Heavenly Women and Houries

By: Ayatullah Shaheed Sayyid Abdul Husain Dastghaib
Since the greatest physical bounty in paradise are fairies the Holy Quran makes a mention of them on various occasions. The hour is called a hour because hour means a female having a white body and Ain means a wide-eyed lady. As both these specialities are found in houirs they are called Houries. It also may be so because the whiteness in their eyes will be extremely white and the blackness also extremely black and it will make them highly attractive. The reason of naming them Houries can also be that eyes will become hairaan (spellbound) by looking at them.
Almighty Allah says: Wa Hoorun Ainun…Makoon. (Surah Wagiah 56:22-23) meaning: The Houries will be like pearls hidden in shells. There will be no dust on them neither any man or jinn will have touched them.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is reported to have said that, in paradise, a Noor (light) will appear. The people of paradise will exclaim: What kind of radiance is this? A voice will ring: A Houries has just smiled in front of her husband. This light has spread from her teeth.
The Lord Almighty also said: Inna…Abkaaraa. (Surah Waaqiah 56:35-36) meaning: We have created these Houries with Our perfect might (without parents) and We have made them ever youthful Urooban Atraaba= Those fairies who love their husbands. They will be sweet voiced having pleasing gestures. All of them will be 16 years old. So men in the paradise will be of an age of 33.
Almighty Allah says: Fee Hin Na…Tarf (Surah Rahman 55:56) meaning: There are Houries in heavenly guardens who keep their eyes low except before their husbands. They have not been touched by anyone from men or jinn except by their husbands. All of them will be as if carved in Yaaqoot and Matjaan.
Ka an na… (Surah Rahman 55:58).
It is reported that despite wearing seventy robes the inner part of the calf of the Houries will be visible as a white lining is visible from behind Yaqoot.

Houries Are Very Far From Impurities
The Lord of the Universe says: Wa Lahum…Khaalidoon (Surah Baqarah) meaning: For the faithful and righteous people there are Houries in paradise who are pure and clean in every sense. They do not menstruate. They are always from impurity and uncleanliness. They are also not proud and self centred and they do not envy one another.
It is reported that on the right hand of the hourie is written in shining letters: Al Hamdu Lillaahil Lazi Sadaqanaa Wa'Dah and on her left and hand Al Hamdu Lillahil Lazi Za Ha Ba An Nal Hazn.

Heavenly Women Are Much More Beautiful And Attractive
It must not remain unmentioned that the beauties and charm of those faithful ladies who will die with perfect faith and will enter paradise will have a charm and beauty far more surpassing the same of Houries. While explaining the meaning of the verse Feehinna Khairaatun Hisaan (70-55) it is said that there will be women in the gardens of paradise who will have the best of bodily charm and the best of spiritual excellence. Thereby meant only are these faithful Muslim and Momin women who will be entitled to paradise.
Allamah Majlisi (r.a.) has narrated Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that Khiraatun Hisaan means faithful, knowledgable Shia women who will enter paradise and who will be married with Momineens.

The Marriage Of The Women Of Paradise Will Be Of Their Own Choice
It is narrated that those women who will enter paradise and who had remain unmarried in the world or those whose husbands will not in paradise will be married off with the men in paradise of their own choice. If they had lived with more than one husbands in the world, they will remarry the last of their husbands or the one who character and good deeds were more and better.