Houri (Heavenly Virgin): Difference between revisions

Notable scholars and such as Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the world's most quoted independent Islamic jurist,<ref name="Faisal">{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/aug/28/comment.israelandthepalestinians |title=Bombing for God (Special report: Israel and the Middle East) |publisher=The Guardian |author=Faisal Bodi |date=August 28, 2001 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/aug/28/comment.israelandthepalestinians&date=2012-02-21 |archivedate=2012-02-21 |deadurl=no}}</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><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/9627-pakistan-ulema-permits-suicide-attacks |title=Pakistan Ulema Permits Suicide Attacks |publisher=TOLOnews |author=Abdul Haq Omari |date=March 2, 2013 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/9627-pakistan-ulema-permits-suicide-attacks&date=2013-03-05 |archivedate=2013-03-05 |deadurl=no}}</ref> Opinion polls following 9/11 found that an extremely large number of persons in Muslim-majority countries supported the practice.<ref name="Faisal" /><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>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20040412010339/http://web.mid-day.com/news/world/2004/march/79639.htm |title=65% Pakistanis support Osama, says report |publisher=Mid Day |author=Khalid A-H Ansari |date=March 27, 2004 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://web.archive.org/web/20040412010339/http://web.mid-day.com/news/world/2004/march/79639.htm&date=2012-02-11 |archivedate=2012-02-11 |deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/one_in_eight_uk_muslims_support_terrorist_attacks_1_517610 |title=One in eight UK Muslims 'support terrorist attacks' |publisher=Scotsman.com |author= |date=March 15, 2004 |quote= |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/one_in_eight_uk_muslims_support_terrorist_attacks_1_517610&date=2012-02-04 |archivedate=2012-02-04 |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 [[Islam and the People of the Book|Christian]] Syro-Aramaic texts in the early 8^th 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 number of houris are confirmed in multiple hadiths.<ref name=":0" /> Also worth noting is that hadiths are a [[Qur'an Only Islam - Why it is Not Possible|crucial part of Islam]], and that approaching any Orthodox construction of the religion is essentially impossible their absence. Nonetheless, the great majority of hadiths are acknowledged as being of weak authenticity, particularly legal traditions (which form the basis of much of the [[Shari'ah (Islamic Law)]] and those detailing the ''fada'il'' or "virtues" or various religious figures and theological entities - Indeed, Islamic scholars have, throughout history, accused one another of arbitrarily dismissing and favoring certain sets of weak hadiths to justify their varying doctrinal positions. Indeed, n this context and given their subject matter, the hadiths regarding the houris can fairly be considered to be, on the whole, exceptionally well-attested.  

====The 72 virgins hadith has been classified as Da'if (weak) or Maudu' (fabricated)====

The hadith from Sunan al-Tirmidhi has been graded hasan sahih gharib (a “fair, sound, single-chained hadith”).<ref name="SP 4828" /> Additionally there is not only one "72 virgins" hadith. There are many quoted narrations that have been graded both hasan (good) and sahih (authentic)<ref name=":0" />. See the section on "Authenticity" above for more details.

===Houris are only servants and not for sexual purposes===

The Quran details that houris are chaste virgins that have big breasts, resulting in the clear implication of the houris' sexual purpose.<ref name="q56_36" /> While the Quran does not explicitly state they are for sexual purposes this is mentioned in [[Qur%27an, Hadith and Scholars:Sexuality#Paradise|other Islamic sources]]. One such hadith states "The believer will be given such and such strength in heaven 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.<ref name="Masabih XLII">"''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</ref><ref name="Religious_Sciences5">{{cite web|url=http://www.nderf.org/islamic_views_death.htm |title=Ihya Uloom Ed-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) Vol. 4 |author=Al Ghazzali|quote=Once a Jewish learned man came to the Prophet and asked him : Who will first cross the Bridge? He said : The poor refugees : The Jew asked again : When they will enter paradise, what food will be served to them first? He said : Roasts of the livers of fish. He asked again : What will be their morning lunch? He said : Cows of paradise will be slaughtered for them. He said : What drink will be given to them? He said They will be given drink of Salsabil. The Jew said : You have spoken the truth. Once a Jew asked the Prophet : Do you think that the inmates of paradise will eat and drink? The Prophet said Yes, by One in whose hand there is my life, each one of them will be given food, drink and strength of one hundred man to have sexual intercourse. The Jew asked : Will he have any necessity of passing urine and stools? The Prophet said : In place of urine and stool, perspiration will come out of them like camphor and as a result their stomach will be cleared therefor. |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.nderf.org/islamic_views_death.htm&date=2012-12-03 |archivedate=2012-12-03 |deadurl=no}}, The Book of Constructive Virtues 429</ref>

===Houris are for both men and women===

[https://quranx.com/55.74 Quran - 55:74]</ref> Implying that they are females that are awarded to men. While Islamic scholars have at times maintained the existence of equivalent or analogous male companions for females in paradise, the word "houris" in particular which features in Islamic scriptures refers specifically to the nymph-like virgins of paradise discussed here.