Myth: Islam Promises 72 Virgins for Martyrs Islam Promises 72 Virgins for Martyrst symbolizes a deeply entrenched misconception in the West with regards to Islam. 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.
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