Most Common Questions asked by Non-Muslims
who have some knowledge of Islam
Q8. Hoor
Question:
According
to the Qur’an when a man enters paradise, he will get ‘hoor’, i.e. beautiful maidens. What will a woman have when she enters paradise?
HOOR
Answer:
- Hoor mentioned in the Qur’an
The
word hoor occurs in the Qur’an in no less than four different places:
(1) In Surah Dukhan chapter 44, verse 54
“Moreover,
We shall join them to companions With beautiful, big and lustrous eyes.”
[Al-Qur’an 44:54]
(2) In Surah Al-Tur chapter 52 verse 20
“...And We shall join them to companions, with
beautiful,
big and lustrous eyes.”
[Al-Qur’an 52:20]
(3) In Surah Rahman chapter 55 verse 72
“Companions
restrained (as to their glances), in goodly pavilions.”
[Al-Qur’an 55:72]
(4) In Surah Al-Waqiah chapter 56 verse 22
“And
(there will be) companions with beautiful, big and lustrous eyes.”
[Al-Qur’an 56:22]
- Hoor Translated as Beautiful Maidens
Many
translators of the Qur’an have translated the word ‘hoor’ as ‘beautiful
maidens’ especially in the Urdu translations. If ‘hoor’ means ‘beautiful maidens’
or girls, then they are meant only for the men. Hence, what will the women get
if they enter Paradise?
- Meaning of Hoor
The
word ‘hoor’ is actually the plural of ‘ahwar’ (applicable to man) and of
‘haura’ (applicable to woman) and signifies a person having eyes characterized
by ‘hauar’ a special quality bestowed upon a good soul, male or female in
paradise and it denotes the intense whiteness of the white part of the
spiritual eye.
The
Qur’an describes in several other verses that in paradise you will have ‘Azwaj’
which mean a pair or spouse or companion which means you will have spouses or companions
pure and holy (‘Mutaharratun’ means pure, holy).
“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 holy); and they abide therein
(forever)”.
[Al-Qur’an 2:25]
“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”.
[Al-Qur’an 4:57]
Therefore the word ‘hoor’ has no specific gender. Mohammad Asad has rightly translated the word ‘hoor’ as spouse and Abdullah Yusuf Ali as ‘companion’. There-fore a man in paradise will have a ‘hoor’ that is a beautiful maiden with big beautiful eyes and a woman in paradise will get a man with big beautiful eyes.
- Women will get something exceptional in Paradise
Many
scholars say that in context, the word ‘Hoor’ used in the Qur’an refers only to
ladies since gents are addressed. A reply that would be accepted by all types
of people would rather be the answer given in the Hadith when a similar
question was posed that if a man gets a Hoor, a beautiful Maiden in Paradise,
then what will the women get? The reply was that the women will get that which
the heart has not desired for, the ear hasn’t heard off and the eye hasn’t
seen, indicating that even the women will get something exceptional in
Paradise.
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