mentioned above, it does not exist in the Qur'an either, which is used as the basis for all mainstream sects of Islam.

Ibn Kathir, who is mentioned above, compiled the works of many collectors of hadith, including Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, and Imam at-Tirmidhi, thus lending all of them countenance. Some regard this as 'proof' of the hadith, disregarding the actual beliefs of the vast majority of Muslims, including Sunni Muslims.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that the Prophet Muhammad said: "The lowest of people in status in Paradise will be a man whose face Allah turns away from the Fire towards Paradise, and shows him a tree giving shade. He will say, 'O Lord, bring me closer to that tree so that I may be in its shade... Then he will enter his house (in Paradise) and his two wives (dual form connotation - which can also be used to refer to two different things calling them by the same name)) from among Al-Hur Al-`ain (same hadith mentioned by Abu Harairah does not include "the two wives". When Abu Hurairah was narrating, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri present at the time, did affirm to the text as true and when he added to the text transmitted, it was not the "two wives" ) will come in and say to him, 'Praise be to Allah who brought you to life for us and brought us to life for you.' Then he will say, 'No one has been given what I have been given.'" (Reported by Muslim) (source: ) (see book 1, number 0362 for Imam Muslim's complete hadith )

Muhammad (Ibn Sirin) reported that some (persons) stated with a sense of pride and some discussed whether there would be more men in Paradise or more women. It was upon this that Abu Huraira reported that Abu'l Qasim (the Holy Prophet) (may peace be upon him) said: The (members) of the first group to get into Paradise would have their faces as bright as full moon during the night, and the next to this group would have their faces as bright as the shining stars in the sky, and everyone will have two wives (houris: inferred from Sahih Muslim, hadith 6795 through another chain of narration, also refer to Sahih Bukhari for the narration of the same hadith, see below) and the marrow of their shanks would glimmer beneath the flesh and there would be none without a wife in Paradise. (Sahih Muslim, Book 40 “Pertaining to Paradise, Its Description”, Hadith 6793)

Again, it should be pointed out that the above hadiths come from Imam Muslim, whose compilation of hadiths is considered by most Sunni Muslims to be secondary to those compiled by Imam Bukhari. Bukhari authenticates the claim of houri wife for every man in paradise in his work, the Sahih Bukhari. From this link, Imam Bukhari, you will find:

"His (Imam Bukhari's) book is highly regarded among Sunni Muslims, and considered the most authentic collection of hadith (a minority of Sunni scholars consider Sahih Muslim, compiled by Bukhari's student Imam Muslim, more authentic).

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 , or as in rawin = narrator, rawiyatun(-ah) = narrator(of poems) . These forms ending in -at(un) (modern -ah), as they designate the individual, are treated as masculines.] = parents (father and mother, not "two fathers"; qamarani = sun and moon (not "two moons"); usage in "Qur'an in Surah Al-Furqan(25):53" bahrayn = sea "salty and bitter" and river "sweet and thirst-allaying" (not "two seas"); sometimes the word with the female gender is chosen to make the dual form, such as in the expression "the two Marwas", referring to the two hills of As-Safa and Al-Marwa (not "two hills, each called Al-Marwa") in Mecca;) ( (i.e. Husband - zawj and wife -zawjah can be referred as zawjatan in the dual form)]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, Book 54 "The Beginning of Creation", Hadith 476)

Sahaba

Abu Ubayda said that the recreated women of this life referring to

"We have created of special creation, and made them virgin-pure (Qur’an, Surah Al-Waqia(56):35-36)

were mentioned in the previous verse:

"And Hur (fair females) with wide lovely eyes. Like preserved pearls."(Qur'an, Surah Al-Waqia(56):22)

quoted by Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir (Koranic Commentary) of Surah Waqia (56), ayah (verse) 35-36

Artat bin Al-Mundhir said:

"Damrah bin Habib was asked if the Jinns will enter Paradise and he said,`Yes, and they will get married. The Jinns will have Jinn women and the humans will have female humans.

quoted by Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir (Koranic Commentary) of Surah Rahman (55), ayah (verse) 56:

"In these will be mates of modest gaze, whom neither man nor invisible being will have touched them then ."

Tabi'een

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that the word hoor implies the righteous women among mankind who are rewarded with paradise as related in the Tafsir of Tabari quoted by Muhammad Asad in his tafsir "Message of Quran" concenring the following ayah:

"We have created of special creation, and made them virgin-pure (Qur’an, Surah Al-Waqia(56):35-36)

Bahá'í Faith

The Arabic term "huwri" (feminine of "hur") was used in the original Arabic writings of Bahá'u'lláh, but is almost always translated as "Maid of Heaven" rather than the transliteration of "huwri". Bahá'ís generally see her as a symbol of the holy spirit, the spirit of Bahá'u'lláh's revelation, or even as his "higher self". While always depicted as comely, she appears as a transcendent spiritual figure representing the Divine ; and sexual desire is understood to be a metaphor for spiritual longing.

Juan Cole, a professor of modern Middle East history, rendered an un-official translation of the Tablet of the Maiden (Lawh-i-Huriyyih) by Bahá'u'lláh. The translation was described by the Universal House of Justice as "far from adequate, to the point that it is quite misleading and could easily convey a wrong impression to those who study it." In it, Cole uses the transliterated "houri" instead of "Maiden". For a brief overview see John Walbridge's "Erotic Imagery in the Allegorical Writings of Bahá'u'lláh."

Round/Swollen breasts

In relation to the mention of virgins in Quran, several translators like Hilali-Khan, Arberry, Palmer, Rodwell and Sale have translated

to refer to "swelling breasts"

In addition, Ibn Kathir, in his tafsir, writes that verse Quran 78:33 in the Qur'an describes the physical attributes of the women. He says the following about the verse: "This 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.'"..

Alternative Interpretation

It should be noted that the original wording in Arabic is وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَاباً (Transliteration: WakawaAAiba atraban)

Muhammad Asad has said regarding the above verse:

As regards my rendering of kawa’ib as "splendid companions", it is to be remembered that the term ka'b -from which the participle ka’ib is derived - has many meanings, and that one of these meanings is "prominence", "eminence" or "glory" (Lisan al-Arab); thus, the verb ka'ba, when applied to a person, signifies "he made prominent", "glorious" or "splendid" (ibid.) Based on this tropical meaning of both the verb ka'ba and the noun ka'b, the participle ka'ib has often been used, in popular parlance, to denote "a girl whose breasts are becoming prominent" or "are budding" hence, many commentators see in it an allusion to some sort of youthful "female companions' who would entertain the (presumably male) inmates of paradise.

Then he continues:

...this interpretation of kawa’ib overlooks the purely derivative origin of the above popular usage - which is based on the tropical connotation of "prominence" inherent in the noun ka'b - and substitutes for this obvious tropism the literal meaning of something that is physically prominent: and this, in my opinion, is utterly unjustified. If we bear in mind that the Qur'anic descriptions of the blessings of paradise are always allegorical, we realize that in the above context the term kawa’ib can have no other meaning than "glorious beings"

Sex in paradise

Concerning the following verses:

Verily, the dwellers of the Paradise, that Day, will be busy with joyful things. They and their wives will be in pleasant shade, reclining on thrones. They will have therein fruits and all that they ask for.

Some companions of Muhammad are reported to have said concerning "will be busy with joyful things" that men in heaven will be "busy in deflowering virgins". Another companions has said that it refers "listening to stringed instruments". Others have said, "they will be too busy to think about the torment which the people of Hell are suffering." Other companions implied "with the delights which they are enjoying." Ibn Abas said, "this means that they will be rejoicing.". While "their spouses,will be in pleasant shade" some companions said, "beds beneath canopies.".

Ibn Kathir says that the houri are delightful virgins of comparable age who never had sexual intercourse with anyone . He also mentions Muhammed saying that men in heaven would have sex with 100 hundered virgins in one day. In another version of the hadith, Muhammad is reported to have said,"In Paradise, the believer will be given such and such strength for women." Anas said, "I asked, `O Allah's Messenger! Will one be able to do that' He said, "He will be given the strength of a hundred (men)". .

Imam Suyuti is reported to have said, "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 will marry seventy houris, besides the women he married on earth, and all will have appetising vaginas."

In another place, Ibn Kathir emphasises the literal nature of sexual intercourse in Paradise by another Hadith:

"The Prophet was asked : 'Do we have sex in Paradise?' He answered: 'Yes, by him who holds my soul in his hand, and it will be done dahman, dahman (that is intercourse done with such shove and disturbance). And when it is finished she will return pure and virgin again.'"

"72 Virgins"

The concept of 72 virgins in Islam refers to an aspect of paradise. In a collection by Imam at-Tirmidhi in his "Sunan" (Volume IV, Chapters on "The Features of Heaven as described by the Messenger of Allah", chapter 21: "About the Smallest Reward for the People of Heaven", hadith 2687) and also quoted by Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir (Qur'anic Commentary) of Surah Quran 55:72, it is stated that:

"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 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.

Popularisation

A CBS news report in 2001 contained a translation of a Hamas activist which specifically mentioned the term "72 virgins". Since then, the term has been widely used in the western world by critics of Islam.

Interpretations

Margaret Nydell states that mainstream Muslims regard this belief about 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.

One radical new interpretation of the relevant passages of the Qur'an, widely rejected as revisionist scholarship by Muslim scholars, is The Syro-Aramaic Reading Of The Qur'an written by Christoph Luxenberg. In respect of this particular point, Luxenberg argues that the relevant passage actually translates to a portrayal of paradise as a lush garden with pooling water and trees with rare fruit, including white raisins (considered to be delicacies at the time that the Qur'an was written), not virgin maidens.

Notable uses of the term

While being disarmed by the Israeli troops in 2004, would-be suicide bomber Hussam Abdo, described by Israeli media as a "mentally challenged" boy, said: "Blowing myself up is the only chance I've got to have sex with 72 virgins in the Garden of Eden."

Criticism

Regarding the above statement, Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf has said: “The narration, which claims that everyone would have seventy-two wives has a weak chain of narrators” .

American Visions of the Houri

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Nerina Rustomji states:

If there is one thing many Americans know about Islam, it is that the hijackers of September 11th believed they would be given seventy-two virgins in Paradise for successfully completing their mission. As a result, the prevailing understanding of the houri is as a reward for terrorist acts. This notion is distorted because it does not acknowledge a broader belief that the houri is considered a reward for righteous behavior: righteous Muslim males are rewarded with houris; one who is not judged righteous gains nothing. Yet, the connection between the houri and political violence is one that is reinforced by certain Islamic political groups.

At the heart of these allusions to the houri is a certain preoccupation — or perhaps even obsession — with sex. Here, sexuality is read into Islamic images even when that reading may be aggressive. What is lost in these media accounts is the historical development of the concept of the houri. It is through the houri, then, that we can see the shaping of an American fantasy of what Islam symbolizes. The common denominator in this fantasy is the element of pleasure...By contrast, in the sensual discourse, the enjoyment of the pleasure of the houri is mere entertainment... The use of the houri, then, reveals that Islamic motifs are used as a way to represent a sensuality that American society enjoys, but refuses to claim as its own.

See also

• Jannah

References

1. Muhammad Asad, The Message of the Qur'an, Publisher: The Book Foundation; Bilingual edition (December 2003) Language: English, ISBN-10: 1904510000,Chapter (Surah) An-Naba (The Tiding)(78):33, note 16
2. ^ Muhammad Asad, The Message of the Qur'an,Publisher: The Book Foundation; Bilingual edition (December 2003), Language: English, ISBN-10: 1904510000,Chapter (Surah) Al-Waqiah (That which mus come to pass)(56):38, note 15

3. Quran
   History Waḥy First revelation Asbab al-Nuzul Historicity Manuscripts Samarkand Kufic Quran Sanaa manuscript Topkapi manuscript Birmingham manuscript Codex Mashhad
   Divisions Surah List Meccan Medinan Āyah Juz' Muqatta'at
   Content Prophets No compulsion Women Animals Legends Miracles Parables Science Eschatology God
   Reading Qāriʾ Hifz Tajwid Tarteel Ahruf Qira'at
   Translations List English Ahmadiyya
   Exegesis List Hermeneutics Esotericism Abrogation Biblical parallels Related persons Mentioned by name
   Characteristics I'jaz Inerrancy
   Related Criticism Attempted imitations Quran and Sunnah Quranism Shi’a view
   Category Islam portal
   v t e

4. Quran
   History Waḥy First revelation Asbab al-Nuzul Historicity Manuscripts Samarkand Kufic Quran Sanaa manuscript Topkapi manuscript Birmingham manuscript Codex Mashhad
   Divisions Surah List Meccan Medinan Āyah Juz' Muqatta'at
   Content Prophets No compulsion Women Animals Legends Miracles Parables Science Eschatology God
   Reading Qāriʾ Hifz Tajwid Tarteel Ahruf Qira'at
   Translations List English Ahmadiyya
   Exegesis List Hermeneutics Esotericism Abrogation Biblical parallels Related persons Mentioned by name
   Characteristics I'jaz Inerrancy
   Related Criticism Attempted imitations Quran and Sunnah Quranism Shi’a view
   Category Islam portal
   v t e

5. Ibn Kathir,Tafsir ibn Kathir (Koranic Commentary),Surah (Chapter) Ar-Rahman Rahman (55), ayah (verse) 56, narrating Artat bin Al-Mundhir
6. "Heaven", The Columbia Encyclopedia (2000)
7. Al-Raghib Al-Mufradat, Beirut, 1998,Kitab 'Ain,P.358
8. Muhammad Asad, The Message of the Qur'an,Chapter (Surah) Ad-Dukhan (The Smoke)(44):54
9. ^ Salahuddin Yusuf , Riyadhus Salihin,commentary on Nawawi, Chapter 372, Dar-us-Salam Publications (1999), ISBN-10: 159144053X ,ISBN-13: 978-1591440536
10. Dr. Suhaib Hasan, An Introduction to the Science of Hadith , 1994, ISSN: 0952-7834, al-Hakim, pp. 30-34
11. Dr. Suhaib Hasan, An Introduction to the Science of Hadith , 1994, ISSN: 0952-7834, al-San'ani, 2:3
12. Dr. Suhaib Hasan, An Introduction to the Science of Hadith , 1994, ISSN: 0952-7834, al-Khatib, p. 431
13. Dr. Suhaib Hasan, An Introduction to the Science of Hadith , 1994, ISSN: 0952-7834, al-Hakim, p. 39
14. Sahih Muslim, The Book of Faith (Kitab Al-Iman)(1), Hadith nr 349
15. Sahih Bukhari, Characteristics of Prayer(12), Hadith nr 770
16. Sahih Bukhari, The book of the Beginning of Creation(54), Hadith nr 4.468 (3026)
17. Wolfdietrich Fischer, A Grammar of Classical Arabic, Third Revised Edition, Translated from German by Jonathan Rodgers, Yale University Press, New Haven & London, 2002, Nr. 73(a)
18. Wolfdietrich Fischer, A Grammar of Classical Arabic, Third Revised Edition, Translated from German by Jonathan Rodgers, Yale University Press, New Haven & London, 2002, Nr. 108(a)
19. Abbas Hassan, An-nahw al-wafi, I, 118–19
20. Noble Quran, translated by Hilali-Khan
21. Quran browser
22. QuranSearch.com
23. Ibn Kathir. Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Abridged, Volume 10 Surat At-Tagabun to the end of the Qur'an. pp. 333–334.
24. ^ Ibn Kathir,Tafsir ibn Kathir (Koranic Commentary),"The Life of the People of Paradise", , Dar-us-Salam Publications,2000, ISBN-10: 1591440203, ISBN-13: 978-1591440208
25. http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=10053&ln=eng
26. The Delight of Those Who have Taqwa in Paradise - Tafsir.com for Quran 55:56
27. The Reward of Those on the Right After - Ibn Kathir's commentary on Quranic surah 55, Al-Waqia
28. The Reward of Those on the Right After - Ibn Kathir's commentary on Quranic surah 55, Al-Waqia
29. Ibn Warraq, “Virgins? What Virgins?” The Guardian, January 12, 2002
30. Ibn-Kathir, vol. 8, page 11, commentary on Q. 56:35-37, published by Dar Ash-sha'b, editorial footnote by the publisher explaining the meaning of 'dahman'
31. Ibid., commenting on Q. 56:35-37.
32. How Many Wives Will The Believers Have In Paradise? - Questions answered by Islamic scholar Gibril Haddad
33. Margaret Kleffner Nydell (2006). Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times. Intercultural Press. p. 109. ISBN 1931930252.
34. Vartan Gregorian (2003). Islam: A Mosaic, Not a Monolith. Brookings Institution Press. p. 19. ISBN 081573283X.
35. Alexander Stille (2002-03-02). "Scholars Are Quietly Offering New Theories of the Koran". New York Times. pp. A1. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
36. Jerusalem Post as reported by BBC
37. Nerina Rustomji, American Visions of the Houri, Journal of The Muslim World, January 2007 - Vol. 97 Issue 1

External links

• Response from IslamQA team to a Muslim asking about sex with virgins in heaven
• A review of a book by Christoph Luxenberg who claims Aramaic origins for the Quran.
• Description of al-hoor al-‘iyn in the Qur’aan and Sunnah
• Afterlife and the Quran
• Mary the Mother of Jesus: A Houri in Paradise? - Answering-Islam.org
• A humorous look at the Seventy two virgins - From The New Yorker
• Suicide Bombings - Do Beliefs Matter? by Quintan Wiktorowicz
• British martyrs 'promised 72 virgins' - BBC
• '72 Black Eyed Virgins': A Muslim Debate on the Rewards of Martyrs - Memri.org
• Joyce M Davis (2001-08-24). "'60 Minutes' quotations fabricated". Knight-Ridder Newspapers as reported by The Muslim News. Retrieved 2007-04-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Cleric: Zarqawi's wedding with virgins has begun

• Articles needing cleanup from February 2007
• Cleanup tagged articles without a reason field from February 2007
• Misplaced Pages pages needing cleanup from February 2007
• Islamic eschatology
• Arabic words and phrases
• Deities, spirits, and mythic beings