As Muslims, most of us are well aware that the whole deal of a Muslim getting 72 virgins after an act of suicide is a vile propaganda and a myth. Today I stumbled upon this interesting article that goes about debunking this myth.
It is paramount that this lie is shattered, as I have heard it being stated as a fact in more discussions than I care to remember.
The bottom line is that suicide is strictly condemned against and punishable in Islam and those people who partake in it (as a form of terrorism) are usually in a very vulnerable emotional state. These people are then exploited and manipulated by others who use this act to pursue their agenda.
well, any sane muslim will know that suicide bombings are wrong and not according to islam. as for 72 virgins, i did not read that article but as far as i have seen, there is no mention of the 72 number in hadith or quran, so i dont believe in that. Also, God has made all life in pairs, seems strange to have so many wives for one guy
You are right on that and I feel its always better when you get a more detailed insight into such things. Do give the article a read; its not that long and is informative.
However, your last point about pairs doesn’t quite cut it since there is a provision of 4 wives in Islam (though with a lot of parameters and constraints that most people fail to mention when quoting it).
Actually that “myth” might come from near-death experiences, and the spiritual realms that prophets often are in touch with.
Take a look at my blog on this subject.
I think if terrorists knew what was REALLY in store for scaring and killing people, if they knew how JUSTICE is served in the spiritual realms, you wouldn’t see this distortion of faith.
Check it out:
http://christianliberal.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/on-terrorism-martyrs-and-virgins-oh-my/
Example:
“The first thing I saw was my angry childhood. I saw myself torturing other children, stealing their bicycles or making them miserable at school. One of the most vivid scenes was of the time I picked on a child at grade school because he had a goiter that protruded from his neck. The other kids in the class picked on him too, but I was the worst. At the time I thought I was funny. But now, as I relived this incident, I found myself in his body, living with the pain that I was causing. This perspective continued through every negative incident in my childhood, a substantial number to be sure. From fifth to twelfth grade, I estimate I had at least six thousand fistfights. Now, as I reviewed my life in the bosom of the Being, I relived each of those altercations, but with one major difference: I was the receiver.”
- Dannion Brinkley, Saved by the Light
Hi Sabah, thank you for creating a blog entry on this topic. I would like to clarify some things:
- Qur’an 56:36 explains the women awarded to men in Islamic heaven are “virgins”
- Qur’an describes the attributes of these women in some detail (large eyes [37:48], voluptous [78:33] and so on)
So Qur’an itself confirms that men will be awarded multiple voluptous virgins with large eyes in paradise. The number itself then is a minor issue. That number is 72 and mentioned in the hadith.
Yes Islam prohibits suicide and there are no hadith or verses saying that suicide bombers will get 72 virgins, but rather the “righteous” will get these women as rewards.
w’salaam
Waleed