The 70 virgins in Paradise....

[gnostic]

Can someone please explain the whole 70 virgins, and how they relate to the Paradise?

Does it relate to someone who was a martyr or is it a mistake in interpretation?

Can you also provide sources from Qur'an and Hadiths, please? Quotes from the scripture or any other literature would be appreciated. But please provide clear and concise explanations to the quotes you provide.

 

[DustinHayden]

I can not explain it but i can not think of a better motivation tool .

 

[Know it all.]

Can someone please explain the whole 70 virgins, and how they relate to the Paradise?

Does it relate to someone who was a martyr or is it a mistake in interpretation?

Can you also provide sources from Qur'an and Hadiths, please? Quotes from the scripture or any other literature would be appreciated. But please provide clear and concise explanations to the quotes you provide.

The best info available is that the Muslims made-up the bunk about the 70 virgins just to tease and taunt the Byzantines who claimed Christians would go to their Heaven for killing Muslims.

In times of war the two sides make all kinds of motivational claims.

Even today the radical Muslims tease and taunt the Christians about those same 70 virgins and surely it is one of the most long lasting of jokes ever perpetrated.

The Hadith was written after 100 years of Muslim and Christian war which would continue forever after, see link = Wiki - 7th century Byzantine / Arab wars, then the Hadith 8th - 9th Century.

It might be hard for Americans to understand but 70 virgins is an ideal that plays on human sexual lust which is NOT a virtue for the religion of Islam.

:thud:

 

[TJ73]

The word that "virgin" has been attributed to, to my understanding, means youthful companion. They are sexless and have something resembling large, dark eyes. The things of Heaven can never be accurately described since they are not imaginable in our context. The grapes eaten in Heaven may be recognized as a grape but would have characteristics we could not readily describe.
The point is not to make an effort to find a means to kill yourself for faith. The point is not to fear death that may occur in defense of faith. It is always stressed that w seek equitable means to resolve conflict, but if you are oppressed, and must defend yourself and fear you may die you can be assured Allah will recognize you plight and reward you with comfort.

 

[Badran]

Can someone please explain the whole 70 virgins, and how they relate to the Paradise?

Does it relate to someone who was a martyr or is it a mistake in interpretation?

Can you also provide sources from Qur'an and Hadiths, please? Quotes from the scripture or any other literature would be appreciated. But please provide clear and concise explanations to the quotes you provide.

There is no evidence for this claim, and it most probably is indeed just made up.

There is nothing in the Quran that supports this.

 

[Onkara]

Hello

In addition to TJ73's point. Virgins are usually considered pure in themselves. It doesn't imply that they serve to vent our lusts. On a side note, the concept of Virgin in Tantric philosophy implies that no satisfaction from another person or object required, a Virgin is self-satisfied and perfect.

The number 70 is significant. The number 7 by 10 is related to creation. Here are some links (I have not had time to read them all), it seems to me the idea is found not only in the Quran, but in Abrahmic scriptural contexts:

The Significance of 70 Years

Meaning of Numbers in Bible: The Number Seventy (70)


The word qur`ān appears about 70 times in the Qur’an itself, assuming various meanings. (source)

Here are some other instances of the word 70, personal impression is the number is held to high regard.

155. And Moses chose seventy of his people for Our place of meeting: when they
were seized with violent quaking, he prayed: "O my Lord! if it had been Thy will
Thou couldst have destroyed, long before, both them and me: wouldst Thou destroy
us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us? this is no more than Thy trial:
by it Thou causest whom Thou wilt to stray, and Thou leadest whom Thou wilt into
the right path. Thou art our Protector: so forgive us and give us Thy mercy; for
Thou art the best of those who forgive.

80. Whether thou ask for their forgiveness, or not, [their sin is unforgivable]:
if thou ask seventy times for their forgiveness, Allah will not forgive them:
because they have rejected Allah and His Messenger: and Allah guideth not those
who are perversely rebellious.

32. "Further, make him march in a chain, whereof the length is seventy cubits!

And Allah knows best!

 

[ZoyaHayat]

Hello

In addition to TJ73's point. Virgins are usually considered pure in themselves. It doesn't imply that they serve to vent our lusts. On a side note, the concept of Virgin in Tantric philosophy implies that no satisfaction from another person or object required, a Virgin is self-satisfied and perfect.

The number 70 is significant. The number 7 by 10 is related to creation. Here are some links (I have not had time to read them all), it seems to me the idea is found not only in the Quran, but in Abrahmic scriptural contexts:

The Significance of 70 Years

Meaning of Numbers in Bible: The Number Seventy (70)


The word qur`ān appears about 70 times in the Qur’an itself, assuming various meanings. (source)

Here are some other instances of the word 70, personal impression is the number is held to high regard.

155. And Moses chose seventy of his people for Our place of meeting: when they
were seized with violent quaking, he prayed: "O my Lord! if it had been Thy will
Thou couldst have destroyed, long before, both them and me: wouldst Thou destroy
us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us? this is no more than Thy trial:
by it Thou causest whom Thou wilt to stray, and Thou leadest whom Thou wilt into
the right path. Thou art our Protector: so forgive us and give us Thy mercy; for
Thou art the best of those who forgive.

80. Whether thou ask for their forgiveness, or not, [their sin is unforgivable]:
if thou ask seventy times for their forgiveness, Allah will not forgive them:
because they have rejected Allah and His Messenger: and Allah guideth not those
who are perversely rebellious.

32. "Further, make him march in a chain, whereof the length is seventy cubits!

And Allah knows best!

Thank you Onkara for the useful and interesting information...

I have also noticed the number 7 to be quite important in most religions...like the 7 Thawaaf (Islamic circumambulations around the Kaaba) or the 7 Pradhakshina(Hindu circumambulations around the fire at the marriage podium and sacred shrines) or the 7 Nissuin encirclements(Judaic circumambulations of the bride to the groom at the marriage podium)...

hmmmm...

xxx

 

[Onkara]

Thanks Zoya
Interesting points too.
I have heard that 7 is symbolic for God and 6 is symbolic for the devil as 6 indicate less than perfection. I have no source to back that up, but these numbers would make an interesting new thread.

Gnostic and others,
I am not able to find any reference to 70 Virgins in or outside of paradise in my translation of the Quran (Yusuf Ali). Where does this idea come from, please?

 

[ZoyaHayat]

Thanks Zoya
Interesting points too.
I have heard that 7 is symbolic for God and 6 is symbolic for the devil as 6 indicate less than perfection. I have no source to back that up, but these numbers would make an interesting new thread.

Gnostic and others,
I am not able to find any reference to 70 Virgins in or outside of paradise in my translation of the Quran (Yusuf Ali). Where does this idea come from, please?

Sorry Onkara i dont have a clue from where this idea has arriven...

Sorry xxx

 

[Badran]

I am not able to find any reference to 70 Virgins in or outside of paradise in my translation of the Quran (Yusuf Ali). Where does this idea come from, please?

Hi Onkara, its from a Hadith.

 

[Onkara]

Thank you Badran. No problem, Zoya

 

[gnostic]

...its from a Hadith.

Thanks, Badran.

Which Hadith? Can you quote the relevant passage, and explain what the passage mean?

 

[Gaura Priya]

And I thought the houris meant young, youthful boys for all those Sufi pederasts... :|

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Any references to this in the Quran are very vague and don't give you the idea this is something to focus on or take very seriously. There is the verse about getting pure companions and youths, but like I said, it really is very vague and obscure, not enough to base this idea of virgins around.

 

[Badran]

Thanks, Badran.

Which Hadith? Can you quote the relevant passage, and explain what the passage mean?

No problem gnostic, its really hard to find it (i don't know why, i hought it would be easy), this is what i found:

“The Shaheed is granted seven special favours from Allah. He is forgiven (his sins) at the first drop of his blood. He sees his place in Paradise. He is dressed in the clothes of Iman. He is married to the Hoor al-‘Ain (beautiful women of Paradise). He is saved from the punishment of the grave. He will be protected from the great fear of the Day of Judgement. A crown of honour will be placed on his head, one jewel of which is better than the whole world and what it contains. He is married to seventy-two of the Hoor al-‘Ain (beautiful women of Paradise), and he will be able to intercede for seventy members of his family.”

[Related by Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibbaan].

http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?t=7247

Not sure if there are any other sources for this. So, as proposed by this supposed hadith, this is one of the favors Allah grants for a martyr.

However, like i said earlier and what Proud 2B Gay said, there is no verification for this in the Quran. I wouldn't count on this at all. Hooris or Hurris are not for sure to be females in the first place. Its not for granted what they are or what they represent.

 

[gnostic]

Thank you, once again, badran.

 

[Badran]

You're welcome.

 

[gnostic]

I have heard that 7 is symbolic for God and 6 is symbolic for the devil as 6 indicate less than perfection. I have no source to back that up, but these numbers would make an interesting new thread.

Ok, I've started a new thread - perfect or imperfect numbers. Enjoy.

 

[gnostic]

In addition to TJ73's point. Virgins are usually considered pure in themselves. It doesn't imply that they serve to vent our lusts.

That's one of the problems I'd guess, when people think of "virgin". Immediately, one'll naturally think of sex, when one thinks of virgin. Like a harem for a caliph or ruler.

Badran's quote on the Hadith: He is married to seventy-two of the Hoor al-‘Ain (beautiful women of Paradise)....

If one would read that a person was to marry 72 virgins or Hoor al-‘Ain then isn't this about sex?

 

[islamicanswers.webs]

According to classical Arabic usage in the time when the Qur'an was recited by Muhammad Hur'in is made of two words Hur as well as In. The word 'Hur' is the plural of both Ahwar (Masculine) and Hawra (Feminine) which literally translates as "white-eyed", or 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 also 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, it seems that the most appropriate English rendering of the compound word Hur'In might be: "Companions pure, most beautiful of eye." and it is applicable to both male and female.