Myth: Islam Promises 72 Virgins for Martyrs
MUSLIMS ARE GOOD FOLKS
............. It is a myth repeated so often that many have accepted it as
truth and evidence of an obviously insane religion. It is the myth of the 72
virgins.
Today, when news of suicide bombing appears in the headlines, it is
automatically assumed that some crazy Arab must have decimated himself to
have sex with his virgins in paradise.
Islam does not promise 72 virgins, or any forms of reward whatsoever for
anyone who commits suicide. It is a totally absurd lie.
The virgin myth has understandably received more than its fair share of
publicity due to its hilarity and �romance�. The image of a lunatic suicide
bomber taking his pick from 72 luscious virgins fires up the imagination of
anybody with a libido. At the very least, it makes for a particularly
gratifying affirmation for those who would love to see Islam go down the
gutters.
The harsh punishment that Islam bestows upon its followers who commit murder
and suicide has been spelt out very clearly in the Quran:
But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill
(or destroy) yourselves: for verily God hath been to you Most Merciful! If
any do that in rancor and injustice, soon shall We cast them into the Fire:
And easy it is for God.
Chapter 4 (Surah An-Nisa): Verse 29 - 30
Besides that, suicide has also been highlighted as a major sin with dire
consequences in several authentic Hadith, or sayings of the Prophet. Two of
the more commonly quoted sayings are as follows:
Narrated Jundab the Prophet said, �A man was inflicted with wounds and he
committed suicide, and so Allah said: My slave has caused death on himself
hurriedly, so I forbid Paradise for him.� (Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number
445)
Narrated Thabit bin Ad-Dahhak:�And if somebody commits suicide with anything
in this world, he will be tortured with that very thing on the Day of
Resurrection. (Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 73)
The condemnation Islam has towards suicide is so grave that it would be
unthinkable for its followers to regard sex as a reward if they were to take
their lives. So how was this myth engineered in the first place and where
does the figure of 72 virgins come about?
It comes from an alleged saying of the Prophet which has not been verified
nor authenticated. Muslims refer to these dubious sayings as Gharib Hadiths
and largely do not believe in them. Even then, nothing in it mentioned
virgins:
The Prophet Muhammad was heard as saying: �The smallest reward for the
people of Paradise is an abode where there are 80,000 servants and 72 wives,
over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine, and ruby, as
wide as the distance from Al-Jabiyyah (a Damascus suburb) to Sana�a
(Yemen)� - Sunan al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2562
Again, it must be stressed upon that the above saying cannot be verified as
authentic due to the fact that there is a discrepancy in its Sanad, or chain
of transmitters. As such, Muslims are not required to believe in these
Hadith for there is a chance that it may have been fabricated or corrupted
along the way.
Even so, as dubious as it may be, nowhere does it mention anything about
virgins being rewarded to anyone who commit suicide for any reason. What it
does mention however are wives, which scholars have argued, should not be
translated literally for it may convey a metaphorical meaning. Like
mentioned, even Muslims do not believe that Hadith, but westerners have
definitely made hay with it.
Today, the myth of the 72 virgins remains potent ammunition for those who
wish to see their point of view prevail against Islam. Entities like the
media have twisted this alleged saying to suit their fancies and smear Islam
with ridicule and humiliation.
So, when a Palestinian youth is driven to kill him self to destroy Israeli
soldiers, it is because he wants to indulge himself in endless heavenly
erotica. It is never about the mistreatment of the Israelis. Nothing is done
to show the real reason why so many young chaps have offered to give up
their lives.
Suicide killing is a phenomenon of desperation. From the days Kamikaze
pilots fly themselves onto American ships, to Tamil rebels exploding
themselves in political rallies, to wayward fanatics flying into buildings �
suicide killers are people driven to the edge.
While the act of committing suicide to kill others should be deplored, it is
perhaps more important to examine what drives them to do it. Men with wives
and families do not just kill themselves. Very often, people fail to see the
real reason why such an act of desperation is undertaken but instead
conveniently believes in myths such as the 72 virgins.
_________________
� Muhammad Ridzwan Rahmat. Do link back should you want to reproduce this
article.