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Fatwa ID: 77057
Title: Why do men get to have so many women in Paradise when women have to be with one man?
Category: Basic Tenets of Faith (Belief)
Scholar: Dr. Main Khalid Al-Qudah
Date: 12/07/2008
Question

Salam, I have never heard of such things till this day. It has really bothered me ever since there was something about 72 virgins in the news. I asked my father, who is the most religious person I know, if it was true, and he said that the media was just trying to give Muslims a bad name. I also noticed in the hadiths online and in the Quran, in Surat arRahman for example, something about hur al ayn. Dr. Zakir Naik said that every woman gets one companion (hur al ayn) and a man gets a companion, so they are equal. But some hadiths say that men will visit one hundred virgins in one day or martyrs will have 72 hur al ayn. Others say that men will have hur al ayn and their wives. Others say that men will have only two wives from the hur al ayn in addition to their wives. I don't know which is correct, and I don't understand why men deserve to have so many women. Isn't one wife or whichever number of wives you have in this world enough? Isn't seeing Allah (swt) the greatest pleasure? Also, wouldn't promoting Jannah with hur make it seem like women are objectified because most men look forward to that aspect of heaven? Some people say that men deserve so many hur because they struggle in this world, but I believe that women also struggle. They struggle the same amount or maybe some more with raising children and actually wearing hijab in the heat and bearing insults from people while men don't have to endure any of that? Furthermore, women spend their whole lives with their husbands through good and bad, enduring everything, so why should the husband have other women while the wife must spend her life in Jannah with one man? I just don't understand.

 

Please clear this up for me because I sense double standards when people say that "women should concentrate on getting to Jannah instead of wondering about their reward." I agree, but I want a rational reason, too. Please help because lately I haven't been caring about my religion too much, and every time I see a religious man, I think that inside he might be really perverted and is doing all this to get women. Jazak Allah khair.

Answer

According to the culture of the people during the lifetime of the Prophet (saaws), it was embarrassing for women to express their sexual feelings or to declare their desire to get married. This is why – and Allah knows best - the Quran itself did not mention anything in regards to that which is prepared for women in Paradise as far as marriage is concerned. And the explanation is the same for the Sunnah of the Prophet (saaws). However, other verses show clearly that the dwellers of Paradise will be completely satisfied, like the saying of Allah (swt), which means, {They will have what they wish, and more.} This Ayah - and many more – should be enough to prove the point in question.

 

On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with Muslims, whether male and female, to seek Jannah because of its ultimate pleasure, including sexual pleasure.