From: gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu (Gopal Agrawal)
Subject: Re: sex in hereafter (was Re: the terminator part n : )
Organization: Computer Science Department, Texas A&M University
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 01:33:30 GMT

In article <1992Sep6.215157.25121@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> kmubarak@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Kamal Mubarak MD) writes:
>
>But you see my dear Gopal, even I have a copy of the  Qura'n  with  me.  And
>I will quote for you:
>
>Surah Ad-Dukhan (44)
>
>51.  As to the righteous (they will be) in a position of security
>
>[Notice no mention of male or female]
>
>52. Among the gardens and springs
>53. Dressed in fine silk and in rich brocade, they will face each other
>54. So; and We shall wed them to Hurs with beautiful, big and lustrous eyes.
>55. There can they call for every kind of fruit in peace and security;
>56. Nor will they there taste death, except the  first  death; and  He  will
>    preserve them from the chastisement of the Blazing Fire.
>
>This is taken from Yusuf Ali's translation.  In his footnotes he writes:
>
>"The Hurs, like the scene, the dress, the  outlook, and  the  fruit, will be
>beautiful.  There will be life, but free from  all  earthly  grossness.  The
>women as well as the men of this life  will  attain  to  this  indescribable
>bliss.
>
>"Hur implies the following ideas: (1) purity, (2) beauty, especially  of the
>eyes.... (3) truth and goodwill."

Yes, I found the above verse. Now that I have gotten myself into this 
mess, I am forced to do some research and here is another translation 
of the above that I came up with. 

SOURCE:
-------
Authors: Mushaf Al-Madinah & An-Nabawiyah
The Holy Quran: English Translation of the meanings and Commentary.
Revised and edited (1991) by: 
The presidency of Islamic Researchers, IFTA
(King Fahd Holy Quran Printing Complex). 


On page 1627, it says,
----------------------
They will recline (with ease)
Upon couches
Arranged in ranks;
And WE shall wed them    /* who is WE? I thought Allah was singular. */
to *MAIDENS* with beautiful 
Big and lustrous eyes. 

Since when does one describe studs for our dear departed 
women as 'maidens' ?  
And you can't use the `western propaganda' argument either
unless you convince me that US is using Saudi printing houses
to distort the Quran too.

It seems that the interpretation that you have is actually
trying to hide the sexist connotations. (BTW-I  remember 
reading in another such translation of the Quran that 
'hur' refers to 'women of paradise' for the men who go 
to heaven. Sorry, I don't remember the books name).  

Your anger stems from your being a religious apologist. 
Since you are probably not a sexist, you refuse to believe
that anything that you have come to respect could be sexist 
and hence any person like me who comes along and points it
out to you can only be a person being disrespectful  to 
your faith. 

IMO, there is nothing wrong in admitting that religious 
scriptures can be sexist. I fully admit that my religion
has plenty of sexism and so do other religions like
Christianity. That does not mean that I lose any respect 
for my religion or I'll abandon it. I can still take 
guidance from it as long as I am able to understand 
its content keeping in mind the time and conditions when 
it was written. 

By recognizing some of the (I'll use a mild term here) 
QUIRKS in the scriptures, one understands it better. 

Anyway, the question about whether our women will enjoy
in heaven or not is not so important here. What's 
amusing here is that in a place where a soul forgoes 
all egos, worldly emotions and desires, sexual urges 
still remain. 

If you try to see the lighter side of it, perhaps 
prophet Mohd. was asking the Arab men to behave 
themselves by appealing to their sexual urges (which
can be a very strong motivating factor!!). So he 
gave this promise of maidens only to the men and 
not to the women (perhaps he gave them some other 
incentives). I don't think Allah would mind a white
lie if it helped in the betterment of society. 


regards,
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