Thursday 18 Ramadan 1445 - 28 March 2024
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She is asking a number of questions about al-hoor al-‘iyn in Paradise

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Publication : 08-03-2015

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Question

I know that the man goes to Paradise he will have two wives from among al-hoor al-‘iyn in addition to his wives in this world. Which of them will be more beautiful – the women of this world or al-hoor al-‘iyn? Who will the man be more inclined towards, to the one who was his wife in this world or to al-hoor al-‘iyn? Will he meet these wives on a daily basis, and who will the husband sleep with at night?

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly: 

It is proven in as-Saheehayn (Bukhaari 3033; Muslim 2835) from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “The first group to enter Paradise will look like the moon when it is full, and those who come after them will look like the most brilliant star in the sky. Their hearts will be as one, and there will be no rancour or envy among them. Each man among them will have two wives al-hoor al-‘iyn whose marrow can be seen beneath their bones and flesh.” This version was narrated by al-Bukhaari. 

The scholars have answered what some may think, that what is meant by this hadeeth is that the blessings of the believer will be limited to two wives from among al-hoor al-‘iyn, even though the hadeeths prove that there is more than that. Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What is meant is that the minimum that each of them will have is two wives. End quote from Fath al-Baari, 6/325 

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Undoubtedly the believer in Paradise will have more than two, because of the hadeeth of Abu Moosa al-Ash‘ari in as-Saheehayn, who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “In Paradise the believer will have a tent made from a single hollowed-out pearl, sixty miles high (or wide), in which the believer will have wives and he will go around among them and they will not see one another.” (Haadi al-Arwaah, 1/504). End quote. 

Secondly: 

With regard to the differences between the women of this world and al-hoor al-‘iyn in Paradise, in terms of status and beauty, the scholars differed concerning this issue and there are two views. Some of them said that al-hoor al-‘iyn are superior, and some of them said that the women of this world are superior. There are hadeeths and reports concerning that, but none of them are saheeh; if there were any saheeh reports, that would definitively settle the dispute on this matter.

What appears to be the case – and Allah knows best – is that the situation of the believing woman in Paradise will be superior to that of al-hoor al-‘iyn, and she will be higher in status and more beautiful. If a righteous woman from among the people of this world enters Paradise, she will enter it as a reward for righteous deeds and as an honour to her from Allah for her religious commitment and righteousness. As for the hoori, who is one of the delights of Paradise, she was only created in Paradise for the sake of someone else, and she is made as a reward for the believer for his righteous deeds. There is a great difference between the one who enters Paradise as a reward for her righteous deeds and the one who was created to be a reward for the man who does righteous deeds. The former is like a queen with power and authority, whereas the latter – no matter how great her status and beauty – is of a lesser status than a queen; she is subject to her master, the believer for whom Allah created her as a reward.

 See: Tafseer al-Qurtubi (16/154); at-Tadhkirah fi Ahwaal al-Mawtaa wa Umoor al-Aakhirah (3/985) 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Do the descriptions of al-hoor al-‘iyn also include the women of this world? 

He replied: What appears to be to be the case is that the women of this world will be better than al-hoor al-‘iyn, even in terms of outward appearance. And Allah knows best.

See: Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb

Thirdly: 

With regard to the wives of a believer in this world meeting one another, the hadeeth of Abu Moosa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) in as-Saheehayn indicates that they will not see one another. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “In Paradise the believer will have a tent made from a single hollowed-out pearl, sixty miles high (or wide), in which the believer will have wives and he will go around among them and they will not see one another.” According to another report: “In each corner of it there will be a wife whom the others will not see, and the believer will go around among them.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3243 and 4879) and Muslim (2838). 

However what will benefit the questioner here is to know that one of the blessings that Allah, may He be exalted, will bestow upon the people of Paradise is that He will remove from them the resentment and envy that exists in the hearts of people in this world, and He will take away from them the worries, sorrows and pain of this world, for Paradise is the realm of everlasting pleasure which will never be spoiled by anything. 

Fourthly: 

With regard to your question, “who will the husband sleep with at night?”, you should understand – may Allah bless us and you with Paradise by His grace and mercy – that in Paradise there will be no night or day, no sun or moon. Rather it will be perpetual light and its people will be in eternal light, with some indications to show the passage of time. It was said that they will know that from various lights; it was also said that they will know morning and evening and the length of the night from light that emanates from the Throne, and by the dropping of curtains and the closing of doors.

See: Tafseer al-Baghawi (5/243); Tafseer al-Qurtubi (11/127); at-Tadhkirah (3/1026); Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa by Ibn Taymiyah (4/312); Tafseer Ibn Katheer (5/247) 

Once you understand this, you will know that the man in Paradise will have the enjoyment of his wives from this world and al-hoor al-‘iyn, in a manner that will suffice him and give him everlasting and unceasing pleasure, and will also give his wives joy and pleasure, without anything to spoil it, and with no end to the pleasure and no tiredness or boredom. 

We ask Allah the Almighty, the Lord of the mighty Throne, to enable us to reach His Paradise and to bless us as He blessed His righteous slaves, and to forgive us. Ameen. 

For more information, please see question no. 60188.

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Source: Islam Q&A