The Concept of Houries or Celestial Beauties in Islam

lims consider the Koran as the word of God. Its contents are sacred. Chapter 52-56 of the Koran specifies a reward for the true believers: men who follow all the injunctions as lay down by Allah and the Koran. These rewards are in the form of Houris or beautiful and spotless virgins. The Koran specifies that these women await at the gates of paradise to give pleasure to the faithful.

The Koran does not lay down any numbers, but the Hadiths’ specify that their number is 72. The Koran says that these houris or celestial nymphs are hairless except for the eyebrows and the head. The Houris characteristics are described in detail and are all feminine. The Koran specifies that in addition to the Houris, an unspecified number of boys will also be available. Among the characteristics of the houris is their celestial quality of being eternal virgins. In that they will re-grow their hymens after each intercourse. They are supposed to be buxom with breasts that do not droop or sag. The concept of the Houris is unique in Islam. The nearest equivalent is the angel in Christianity and the Apsara in Hinduism. The Apsara are also celestial maidens who dance and sing for the believers. But the Angels and Apsara do not have any relation to physical pleasures, which is the purpose of the Houris.

The houris are an inviolable concept in Islam and they are a reward to the faithful who have spent a lifetime in service of Islam and obeyed all the injunctions as laid down. The Koran says that all those who die as a martyr to the faith will be rewarded with these houris.

The concept of the houris is terrific motivator in Islam and many young men have been motivated to kill themselves with the dream of Houris. It must be understood that Islam has a strong mystical tradition which places these heavenly delights in the context of ecstatic awareness of God.