Myth: Islam Promises 72 Virgins for Martyrs

[Kayid Al-Kuffar]

Myth: Islam Promises 72 Virgins for Martyrs

............. 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.

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