Question: Prophetic Traditions say: "Houris are clothed in 70 garments (one over the other), yet the marrow of their leg-bones may be seen." What does this mean? What sort of beauty is this?

Answer: This Tradition has a fine meaning and a lovely beauty. In this world, which is ugly, lifeless, and for the most part just a covering, it is sufficient as long as beauty and loveliness appear to the eye as beautiful and until too much familiarity conceals it. In Paradise, which is beautiful, living, brilliant, and entirely essence or kernel without covering, like the eye, all our senses and faculties will want to receive their different pleasures from houris and from the women coming from this world, who will be even more beautiful than houris. This Tradition indicates that from the beauty of the top garment to the marrow in the bone, each will be the means of pleasure for a sense and faculty.

It also points out that the houris' adornment, physical and spiritual beauty and charm, will please, satisfy, and gratify all the yearnings of our senses, feelings, powers, and faculties for beauty, and their great fondness for pleasure and adornment. Clothed in 70 sorts of adornment of Paradise in such a way that one does not conceal another, houris display more than 70 sorts of bodily and spiritual beauty and elegance, and thereby demonstrate the truth contained in: In it (Paradise) is whatever the souls desire and the eyes delight in (43:71).[1]

This Tradition also points out that since Paradise contains no unnecessary, peeled, or shelled waste matter with sediment, its inhabitants will not excrete waste after eating and drinking. In this world, trees, the most ordinary of living beings, do not excrete despite taking in much nourishment. So why should Paradise's inhabitants, the highest category of life, excrete waste?

[1] The greatest blessing in Paradise is obtaining God's approval and good pleasure and, as implied by some verses and explicitly stated in some Traditions, seeing God beyond all concepts of quality and quantity. However, since such purely spiritual blessings are concerned rather with the élite of the believers, the Qur'an usually mentions the blessings of Paradise as if they were purely bodily pleasures. People are not composed of only the spirit, but are tripartite beings composed of a spirit, carnal soul, and flesh (the physical body). Since believers' bodies and carnal souls serve them in the world, have to endure some hardships, and are deprived of some of the worldly pleasures to be disciplined and trained, each body will be rewarded with the pleasures particular to them. However, it must not be thought that those pleasures are purely corporeal. The spiritual contentment they will give is greater than the corporeal satisfaction. For example, every person needs a friend, a companion. What most satisfies a person's human needs is having an intimate life companion with whom to share love, joy, and grief. Since the kindest and most compassionate and generous of hearts is the heart of a woman, the Qur'an mentions women as among the greatest blessings of Paradise for men, rather than vice versa. That is, in addition to the sensual pleasure she provides, the spiritual pleasure she can give to her spouse through such elevated feelings as compassion, love, and being a life-companion is greater than a man can give her. This does not mean that women in Paradise will be left without companions. The pleasure coming from mutual helping, sharing the joy and grief of one another and companionship, and that provided by love, affection, and intimacy, is much greater that the bodily pleasures men and women supply for each other. Those defeated by bodily pleasures and unaware of the spiritual pleasures included in them may see Paradise—mistakenly—as a realm of sensual enjoyment. (Tr.)

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