i hv a serious question here..a sis was keep on asking me about this and itis difficult to explain even though i do understand..but is it true that all muslim men who go to jannah will get 2 of hoor al ayn???and the wife will be the queen of them???or the man can choose not to hv them but only to be with his wife?or it is compulsary for him to hv 2 hoor al ayn???
Not an easy question for anyone to answer, lol, but from what I know and have read around, I'll try to answer it the best I can, Insha'Allah. And someone with more knowledge, if and where needed, can correct me later on.
Yes, sister, the least of the people of Paradise will have two two wives from hoor al ayn, and others will have more than that depending on their degree, i.e. those who are more pious will get more wives.
The Muslim women of this world would be superior to hoor al ayans in Jannah.Umme Salamah (Radiahallahu Anha) narrates that she said to the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu
Alayhi Wasallam) "O Rasûlullah, are the women of this world superior or the hûrs (of Paradise)?"
He replied, "The women of this world will have superiority over the hûrs (houris) just as the outer
lining of a garment has superiority over the inner lining." Umme Salamah R.A then asked, "O
Rasûlullah, what is the reason for this?" He answered, "Because they performed salâh, fasted, and
worshipped [Allah]. Allah will put light on their faces and silk on their bodies. [The human
women] will be fair in complexion and will wear green clothing and yellow jewelry. Their
incense-burners will be made of pearls and their combs will be of gold. They will say, 'We are the
women who will stay forever and we will never die. We are the women who will always remain
in comfort and we will never undergo difficulty. We are the women who will stay and we will
never leave. Listen, we are happy women and we will never become sad. Glad tidings to those
men for whom we are and who are for us.'" [Tabrânî]
Imam Qurtubi in his "at-Tadhkirah fi-Ahwalil Mawta wa'l-Akhirah (in Remembrance of the
Affairs of the Dead and Doomsday)" and Ibn Kathir in his "al-Bidaya wa'n-Nihaya (Kitabu’l-
Fitan wa’l-Malahim) the Termination of the Afflictions and Fierce Battles" tell the story of the
songs of houri in heaven: “Houri will sing for their own husbands, songs are so marvelous that
every hearer will be so pleased. Houri will say: “We are Houri who has not had a sin.” The
women of this world will reply them saying: “We are the fasters (who keep fast), and you are not,
we are the prayers, but you are not and we are the givers of charity but you are not.”
Hoor al-Ayn will be different from the off-springs of the Prophet Adam (A.S.), and as humans are the most superior creation of Allah (SWT) so Muslim women are superior to houris just like we as humans are superior to Jinns, Angels and all other creatures of Allah (SWT) that exist. So a hoori who is one of the delights of Paradise, she has only been created in Paradise for the sake of someone else, and has been made the reward for the believing man for his righteous deeds.
But for Muslim women, they themselves are from the off-springs of Adam and the rewards of Paradise are created for them and on the contrary houris (hoor al-Ayn) themselves are from the rewards of Paradise.
Therefore it is clear that Muslim women will not feel jealous of the houris (hoor al-Ayn) as righteous women of this world will be much more superior and beautiful than houris (hoor al- Ayn), in Jannah (Paradise). Thus the Muslim women of this worldly life have superiority over houris (hoor al-Ayn) due to the acts of worship and obedience that they performed in this world. Therefore, the believing (Muslim) women will enter Paradise just like the believing men. If a Muslim woman had a number of husbands, she, upon entering Paradise with them, would choose among them the one with the best character and behaviour.
Now, for the answer to part of question regarding is it compulsory for a husband to have these hoor al ayn and can he choose not to have them, please consider this ayah of Quran:
"Therein you shall have (all) that your inner selves desire, and therein you shall have (all) for which you ask for.” [41:31-32]
Hence we, the men and women, are promissed to have and not to have what we want in Jannah.
Sister revert2007, this sister in your question seems to have some misunderstanding and that probably is, to her, this does not seem like a fair concept for the women, to share their husbands in this way. This is incorrect and there is nothing but joy and happiness in Paradise; there is no room for hatred and rancour in the hearts of the people of Paradise. Al-hoor al-‘iyn are something which Allah has created to honour the people of Paradise and to increase their delight. Moreover a man will be given the strength of one hundred men for intercourse, so the large number will not have any effect on a woman, and her feelings towards her co-wives and her husband’s concubines will not be like her feelings in this world.
In Quran, Allah SWT says:
“And We shall remove from their breasts any (mutual) hatred or sense of injury (which they had, if at all, in the life of this world); rivers flowing under them, and they will say: ‘All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has guided us to this, and never could we have found guidance, were it not that Allah had guided us! Indeed, the Messengers of our Lord did come with the truth.’ And it will be cried out to them: ‘This is the Paradise which you have inherited for what you used to do’” [7:43]
Allah is the Best of judge and we know not.
So it is not permissible for us believers to say that one of the rulings of Allah is not fair; exalted be Allah far above that!
Having said that, the gretest reward for the Muslim believers, men and women, in Jannah will be to view the Countenance (Apperance) of Allah SWT. And for the believers there will be nothing more delightful than looking at Him.
