Sentence:  The repetition of material about the <WSD>houri</WSD> suggests that the popularization of that  figure occurred as early as the ninth century and continued well into the twelfth  century. By then, the <WSD>houri</WSD> had become a kind of metonymy for the Garden, as well as an accepted object. A new role of the <WSD>houri</WSD> as the superlative being of the  Garden emerged through the use of traditions, and most of all the structure of the  text. Al-Qadi's text provides an excellent example of the importance of the <WSD>houri</WSD>. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A nymph in the form of a beautiful virgin supposed to dwell in Paradise for the enjoyment of the faithful.