There are several descriptions related to houri that are found in various Islamic references. Some include: Physical Attributes: Wide and beautiful/lovely eyes [15][16][17] Like pearls [18] Hairless except the eye brows and the head [19] In addition to Quranic translations of 78:33 specifying the virgins will be voluptuous[20], Sahih International translates it as "full-breasted [companions] of equal age". Tafsir al-Jalalayn says "and buxom maidens (kawā‘ib is the plural of kā‘ib) of equal age (atrāb is the plural of tirb)". Several Islamic scholars explain that they will have "large, round breasts which are not inclined to hang".[21] Beautiful [13] White skinned [22] 60 cubits [27.5 meters] tall [23][22] 7 cubits [3.2 meters] in width [22] Transparent to the marrow of their bones [21][13] Eternally young [19] Companions of equal age [20][24] Sexual Attributes: Untouched / with hymen unbroken by sexual intercourse [25][26] Virgins [27] Voluptuous/full-breasted [20] With large, round breasts which are not inclined to hang [21][3] Appetizing vaginas [11] Personality Attributes: Chaste [15] Restraining their glances [15][25] Modest gaze [28] Other Attributes: Splendid [29] Pure [13] Non-menstruating / non-urinating/ non-defecating and childfree [21][30] Never dissatisfied [30] Will sing praise [7]

Whilst there are numerous sources, including the Qur'an, which tell us believing males will be rewarded with virgins, many who are concerned about the authenticity of the 72 virgins concept are under the misconception that there is only one weak (da`if) reference to the exact number of houri given to them. These narrations are in fact found in many hadith collections with varying levels of authenticity, ranging from hasan to sahih (authentic). For example, in the Sunan Ibn Majah, one of the six major Hadith collections,[31] it states in a hasan [9] narration that every male admitted into Paradise will be given eternal erections and wed to 72 wives, all with libidinous sex organs.[10] Similarly in another hadith with multiple narrators that has been graded hasan , it states that the martyr (shahid) will be married to seventy-two of al-hoor al-‘iyn.[32][33] In the Sunan al-Tirmidhi, another of the six major Hadith collections,[31] it states that the smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode with seventy-two houri.[34] Note that this is not a "weak Hadith that has no Sanad (chain of narrators)", as some have claimed.[35] It has been graded hasan sahih gharib,[9] meaning this hadith is hasan since it has several chains of transmitters, it is sahih as the chains are all authentic and it is gharib in the words that Imam Tirmidhi narrated.[36] Also reported in Sunan al-Kubra and Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and declared sahih (authentic)[9] by Ibn Abi Shayba, Ibn Hibban, and al-Hakim is the hadith that states the servant in Paradise will be married with seventy wives and that they'll be given the sexual strength for a hundred.[37] Orthodox Muslim theologians have related further hadith that give us the exact number of 72, such as al-Ghazali who wrote, "[The Prophet said] the lowest rank of an inmate of Paradise will have eighty thousand servants and seventy two wives."[

Suicide is clearly forbidden in Islam, but the permissibility of martyrdom operations (Istishhad) is an altogether different topic, with scholars being split on the issue. Notable scholars and apologists such as Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the world's most quoted independent Islamic jurist,[44] and Dr. Zakir Naik, known for his advocacy of "Qur'anic science", have justified the use of suicide bombing in Islam.[45][46][47] Opinion polls have further shown that an extremely large number of Muslims from around the world support the practice.[44][48][49][50] The Qur'an states that all Muslim males, not only martyrs, will be rewarded with virgins.[27] However, the Qur'an does also mention that those who fight in the way of Allah (jihad) and get killed will be given a "great reward",[51] and there are also hasan hadith[33] which refer to 72 virgins as one of the "seven blessings from Allah" to the martyr.[32] This has lead to the 72 virgins concept being widely used as a way to entice other Muslims into carrying out "martyrdom operations" for Islam. This is witnessed in Palestine, where the actions of a mother who sends her son to die as a martyr is sometimes seen as "marrying him off",[52] and where the concept is used in Friday sermons and music videos, both airing on official television.[53][54] It has even been used in the United Kingdom, where, in one event, Muslim teens were told to train with Kalashnikov rifles with the promise that the would receive 72 virgins in paradise if they died as religious martyrs

Abu Umama narrated: "The Messenger of God said, 'Everyone that God admits into paradise will be married to 72 wives; two of them are houris and seventy of his inheritance of the [female] dwellers of hell. All of them will have libidinous sex organs and he will have an ever-erect penis.' " Sunan Ibn Majah, Zuhd (Book of Abstinence) 39 It was mentioned by Daraj Ibn Abi Hatim, that Abu al-Haytham 'Adullah Ibn Wahb narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudhri, who heard the Prophet Muhammad PBUH saying, 'The smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode where there are eighty thousand servants and seventy-two houri, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine and ruby, as wide as the distance from al-Jabiyyah to San'a. Al-Tirmidhi, Vol. 4, Ch. 21, No. 2687 Each time we sleep with a Houri we find her virgin. Besides, the penis of the Elected never softens. The erection is eternal; the sensation that you feel each time you make love is utterly delicious and out of this world and were you to experience it in this world you would faint. Each chosen one [i.e. Muslim] will marry seventy [sic] houris, besides the women he married on earth, and all will have appetizing vaginas. Al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Qur'an, p. 351 Anas said, Allah be well-pleased with him: The Messenger of Allah said, upon him blessings and peace: “The servant in Paradise shall be married with seventy wives.” Someone said, “Messenger of Allah, can he bear it?” He said: “He will be given strength for a hundred.” From Zayd ibn Arqam, Allah be well-pleased with him, when an incredulous Jew or Christian asked the Prophet, upon him blessings and peace, “Are you claiming that a man will eat and drink in Paradise??” He replied: “Yes, by the One in Whose hand is my soul, and each of them will be given the strength of a hundred men in his eating, drinking, coitus, and pleasure.” Sifat al-Janna, al-`Uqayli in the Du`afa’, and Musnad of Abu Bakr al-Bazzar This [Qur'an 78:33] means round breasts. They meant by this that the breasts of these girls will be fully rounded and not sagging, because they will be virgins, equal in age. Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Abridged, Volume 10 Surat At-Tagabun to the end of the Qur'an, 333-334

"The Qur'an doesn't talk about 72 virgins, only the hadiths" Even though the Qur'an does not mention the number of virgins, it does say in verse 56:36[27] that Muslim men will be awarded with virgins in Paradise. The Qur'an describes their physical attributes, for example they will have large eyes (56:22) and big breasts (78:33)[20] and so on. The actual number of houri is thus a minor issue and 72 is the number of those houris confirmed in multiple hadith. The hadiths are a crucial part of Islam and certain Muslims ignore them because sometimes they contain uncomfortable details about Islam. There are many hadiths and Qur'anic verses which talk about various issues of a sexual nature. According to Sahih Bukhari 1:5:268 which belongs to the most authentic collection of hadiths, Muhammad himself was given the sexual strength of 30 men and so on. "The 72 virgins hadith has been classified as Da'if (weak) or Maudu (fabricated)" This is not true. The hadith from Sunan al-Tirmidhi has been graded hasan sahih gharib (a “fair, sound, single-chained hadith”).[9] Additionally there is not only one "72 virgins" hadith. We have quoted narrations here that have been graded both hasan and sahih (authentic), and there are many others. "Obviously this hadith has been made up, is unreliable and/or is a lie" See answers to #1 and 2 above. "The Qur'an doesn't talk about the number of virgins being seventy two" See answer to #1 above. "It is talking about (white) raisins, not virgins" This is a myth originating from Christoph Luxenberg, a recent author with a pseudonym who has no known qualifications or authority on Islamic issues, and has been shown to be in error for various reasons. "Islam prohibits suicide" Yes, hadith do exist that prohibit suicide (Suicide bombing however is a separate issue) but this has nothing to do with the fact that Islam promises women in Paradise as a reward for the "righteous" (i.e. Muslims). "If the seventy two virgins thing was something big in Islam it would be talked about more frequently." Women in Islamic heaven as a reward are talked about frequently in the Qur'an as evidenced by the various places in the Qur'an where their characteristics are talked about. Also if the Qur'an talks about a certain issue only once, it cannot be taken lightly in any way as every word and sentence in the Qur'an is important and holy to Muslims. "The houri are for both men and women" The Qur'an explicitly talks about female virgins with large eyes as rewards for men. On the contrary there is not a single "women will get guys as a reward" verse. Some gender neutral verses do exist but they talk about general rewards only (such as "companionship" etc). Also, according to Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen, who was a leading cleric and a member of the Senior Clerics Association, "This number is only for men. A woman will have only one husband in Paradise, and she will be satisfied with him and will not need any more than that."

To this outsider it is no more different in degrees than Christianity is to Judaism or even one Christian sect is to another. Regardless of what you find during your readings I hope the answers satisfy you.

Correct Question; please scholars answer o .