Abu ‘Umama (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said: "Allah will not admit anyone in the Paradise but Allah, the Mighty and glorious will marry him with 72 wives, two will be from virgin (houris) with big eyes and 70 will be his inheritance from the people of the Hell-Fire*." Every one of them will have a pleasant vagina and he (the man) will have sexual organ that does not bend down during sexual intercourse (perpetual erection)." [Ibn Majah, volume 5, number 4337]





The statement of Allah in above mentioned ayah, Beautiful fair females restrained in pavilions. Narrated Qaisi, Allah's Apostle said, ‘In Paradise there is a pavilion made of a single hollow pearl sixty miles wide, in each corner there are wives (houris) who will not see those in the other corners; and the believers (Muslims) will visit and enjoy them.'" [Al-Bukhari vol.6:402 and prior p.374]


According to Ibn Kathir (died 1373 CE) in his Holy Quranic commentary (Tafsir) of the above mentioned Surah Al-Rahman (55), verse 72: "The Prophet Muhammad was heard saying: ‘The smallest reward for the people of paradise is an abode where there are 80,000 servants and 72 wives (houris), over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine, and ruby, as wide as the distance from Al-Jabiyyah [a Damascus suburb] to Sana'a [Yemen]'." [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]


The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said, "If a houri looks down from her abode in heaven onto the earth, the whole distance (space) shall be filled with light and fragrance. A houri's face is more radiant than a mirror, and one can see one's image in her cheek. The marrow of her shins is visible to the eyes." [Mishkat, volume 3,pg 83-97]


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." [Al-Bukhari vol.4, book 54, number 476]


Narrated Anas (R.A.): The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said, "A single endeavor (of fighting) in Allah's Cause in the afternoon or in the forenoon is better than all the world and whatever is in it. A place in Paradise as small as the bow or lash of one of you is better than all the world and whatever is in it. And if a houri from Paradise appeared to the people of the earth, she would fill the space between Heaven and the Earth with light and pleasant scent and her head cover is better than the world and whatever is in it." [Al-Bukhari volume 4, book 52, number 53]


Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "The first group of people who will enter Paradise, will be glittering like the full moon and those who will follow them, will glitter like the most brilliant star in the sky. 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 centers. Their wives will be houris. All of them will look alike and will resemble their father Adam (in statute), sixty cubits tall." [Al-Bukhari vol.4, book 55, number 544]


The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said: "A houri is a most beautiful young woman with a transparent body. The marrow of her bones is visible like the interior lines of pearls and rubies. She looks like red wine in a white glass. She is of white color, and free from the routine physical disabilities of an ordinary woman such as menstruation, menopause, urinal and offal discharge, child bearing and the related pollution. A houri is a girl of tender age, having large breasts which are round (pointed), and not inclined to dangle. Houris dwell in palaces of splendid surroundings." [At-Tirmizi, volume 2, pg 35-40]





In book by the great Imam Ghazzali: Ihya Uloom Ed-Din. Volume 4, Page-4.430;





"According to Prophet Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) the Hurs (Houris) of Paradise will be pure women—free of menstruation, urine, stool, cough and children. The Hurs will sing in Paradise on divine purity and praise—we are most beautiful Hurs and we are for the honored husbands. Muhammad also said that an inmate of Paradise will have the sexual strength of 70 men. Muhammad said, "An inmate of Paradise will have 500 Hurs, 4,000 unmarried women and 8,000 widowed women. Each of them will keep embracing him for the duration of his whole worldly life."


Volume 4, Page-4.428 of the same book: The Prophet Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said once to Jaber:"Shall I not give you the news of the windows of Paradise ? We said: 0 Messenger of God give us that information. He said: Those are made of emeralds and jewels. Their inner parts will be seen from their outer parts. Therein there will be such enjoyments, amusements and joys as no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no heart has conceived. I said: 0 Messenger of God, who will be the owners of those windows? He said: Those who spread peace, give food, keep fasts, pray at night when the people remain asleep. We asked: 0 Messenger of God, who will be able to do that? He said: My people will be able to do that. I am saying it to you. He who meets his brother, salutes him and replies to his salute,' spreads peace; and he who gives food to his wife and members of his family to their satisfaction gives food. He, who keeps fast of Ramazan and three days every month, keeps fast as it were for the whole year. He who prays Isha and Fajr in congregation prays as it were the whole night when the people remain asleep. God says: The fine buildings in Eden Paradise.' The Prophet said regarding its meanings: These places are builts of emeralds and jewels and in each building there will be 70 rooms of red colour and in each room 70 sub-rooms of green colour and in each sub-room there will be one throne and over each throne 70 beds of varied colours and on each bed a hoor al-ayn (houri- a girl having wide lovely eyes with intense black irises). There will be 70 dining cloth in each room and 70 kinds of food in each dining cloth. There will be seven girls in each room.Each believer will be given such strength in the morning as he can cohabit with them".



Abu ‘Umama (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said: "Allah will not admit anyone in the Paradise but Allah, the Mighty and glorious will marry him with 72 wives, two will be from virgin (houris) with big eyes and 70 will be his inheritance from the people of the Hell-Fire*." Every one of them will have a pleasant vagina and he (the man) will have sexual organ that does not bend down during sexual intercourse (perpetual erection)." [Ibn Majah, volume 5, number 4337]


*Hashim b. Khalid (R.A.) says, ‘The words "out of his inheritance (due) from the denizens of the Fire", mean men who will enter the Fire (Hell) and the inmates of the paradise will inherit their wives just as the Faroah's wife (Asiah A.S.) will be inherited (by the Muslims-believers).


Mention of the hope of maidens of paradise after martyrdom in Al-Tabari vol.19 p.121; "Yet, by God, I feel happy for what we shall soon meet, for, by God, if all there is between us and the maidens of Paradise (hur al-ayn/houri) is that these people should come against us with their swords, then I want them to come against us with their swords."


Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said that: "Every man in heaven will go to 72 of the creatures of Allah (houris) and 2 of the women of mankind, these two women are superior to the creatures of Allah (houris) with their worshipping (good deeds) they had performed in this world." [Bayhaqi, al-Bas wa'n-Nushur; Tabari, Tafsir; Abu Yala, Ibn Hajar, Fathu'l-Baari, Tabarani and others]



Houris do not want wives to annoy their husbands, since the houris will also be the spouses [i.e. wives] of the Muslim husbands in the afterlife; ---"Mu'adh b. Jobal (R.A.) reported that Allah's Messenger (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said, ‘A woman does not annoy her husband but his spouse from amongst the houris (maidens with wide eyes, intensely white and deeply black irises) will say: Do not annoy him, may Allah ruin you." He is with you as a passing guest. Very soon, he will part with you and come to us.'" [Ibn-i-Majah vol.3:2014 p.212]




Now from the above mentioned verses of Holy Quran and Hadiths we can summarize the characteristics of Houris (Hoors/Hur al-ayn) as follows;



* A houri is a most beautiful young woman with a transparent body. The marrow of her bones is visible like the interior lines of pearls and rubies. She looks like a red wine in a white glass.

* She is of white color, and free from the routine physical disabilities of an ordinary woman such as menstruation, menopause, urinal and offal discharge, child bearing and the related pollution.

* She is a woman characterized by modesty and flexing glances; she never looks at any man except her husband and feels grateful for being the wife of her husband.

* A houri is a young woman, free from odium and animosity. Besides, she knows the meaning of love and has the ability to put it into practice.

* A houri is an immortal woman, who does not age. She speaks softly and does not raise voice at her man; she is always reconciled with him. Having been brought up in luxury, she is a luxury herself.

* A houri is a girl of tender age, having large rising breasts which are round, and not inclined to dangle.

* Houris dwell in palaces of splendid surroundings.

* If a houri looks down from her abode in Heaven onto the earth, the whole distance shall be filled with light and fragrance

* A houri's face is more radiant than a mirror and one can see one's image in her cheek. The marrow of her shins is visible to the eyes.

* Every man who enters Paradise shall be given minimum seventy-two houris; no matter at what age he had died, when he enters Paradise, he will become a thirty-year-old and he will not age any further.

* Their glances, with big eyes (Of wonder and beauty)

* when a man turns his face away from her, she will become 70 times more beautiful in his eyes

* if she were to spit in the salty water of the seven occeans, then all the seven occeans would turn sweater than honey.






Also note that the Muslim women of this world will be superior to Houris (Hoors/Hur al-ayn) in Paradise:





*Definition of Houris (hoors/hur al-ayn) from Noble Quran:



"Very fair females created by Allah as such not from the off-spring of Adam, with intense black irises of their eyes and intense white scleras". [Noble Quran; Glossary; Houris]


So it is obvious that houris (hoor al-Ayn) will be different from the off-springs of the Prophet Adam (A.S.), and as humans are the most superior creation of Allah (SWT) so Muslim women are superior to houris just like we as humans are superior to Jinns, Angels and all other creatures of Allah (SWT) that exist. So a hoori who is one of the delights of Paradise, she has only been created in Paradise for the sake of someone else, and has been made the reward for the believing man for his righteous deeds.



But for Muslim women, they themselves are from the off-springs of Adam and the rewards of Paradise are created for them and on the contrary houris (hoors/hur al-ayn) themselves are from the rewards of Paradise.



Therefore it is clear that Muslim women will not feel jealous of the houris (hoor al-Ayn) as righteous women of this world will be much more superior and beautiful than houris (hoor al-Ayn), in Jannah (Paradise). Thus the Muslim women of this worldly life have superiority over houris (hoor al-Ayn) due to the acts of worship and obedience that they performed in this world. Therefore, the believing (Muslim) women will enter Paradise just like the believing men. If a Muslim woman had a number of husbands, she, upon entering Paradise with them, would choose among them the one with the best character and behavior.


The following two Hadiths confirms the fact stated above:


Umme Salamah (Radiahallahu Anha) narrates that she said to the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) "O Rasûlullah, are the women of this world superior or the hûrs (of Paradise)?" He replied, "The women of this world will have superiority over the hûrs (houris) just as the outer lining of a garment has superiority over the inner lining." Umme Salamah R.A then asked, "O Rasûlullah, what is the reason for this?" He answered, "Because they performed salâh, fasted, and worshipped [Allah]. Allah will put light on their faces and silk on their bodies. [The human women] will be fair in complexion and will wear green clothing and yellow jewelry. Their incense-burners will be made of pearls and their combs will be of gold. They will say, 'We are the women who will stay forever and we will never die. We are the women who will always remain in comfort and we will never undergo difficulty. We are the women who will stay and we will never leave. Listen, we are happy women and we will never become sad. Glad tidings to those men for whom we are and who are for us.'" [Tabrânî]


Al-Qurtubi said: Abu Bakr ibn al-Najjaad said: Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Shaakir told us, ‘Ubayd ibn Ishaaq al-‘Attaar told us, Sinaan ibn Haaroon told us, from Humayd from Anas that: Umm Habeebah the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "O Messenger of Allaah, if a woman had two husbands in this life, then they all died and came together in Paradise, with which of them would she be – the first or the last?" He said: "With the one whose attitude and conduct with her was best, O Umm Habeebah; a good attitude brings one the best of this world and the Hereafter."[Al-Tadhkirah fi Ahwaal al-Mawtaa wa'l-Aakhirah, 2/278]


Imam Qurtubi in his "at-Tadhkirah fi-Ahwalil Mawta wa'l-Akhirah (in Remembrance of the Affairs of the Dead and Doomsday)" and Ibn Kathir in his "al-Bidaya wa'n-Nihaya (Kitabu'l-Fitan wa'l-Malahim) the Termination of the Afflictions and Fierce Battles" tell the story of the songs of houri in heaven: "Houri will sing for their own husbands, songs are so marvelous that every hearer will be so pleased. Houri will say: "We are Houri who has not had a sin." The women of this world will reply them saying: "We are the fasters (who keep fast), and you are not, we are the prayers, but you are not and we are the givers of charity but you are not."


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And there is another narration which is famous with the name "Hadith of Soor" narrated from Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) that the Prophet Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said that: "Every man in heaven will go to 72 of the creatures of Allah (houris) and 2 of the women of mankind, these two women are superior to the creatures of Allah (houris) with their worshipping (good deeds) they had performed in this world." [Bayhaqi, al-Bas wa'n-Nushur; Tabari, Tafsir; Abu Yala, Ibn Hajar, Fathu'l-Baari, Tabarani and others]





Now some people, mostly non-muslims still ask a question that: there will be multiple wives or houris (hoor al-Ayn/hur ul-Ayn/hoors/hurs) in Islamic Paradise for Muslim men then what is for Muslim women?





As stated in above mentioned Hadiths the situation of the believing woman in Paradise will be better than the situation of the houris (hoor al-Ayn); she will be higher in status and more beautiful. If a righteous woman from among the people of this world enters Paradise, then she will do so as a reward for her righteous deeds and as an honor from Allah to her for her religious commitment and righteousness. As for the houri who is one of the delights of Paradise, is an immortal woman, who does not age. She speaks softly and does not raise voice at her man; she is always reconciled with him. Having been brought up in luxury, she is a luxury herself, she has only been created in Paradise for the sake of someone else, and has been made the reward for the believing man for his righteous deeds. There is a great difference between one who enters Paradise as a reward for her righteous deeds and the one who was created as a reward for one who did righteous deeds. The former is a queen and a princess, and the latter, no matter how beautiful she is, is undoubtedly lower in status than a queen, and she (houri) is subject to the command of her believing master (man) for whom Allah created her as a reward.


The main reason why the Quran and Hadith are stressing the fact that men will get Houris (Hoor al-Ayn) is because it more appealing to men than promising virgin men to women. Men are more sexually active and therefore are facing a lot of difficulty (especially in the teenage years) to remain chaste. There are a lot of temptations in this world. That is why that Allah keeps promising these virgin girls to those that remain patient and steadfast. That way, this motivates the unmarried men to remain chaste and be patient because they know they have something better waiting for them in the next life. As if they do not get it legally in the next life then they would get it illegally in this life.


Now with all these proofs you can easily invalidate the argument made by some non-muslims that women will not get any benefits out of the Islamic Paradise. The men and women are equal in the sight of Allah (SWT) except for those whom are more pious. Just because they're equal doesn't mean they're exactly the same. They have physical, mental and emotional differences. Men have superiority over women in certain aspects such as physical strength, while women have more superiority over men from a caring and nurturing perspective. In the same manner, like our differences, they may have rewards that are different from one another, but that in no way suggest inequality. For instance, if you want to reward your son for something, perhaps you'll let him play a video game for example, whereas if you want to reward your daughter, perhaps you'll let her invite her friend over, or buy her something nice.


Therefore, men and women have different needs and wants so obviously rewards would differ. But overall the rewards for both men and women will be equal (but not same) as Allah (SWT) says in the following verses of the Holy Quran:


"And whoever does righteous good deeds, male or female, and is a true believer in the Oneness of Allâh (Muslim), such will enter Paradise and not the least injustice, even to the size of a Naqîra (speck on the back of a datestone), will be done to them." [Surah An-Nisâ' (4):194]


"Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islâmic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)." [Surah An-Nahl (16):97:]