It seems that heavan has been created for men because they will have so many wives. Every source I read about heavan it only refers to men. There is nothing for women to look forward to in Jannah other than green clothes and gold combs. All the references about beauty are associated to houris not the worldly women who worshipped and suffered and lived in the obedience of their husbands throughout her life.
So can one say women will be lower class citizens in Jannah?
Usually most men want more than one wife but because it is easier to look after one they keep one, all women want to just be the only one for their husbands. So why in Jannah will mens desire for more than one be fulfilled but women’s desire will not be fulfilled and will have to watch and wait for thei husbands to come back to them after spending time with the houris and having sex with them who did’nt worship God or suffer on the world. It looks as though that heavan is only for men?
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
There will be two types of women in Jannat:-
The first type is the human woman of the world who will be re-created according to the beauty of Jannat.
Allah Ta’ala says:
إنا أنشأناهن إنشاء (35) فجعلناهن أبكارا (36) عربا أترابا (37)
“We created them as a new creation. And we made them virgins, loving to their husbands, equal in age.” [56: 35-37]
Allah Ta’ala will make old women into young women and non-virgins to virgins. No matter how their appearance was in this world, Allah Ta’ala will make them all beautiful and good looking in accordance to the beauty of Jannat. [Safwat At-tafaasir 3/309- Darul Qalam, Beirut]
Once Mufti Mahmood Saheb (Rahmatullahi ‘alayhi) was asked that if men will receive Hurs, what will the women receive? He replied that the wives of the believers will stay with their own husbands. Women who never married in this world will be given a choice to get married with any (unmarried) man they wish. If they do not like any of them, a special man will be created for them (similar to the Hurs) and Allah Ta’ala will join both of them in marriage. [Fataawa Mahmoodiyyah 5/298]
Allamah Alusi (Rahmatullahi ‘alayhi) also mentions in his tafseer that a person’s wife in this world will remain his wife hereafter. [Ruhul Ma’ani 25/136- Dar Ihya At-Tawrath Al-A’rabi, Beirut]
The love between a Muslim husband and wife is a true love because it will last forever and in fact the wife will be the queen of all the Hurs.
To show the superiority of human women over the Hurs it have been made mention in a hadeeth that Umm Salama (Radhiyallaahu ‘anha) narrates that she said to Rasulullaah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi Wassallam),
المعجم الأوسط – (3 / 278)
3141 – حدثنا بكر قال نا عمرو بن هاشم البيروتي قال نا سليمان بن ابي كريمة عن هشام بن حسان عن الحسن عن أمه عن أم سلمة زوج النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قالت …الي قولها… قلت يا رسول الله أنساء الدنيا أفضل أم الحور العين قال بل نساء الدنيا أفضل من الحور العين كفضل الظهارة على البطانة قلت يا رسول الله وبم ذاك قال بصلاتهن وصيامهن وعبادتهن لله عز و جل ألبس الله عز و جل وجوههن النور وأجسادهن الحرير بيض الألوان خضر الثياب صفر الحلي مجامرهن الدر وأمشاطهن الذهب يقلن إلا نحن الخالدات فلا نموت أبدا إلا ونحن الناعمات فلا نبؤس أبدا ألا ونحن المقيمات فلا نظعن أبدا إلا ونحن الراضيات فلا نسخط أبدا طوبى لمن كنا له وكان لنا
“Oh Rasulullah! Are the women of this world superior or the Hurs?” He replied, “The women of this world will have superiority over the Hurs just as the outer lining of a garment has superiority over the inner lining. “Umm Salama” then asked, “Oh Rasulullah! What is the reason for this? He answered, “Because they performed Salah, fasted, and worshipped [Allah]. Allah Ta’ala 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 jewellery. 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.” [Recorded in At-Tibraani 3/278]
إتحاف الخيرة المهرة – (8 / 153)
فكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول : والذي بعثني بالحق ما أنتم في الدنيا بأعرف بأزواجهم ومساكنهم من أهل الجنة بأزواجهم ومساكنهم ، فيدخل رجل منهم على ثنتين وسبعين زوجة فيما ينشئ وثنتين من ولد آدم لهما فضل على ما أنشأ الله بعبادتهما الله في الدنيا
Muhammed ibn Ka’b Al-Qurazi t narrates from a person of the Ansâr (people of Madînah) that Rasûlullah SAW said, “I take the oath of that Being who sent me with the truth, you are not more acquainted with your wives and houses than the people of Jannah. A person of Jannah will come to 72 wives which Allah specially created in Jannah (hûrs) and 2 human wives. The human wives will have virtue over the [hûrs] because they worshipped Allah in the world.” (Targheeb Vol.4 Pg.534, Ithaaf al-khiyarah al-maharah)
These two Ahadith clearly show that a woman of this world will be greater and of a higher class than the women of the hereafter. The underlying reason of being given this preference is because of the worship and endurance which the women of this world had to bear.
Furthermore, Allah Ta’ala will make the women of this world more beautiful and attractive than the Hurs. She will be the queen. Wherever in the Quran mention is made of the women of Jannat, both the Hurs and the human women could be meant.
Another interpretation of the verse “equal in age” is that the women of Jannat will all be equal in age, which will ensure that they get along with one another and make the believer’s life peaceful. [Ruhul Ma’ani 13/220].
It is normally the case this in world that the co-wives have quarrels and arguments which make the husband’s life miserable. However, in Jannat there will not be any jealousy, malice or hatred between the people. Ahaadeeth in Sahih Bukharee and Sahih Muslim mentions that the hearts of the people of Jannat will be one and there will not be any difference between them. Allah Ta’ala also says in this regard:
“And we will take out all (mutual) hatred from their hearts.” [7:43]
This will ensure that all of a person’s wives will get along and will never become jealous of one another.
On the other hand, a person will receive everything that he/she ever desired in Jannat. As Allah Ta’ala says:-
وفيها ما تشتهيه الأنفس وتلذ الأعين وأنتم فيها خالدون (71)
“And in Jannah you will get whate“And in Jannat will be whatever the inner-soul desires and whatever the eye finds pleasure in, and you will stay there forever.” [Qur’an 43:71]
Furthermore He says:-
ولكم فيها ما تشتهي أنفسكم ولكم فيها ما تدعون (31)
“And in Jannah you will get whatever your souls desire and whatever you ask for” (Fussilat, 31)
Everything in Jannat will be in accordance with a person’s desires and wishes. If that is your desire to be with your husband all the time, definitely Allah Ta’ala will grant it to you.
As he made mentioned in Holy Qura’an:
والذين آمنوا واتبعتهم ذريتهم بإيمان ألحقنا بهم ذريتهم وما ألتناهم من عملهم من شيء كل امرئ بما كسب رهين (21)
“And those who believed and whose descendants followed them in faith – We will join with them their descendants, and We will not deprive them of anything of their deeds. Every person, for what he/she earned, is retained.”
Therefore we should bear in mind that Almighty Allah in his infinite wisdom and knowledge has created men and women from a single being and it is only Allah Ta’ala who knows the true biological, mental and spiritual structure of each individual, their needs and desires; hence Allah Ta’ala can do as He wishes and there is none to question His authority.
And Allah knows best
Wassalamu Alaikum
Ml. Ismail Moosa,
Ml. Mohammad Ashhad bin Said,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah