The Beauty of the Houri: Heavenly Virgins, Feminine Ideals

Historian Rustomji (The Garden and the Fire) traces the contested history of the Muslim image of heavenly virgins in this revealing history. She opens with a letter found in the luggage of one of the 9/11 hijackers that mentions the houri (mythical promised virgins) before giving a history of Western awareness of the concept, such as 17th-century Europeans using the term to critique Islam’s treatment of women. Nineteenth-century English writers, including Charlotte Brontë and Lord Byron, meanwhile, used houri as a term to idealize human beauty. Rustomji then shifts back to Muslim sources, excavating Koranic and classical descriptions of the houris before considering contemporary portrayals in conversion pamphlets and online sermons from, among others, Anwar al-Awlaqi. In the final chapter, she briefly explores the varied answers to what faithful Muslim women will receive in heaven to match the men’s houri. While transitions between the wide-ranging aspects of Rustomji’s argument can be abrupt, the overall sweep convinces. This comprehensive work will help scholars of Islam understand the evolving history of a powerful image. (July)