“Hur Al Ayn” in Jannah and Ridiculous men

The other day I was going through the spam folder of my email after a long time just to see if I would find something interesting or perhaps important… and surely, there it was, a private message left on my YouTube account. At first, this man seemed like the typical brainwashed “Muslim” with his male chauvinistic views. It was apparent that he was responding to some comment I had left on a video.

I’ve spoken to men with similar mindsets so this wasn’t exactly anything new. According to him and like-minded individuals, God knows that men “need” sex slaves of sorts in Paradise as a reward for their “good” deeds. Sounds ironic somehow, doesn’t it? They also tend to make it seem like women have little to no sexual desire.
I responded with my usual response about many women having equal to or higher sexual desire than men. so what for them? And hurs (companions) being for both men and women etc.

What shocked me was his next response and it’s the reason I felt compelled to make this post and expose the way the minds of some brainwashed men function.

Did he really say what I think he said? That women not enjoying rape equates to women having low sexual libido/appetite/desire? So does he mean that if women enjoyed rape, they would have a high sex drive? Is there even a correlation?! He even goes on to say, “The reason is women don’t have a libido.” Is this man for real? If women don’t have libido, does that mean every single woman is being raped when in a relationship? How does this even make any sense? By his logic, if a man does not want to rape, does he have a low libido? The more I question his words, the more I can feel myself becoming dumber. His statements are ridiculously atrocious and nonsensical. He even explains why some men “have” to rape women. To me, he seems like a danger.

And why is he saying all this? Just to tell me that men will receive “hur al ayn” (he thinks these are women) in Jannah because they “need” several sexual partners due to their “high sexual libido”. He is also trying to tell me this because I’m a woman and “women will not receive hurs because they don’t have high libido like men.” I might as well also add the common arguments that are put forward: that Muslim women will be married to their worldly husbands without any choice, rancour will be removed from their hearts so they don’t feel jealous of their husbands sleeping with “hur al ayn” while being given material possessions instead such as jewellery and clothes because “that is what all women want.” Some men will go as far as to say that ‘hurs’ are their motivation to work for Paradise. Not the love for God, meeting the prophets but.. ‘hurs’.

*Cough*

It’s sad that he actually believes that and even that God would use such vulgar words. He seems to believe that God made women as commodities, in that they will just be bundled together and handed to each man. Astaghfirullah. He does not seem to understand the meaning of “companionship”.

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The concept of “hur-al-ayn” is full of contradictions, which the so-called “logical and rational” sex refuses to see. First, let’s break down “human nature” into black-and-white, misogynistic and simplistic definitions, as some men like to put it:

Woman = Wanst one man all to herself.
Man = Wants multiple women.

So, why would God reward men at the expense of women? Why can a man break the limit of “4 wives” but a woman can’t even have one loyal man all to herself (which is apparently her nature)? Why can’t she break the limit of one husband? God can make multiple creatures (sex slaves, let’s face it) for men, God can take away women’s jealousy, and make these creatures “loyal” all just to please insecure and jealous men but apparently, cannot do the same for women?

It goes something like this based on the majority male scholarly view:

A Muslim woman will be rewarded with her worldly husband (i.e be stuck with him) and will have the pleasure of sharing him with several other women. Her beauty will be elevated tremendously to be even more pleasurable to her husband! Her jealousy will be taken away so that she can peacefully watch her husband copulate with other women, and as a bonus, she will be made Queen over the “huris” with absolutely no power whatsoever. At least she will have her immensely good looks, which are apparently not enough for her sex-maniac husband anyway! But it’s okay, ladies, here’s some jewellery!”

This seems to be the God’s justice that Muslim men believe in. It definitely seems like men are the jealous ones, doesn’t it? They just cannot fathom the fact that women (including their wives) will also have whatever they desire. Or that women will be asking God for what they want and men won’t have a single say in it at all. Well, you’ll all have to deal with it. After all, there won’t be jealousy in Jannah, right?

To further emphasize the point that men seem to be the ones who are more jealous, we don’t have to look further than to note their vehement denial of the fact that women are also sexual beings who may desire someone other than their husbands but have to practice patience as well. Or their desperation to have their women be loyal to them. Just look at this quote:

Rawdat al-Muhibbeen, p. 243, 244
Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“Allaah describes them as being “guarded in pavilions”, i.e., they are prevented from making a display of themselves before anyone except their husbands. They are guarded for their husbands and they do not go out of their houses, and they restrain themselves for them and do not desire anyone else. And Allaah describes them as “Qaasiraat‑ut‑Tarf [chaste females (wives) restraining their glances”. This description is more complete than the first, for one of them restrains her gaze and focuses her love upon her husband, she is content with him and does not look beyond him at anyone else
Allaah describes them as pure: “and they shall have therein Azwaajun Mutahharatun(purified mates or wives)”, pure from menses, urine and the like (stools) and all off-putting features that may exist in the women of this world. And their hearts are pure from envy, annoyance of their husbands, meanness or wishing for husbands other than them.”

Who is more jealous here? It seems to be a desperate attempt of men to keep their women loyal to them while doing whatever they wish for themselves. How does it make sense that a completely loyal woman without any jealousy can be created for a man but a Muslim woman does not get such a man all to herself even though that’s what men claim is her “nature”? Even in the eternal world, she is supposedly a subservient woman with all her desires taken away from her, merely serving as a robot to her husband? Surely, that is like going from the Hell of this world to another Hell!

Furthermore, what kind of creatures are these poor “hooris”? Not being allowed out of their houses, sitting there waiting for their supposed husbands to come and copulate with them and then move on to the next one? What kind of person wants this sort of impurity in a pure place? Aren’t we supposed to want to get rid of these lowly human desires in the next life?

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I would like to point out this definition:

You will find that the Arabic word ‘Hur’ is the plural of both ‘Ahwar’ which is masculine and ‘Hawra’ which is feminine. The word generally signifies the intense whiteness of the white of the eye and the intense blackness of the pupils.

“The Qur’an describes in several verses that you will have have “azwaj” in Paradise which means a pair/spouse/companion. Companions pure and holy (mutaharratun means pure, holy).”

Qur’an – 2:25 “But give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness, that their portion is gardens, beneath which rivers flow. Every time they are fed with fruits therefrom, they say: “Why, this is what we were fed with before”, for they are given things in similitude; and they have therein companions pure; and they abide therein (forever)”. [Al-Qur’an 2:25]

Qur’an – 4:57 “But those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, We shall soon admit to Gardens, with rivers flowing beneath – their eternal home; therein shall they have companions pure and holy: we shall admit them to shades, cool and ever deepening”.

“Therefore the word hoor has no specific gender. Mohammad Asad has translated the word hoor as spouse and Abdullah Yusuf Ali as companion. Therefore according to some scholars a man in paradise will have a hoor that is a beautiful maiden with beautiful big and lustrous eyes and a woman in paradise will get a man with beautiful big and lustrous eyes.” This is how Dr Zakir Naik described it as well.
A more literal translation: hur = beautiful, al ayn = eyes.

In Surah Rahman chapter 55 verse 72

“Companions reserved, in goodly pavilions.”

According to men, this verse is about women who will only look at their “new worldly husbands” because characteristics of being reserved and modest are feminine traits. Do these men, therefore, also believe the Prophets were immodest men if modesty is only a “feminine” trait?

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How can so-called Muslim scholars and men preach that “pure companions” equates to sex slaves? It’s common to see misleading words added in brackets in translations of the Qur’an. Next to hur, you might find “fair maiden”. And you know what many idiots take that as? White-skinned women, yes you read that right. I even read comments by a man on this issue saying things akin to “If there is a white woman and a black one, it’s normal to be attracted to the white one.” It’s truly horrific. These men don’t seem to be only misogynistic, but also racist.

Scholars definitely have had a hand in brainwashing people too. It’s quite sad to see that even many Muslim women have accepted certain things to be part of Islam without doing any research or using their brains. Some have put a stone on their hearts and taken inequality as their ‘fate’ or ‘God’s decision’. Their belief in God needs to be stronger. Not an atom’s weight worth of injustice will be done to anyone. According to God, we will have whatever we want. ‘We’ includes women.

Qur’an – 25:16 “For them therein is whatever they wish, abiding eternally. It is ever upon your Lord a promise requested.”

Qur’an – 50:35 “There will be for them therein all that they wish, – and more besides in Our Presence.”

Qur’an – 39:34 “They will have whatever they desire with their Lord. That is the reward of the doers of good –“
(See also, 16:31, 21:102, 36:57, 43:71)

It’s unfortunate that the beautiful reward of Heaven for us undeserving humans has become a positive, no-questions-asked topic of discussion for men while many women have to question and understand why it supposedly isn’t the same for them.

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Just to make a point, let me reverse the roles so that my Muslim brothers can understand.

Dear brothers, worry not about the handsome, chiselled and tall hoors your wife will be receiving. You will not feel any jealousy as you will be kings over these hoors! You will be much more handsome. Women have struggled a lot in this life because of menstruation, childbirth, unappreciative husbands, male violence and oppression. They have struggled with their sexual desires and abstinence. They have struggled with their husbands not satisfying them sexually. They deserve to have their desires satisfied. But don’t worry brothers! You will be perfectly happy and content with your cars and fancy suits.

Dear sisters, you patiently persevered! Your reward of multiple handsome men awaits you! These men will be without impurities, they won’t urinate, be hairy beasts, or smell foul. They will be well-endowed, have chiselled abs, and you will have the sexual prowess of 100 women! You will never be tired of doing the deed. They will be modest men with restrained glances, and be loyal only to you!

Muslim men, do you really think your wife doesn’t find any other man attractive? Why do you think God has also told women to “lower their gaze and guard their private parts”? Why do you think the same punishment of adultery would apply to women as well? Are you so insecure and jealous that you want to live in the deslusion that women never have an attraction towards anyone but their husbands? No wonder some Muslim men want to keep women locked inside.

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So, someone asked me if there are any scholars who think differently about this hoor topic. Below are a few scholars/sources I have come across. I’m posting these because I was asked and not necessarily because I follow any of these scholars/authors.

• This Sheikh on the left with Yusuf Estes. Unfortunately, his name escapes me.
• A note in Dr Mohammad Asad’s translation of the Qur’an:

8 The noun hur – rendered by me as “companions pure” – is a plural of both ahwar (masc.) and
hawra (fem.), either of which describes “a person distinguished by hawar”, which latter term
primarily denotes “intense whiteness of the eyeballs and lustrous black of the iris” (Qamus).
In a more general sense, hawar signifies simply “whiteness” (Asas) or, as a moral qualification,
“purity” (cf. Tabari, Razi and Ibn Kathir in their explanations of the term hawariyyun in 3:52).
Hence, the compound expression hurin signifies, approximately, “pure beings [or, more
specifically,
“companions pure”], most beautiful eye” (which latter is the meaning of in, the plural of ayan).

• Dr Zakir Naik: He seems to have changed his tune a little in a later answer but we’ll go by this.
• Dr Khalid Abou El Fadl: Does Islam Really Teach that There Will be Virgins in Heaven?

Others:

• Definition of “hoor” from Edward Lanes Arabic Lexicon.
• SEXY FEMALE VIRGINS FOR MEN IN PARADISE – REALLY?
• Are all ‘houris’ female?

According to the book The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran by Christoph Luxenberg, hoors are grapes/raisins. And honestly? Not everyone even translates the word to mean some type of human-like being, and the correct answer is that we don’t know. All we know is that they’re not just a reward for men but anyone who enters Paradise.

In the end, whichever interpretation you choose to follow, much like the other controversial topics, is a reflection of you and your character. This reminds me of a quote by Sheikh Khaled Abou El Fadl:

“I haven’t encountered a single person who has journeyed the path of the Lord, the journey towards the Lord, where they hear the Tasbih of creation and the prostration of creation, that remains interested in the sexual pleasures of the hereafter. Not a single person. It’s just not interesting to them anymore. It’s not in their heart.”

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Dear Muslim men, stop being like this:

Try to be humble, caring and good humans. Not misogynistic nuisances. Stop portraying Islam in a bad light.

Just to be clear, I’m not pointing my finger at all Muslim men. There are those who believe in equality and are not sex maniacs but are modest and understanding, those who speak with reason.

I also want to thank the sisters who commented and shared their experiences with this issue. It really is a difficult world to navigate as a woman.

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Here’s a page with hadith that all Muslims should read! –> Click.

Thanks for reading.

May Allah SWT guide and bless us.