Many, if not most Muslim men believe that after they die, they will enter Paradise and receive great rewards .....
..... the rewards for the women are perhaps not so obvious or great.
But moving on from the somewhat paltry rewards for the women, it is these supposed rewards, that incidentally vary very little, between those who die as martyrs (i.e. blowing up themselves and others 'defending Islam'), or those who die a natural death, that are often a driver for those who turn to self declared Jihad, and launch terrorist attacks.
This fact is supported by recruiters for Islamic groups, such as Hamas activist Muhammad Abu Wardeh, who was interviewed by US TV CBS. He said that he recruited terrorists for suicide bombings in Israel. He was quoted as saying: "I described to him how God would compensate the martyr for sacrificing his life for his land. If you become a martyr, God will give you 70 virgins, 70 wives and everlasting happiness."
Now these martyr volunteers (suicide is haram - forbidden so they are described as martyrs), are often not the brightest or sharpest knife in the box .... so perhaps its no surprise that these people are often going to take these suggestions of their rewards literally. Take for example one of our very own Mohiussunnath (or Musa) Chowdhury .... a 28 year old single, chicken shop worker from Luton, England. He most certainly believes in paradise, and the rewards that a believer will obtain, especially if they enter via martyrdom.
He planned to obtain them as soon as was practically possible, and so in 2017 he was arrested and tried for a terror related incident, in which he drove to Buckingham Palace with a samurai-style sword, but when he exited his car he was involved in a struggle with police officers. Somehow he convinced a jury that this wasn't a terror related incident (although it took two trials), by claiming he wanted suicide by cop or soldier, as he knew police at the palace were armed. To me this is still a terror offence, but 12 men and women thought otherwise.
However, this narrow escape from incarceration, didn't stop him planning another attack, and he was duly arrested again last year, after an undercover investigation .... this time a jury agreed with the security services ... his target was not a soldier with a gun, but the holy of holies in our new society, the Gay Pride marchers in London. This was too much, and so this time he was found guilty after just 9 hours deliberations.
However what brought this trial to my attention was the paradise bucket list found in his bedroom. Yep, he had written down what he was going to do first when he got there!
Of course the irony is that many scholars outside of Islam believe that the whole section about the virgins and houri's is a mistranslation from Syriac (an Aramaic dialect), into Arabic, where the faithful are to be offered fruit (white raisins)/food and plentiful refreshment, not sex. But when translated in to Arabic in the 7th century, Arabic terms replaced, rather than translated Syriac versions. The thesis is that the basis for the paradise described to Muslims, is actually a 4th century work written by the Christian monk Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD), 'Hymns on Paradise', which written in Syriac which mirrors much of what Islam later taught about paradise.
So if this is correct, then there's going to be a lot of very disappointed Muslim men when they get to Paradise ..... and that includes Mohiussunnath Chowdhury ..... Numbers two and nine on his bucket list are gone for a burton.
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| The Dream of the Believer - Achille Zo (1826 -1901) ... |
..... the rewards for the women are perhaps not so obvious or great.
But moving on from the somewhat paltry rewards for the women, it is these supposed rewards, that incidentally vary very little, between those who die as martyrs (i.e. blowing up themselves and others 'defending Islam'), or those who die a natural death, that are often a driver for those who turn to self declared Jihad, and launch terrorist attacks.
This fact is supported by recruiters for Islamic groups, such as Hamas activist Muhammad Abu Wardeh, who was interviewed by US TV CBS. He said that he recruited terrorists for suicide bombings in Israel. He was quoted as saying: "I described to him how God would compensate the martyr for sacrificing his life for his land. If you become a martyr, God will give you 70 virgins, 70 wives and everlasting happiness."
Now these martyr volunteers (suicide is haram - forbidden so they are described as martyrs), are often not the brightest or sharpest knife in the box .... so perhaps its no surprise that these people are often going to take these suggestions of their rewards literally. Take for example one of our very own Mohiussunnath (or Musa) Chowdhury .... a 28 year old single, chicken shop worker from Luton, England. He most certainly believes in paradise, and the rewards that a believer will obtain, especially if they enter via martyrdom.
He planned to obtain them as soon as was practically possible, and so in 2017 he was arrested and tried for a terror related incident, in which he drove to Buckingham Palace with a samurai-style sword, but when he exited his car he was involved in a struggle with police officers. Somehow he convinced a jury that this wasn't a terror related incident (although it took two trials), by claiming he wanted suicide by cop or soldier, as he knew police at the palace were armed. To me this is still a terror offence, but 12 men and women thought otherwise.
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| Musa Chowdhury Has Firm Ideas About Paradise And His Place In It....... |
However, this narrow escape from incarceration, didn't stop him planning another attack, and he was duly arrested again last year, after an undercover investigation .... this time a jury agreed with the security services ... his target was not a soldier with a gun, but the holy of holies in our new society, the Gay Pride marchers in London. This was too much, and so this time he was found guilty after just 9 hours deliberations.
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| Bucket List For Paradise .... He Was Well Prepared. |
However what brought this trial to my attention was the paradise bucket list found in his bedroom. Yep, he had written down what he was going to do first when he got there!
- Tour Entire Property In Jannah (Paradise) And Select Main Palace.
- Meet All Wives And Name And Pick Main 2.
- Decorate Main Palace.
- Meet All Family And Feast.
- Meet All Friends And Feast.
- Meet All Ambiya And Sahaba (No idea what they are ... prophets?).
- Meet Allah (I'm glad Allah is so patient!).
- Visit Jannah Market.
- Spend Time With Wives.
- Choose Quests To Embark Upon - Download Knowledge Of All Combat Weapons, Strategy's, War.
- New Forms of Entertainment + Infinitum 32:17 (Surah As-Sajdah).
Of course the irony is that many scholars outside of Islam believe that the whole section about the virgins and houri's is a mistranslation from Syriac (an Aramaic dialect), into Arabic, where the faithful are to be offered fruit (white raisins)/food and plentiful refreshment, not sex. But when translated in to Arabic in the 7th century, Arabic terms replaced, rather than translated Syriac versions. The thesis is that the basis for the paradise described to Muslims, is actually a 4th century work written by the Christian monk Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD), 'Hymns on Paradise', which written in Syriac which mirrors much of what Islam later taught about paradise.
So if this is correct, then there's going to be a lot of very disappointed Muslim men when they get to Paradise ..... and that includes Mohiussunnath Chowdhury ..... Numbers two and nine on his bucket list are gone for a burton.
I often wonder what Muslim women get out of all this? Presumably to do the ironing and cooking for the virgins and her husband for eternity.
ReplyDeleteActually I have wondered about that myself, but never enough to look it up.
DeletePolygamy is allowed for men, but not for women in islam, so they can't have 72 houris of thir own, but they get to be with their husband and his 72 perfect gifts. However according to the Quran Surah An-Nisa [4:124].
“If any do deeds of righteousness—be they male or female—and have faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them.”
However the language and terms used to translate the Arabic, are often subtly different e.g.
' ... they will be admitted to Paradise, not an iota of their deeds will be lost'.
' ... will enter Paradise and will never be wronged ˹even as much as˺ the speck on a date stone'.
' ... shall enter the Garden, and they shall not be wronged in the slightest'.
.... and so on.
However as what classes as injustice in the rewards for men or women is not described, then what is a justice may well differ. This and other Quranic comments are interpreted by some as meaning that everyone will get whatever they so desire,with no limits, but it doesn't say that, it says that they won't be treated unjustly, which is not the same thing,
However there are many descriptions of paradise: Surah Al-Ma'idah - 119 .' ... For them are gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. ' ... gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in gardens of everlasting bliss. But the greatest bliss is the good pleasure of Allah. That is the supreme felicity" (9:72).
But just case anyone is still unhappy, any sense of injustice will be removed at the gates ' ... And we shall remove from their breasts any hatred or sense of injury" (Quran 7:43).
So even though men and women's desires are often endless and never satisfied, it seems that all will live in an eternal state of satisfaction and content, regardless of their rewards.
I am by no means an expert, but I have linked to a website that claims it is.
My suspicion is that, however some have interpreted the rewards to be justly given, men like Mohiussunnath (or Musa) Chowdhury above, would expect their earthly wives to have to live in their palaces in the gardens, alongside their 72 virgins etc, and not somewhere else.