Paradise: Questions & Answers

Question: In the hadiths of the Prophet (pbuh), it is said: “Although the hūrīA pure maiden of Paradise. wear seventy garments, the marrow in their bones is visible.” What does this actually mean? What kind of beauty is intended here?

Answer: Its meaning is extraordinarily beautiful, and its beauty is extraordinarily delightful. It is as follows:

In this world, which is ugly and lifeless compared to Paradise and is mostly judged by its outward appearance, beauty is often superficial and limited to what the eye sees. So long as something appears beautiful and does not cause aversion, that is considered sufficient.

But in Paradise, where everything is full of beauty and full of life, and is not veiled by its outward appearance, all the senses of man, such as the eye, each desire their own distinct share in the various forms of pleasure. They experience this both in the hūrīA pure maiden of Paradise., who possess ultimate beauty and delightfulness, and in the women who come from this world to Paradise, who resemble the hūrīA pure maiden of Paradise. and are even more beautiful than they are. Thus, this hadithA report of the sayings, actions, or approvals of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). indicates that from the beauty of the outermost garments down to the marrow in the bones, every layer is a source of pleasure for each distinct sense.

Indeed, by declaring: “The hūrīA pure maiden of Paradise. wear seventy garments, and yet the marrow in their bones is visible,” the hadithA report of the sayings, actions, or approvals of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) indicates the following:

The hūrīA pure maiden of Paradise. embody all forms of beauty and adornment, both material and spiritual. They satisfy the desires of all the senses, faculties, and subtle spiritual faculties that seek beauty, pleasure, adornment, and splendor. Thus, as a unique example, the hūrīA pure maiden of Paradise. wear the seventy kinds of Paradise’s adornments as garments, layered one over another, without concealing or veiling one another, because each is woven from a different kind of substance. Moreover, they display at least seventy different levels of beauty and splendor, both in their bodies and in their souls. In this way, they reflect the truth indicated by the following verse:

وَفِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِيهِ اْلاَنْفُسُ وَتلَذُّ اْلاَعْيُنُTherein is whatever the souls desire and whatever delights the eyes. – The Quran 43:71.

In addition, another hadithA report of the sayings, actions, or approvals of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). states that after eating and drinking, the people of Paradise will produce no waste or impurity, because in Paradise there is no excess, useless, or unnecessary matter.

Even the trees in this world, which are considered among the simplest forms of life, leave behind no waste despite being abundantly nourished. Why, then, should the people of Paradise, who stand at the highest level of life, not be free from excretions?

Question: It is mentioned in the hadiths that some people in Paradise will be given a domain as vast as the world, together with hundreds of thousands of palaces and hūrīA pure maiden of Paradise.. Why would a single individual receive so much? Does he even need this? How is this possible, and what does it mean?

Answer: If man consisted only of a lifeless body, or if he were merely a plant-like being made up only of a stomach, or if he were only a limited, heavy, temporary, and simple bodily being, then he would neither be worthy nor suited for so many palaces and hūrīA pure maiden of Paradise.. But man is such a comprehensive miracle of Allah’s power that even in this transient world, in this short life, with respect to the needs of his undeveloped subtle faculties, if the entire dominion, wealth, and pleasures of the world were given to him, his desire would not be satisfied and he would never have enough.