In Islam, there is a lot of description of the afterlife (akhira), the most famous topic regarding Akhira is the description of paradise (Jannah) and the hell-fire (Jahannam). The knowledge of Jannah & Jahannam should make us steadfast in our Deen.
Allah [swt] is AL-‘ALEEM’ The All-Knowing. He best knows human psychology. He has described the afterlife, making it the source of motivation for people in this Duniya to strive for their ‘Aakhira.’
When speaking about Jannah, you might have heard people saying that ‘men will get Hoor-al-Ayn in Jannah!’ There is also a long going debate that ‘If men will get Hoor-al-Ayn, what will women get?’, ‘Can women have more than one man in Jannah?’, ‘Why does Allah [swt] talk about it?’
What is Hoor-al-Ayn?
Hoor-al-Ayn is the women or maidens who will accompany faithful Muslim men in paradise.
Before moving further, it needs to be clear that we shall not have the same mindset as we have now in paradise. We will be free of envy, hatred, and jealousy towards anyone in heaven, and we will be satisfied there.
Allah says, “And therein is whatever the souls desire and [what] delights the eyes.” [QURAN 43;71]
One should trust Allah [swt] because our lord never fails to fulfil his promises, everyone shall get what they desire, and everyone will be satisfied.
Allah [swt] is the justest and most merciful. He will never let you down because you’re a woman. It needs to understand that if something is not mentioned doesn’t mean it’s not there.
Women will receive only one man, but men can have ‘Hoors’ To fully understand this, we should know that Allah created men and women differently. Women and men have different desires. Behavioral psychology explains that men have a strong passion for women. By default, women tend to love a single man, but men can love more than one woman.
Man is naturally tempted by the desire of women [Quran 3:14]
Men of our society are constantly bombarded with shamelessness, which our prophet feared the most.
Our religion commands men to lower their gaze despite having the strongest desire. And the exact opposite of what is described in Jannah is that they’ll get beautiful spouses.
There will be bounties which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever perceived.” [Al-Bukhari]
It is the brilliance of Allah’s justice that the joy they denied in Duniya Allah will give them in Akhira. But one may argue that Allah [SWT] described such and such for men, but how come he didn’t say the same for women.
The rewards of women described in Jannah are more persuasive.
There is an Arabic expression: “Perhaps silence speaks more loudly than speech”
Allah SWT is silent on this doesn’t mean there are no rewards, but they are beyond words.
There are rewards for many kinds of deeds, but some are so magnificent that their rewards are unimaginable.
Then the compensation of such deeds is on Allah [SWT]; he will take care of it.
For women, the reward not to be described is not to be taken away, but actually, it’s unimaginable and beyond the comprehension of the human mind.
As stated earlier, everyone in Jannah will be satisfied, and there will not be jealousy or negativity of any kind. Also, believing women will be far superior in beauty and status to the Hoor-al-Ayn.
We are losing focus to understand that the main aim is to get there first.
We cannot desire and decide now in this Dunya. First, we need to get to Jannah. In discussing what you will have, we lose focus on getting there. When you get there, Allah will never let you down.
“Allah does not fail in his promise” [Quran 3:9]
We know from hadith that the last person who will enter Jannah will be given not just equivalent to the entire Duniya and what it contains but ten times.
This is only a description to bring it close to the mind; nothing we got in this world qualifies to come near what we will get in Jannah.
But what is the point of all of this when we haven’t prepared for it?