A cartoon created a ruckus in the Islamic world not so long ago. But
in the midst of all the anger, many Muslims fail to realize that the
sketch is more than just an offensive drawing.

It 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.


http://groups.google.com/group/alt.religion.islam/browse_thread/thread/7e37194a323682d5

By the way, I know most people (non Muslims)  that talk about these 72 virgins already know it cannot be true. There is so much information available on the Internet that any educated person who wants to know the truth can get it under 5 minutes.

I posted the information mainly for Muslims that may be worried about the veracity of the claim

Salam,

I enjoyed reading your post. But I'll need sometimes to check the credibility of some of what you said--not because I don't believe, but that’s what the Deen teaches as the issue is quite a debateable one amongst scholars.

muhsin:

Salam,

I enjoyed reading your post. But I'll need sometimes to check the credibility of some of what you said--not because I don't believe, but that’s what the Deen teaches as the issue is quite a debateable one amongst scholars.

Excellent, thats the spirit.

real4life:

Excellent, thats the spirit.

Which spirit?

toba:

Which spirit?

Is it of any concern to you? Wonder o!

muhsin:

Is it of any concern to you?  Wonder o!

Yes it is

Can you say how, exactly? You don't know or I might help. . .

muhsin:

Can you say how, exactly? You don't know or I might help. . .

I would like to know if is d spirit of 72virgins or not&give me more info as regards d 72virgins if they really exist.Thk u

toba:

Yes it is

I am happy that he decided to do more research, because in the process we may all benefit.

Most people comment without any knowledge of the topic being discussed

toba:

I would like to know if is d spirit of 72virgins or not&give me more info as regards d 72virgins if they really exist.Thk u

The information provided here is sufficient unless you are bent on causing mischief at any cost