"The famous passage about the virgins is based on the word hur, which is an adjective in the feminine plural meaning simply "white." Islamic tradition insists the term hur stands for "houri," which means virgin, but Mr. Luxenberg insists that this is a forced misreading of the text. In both ancient Aramaic and in at least one respected dictionary of early Arabic, hur means "white raisin."
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Mr. Luxenberg has traced the passages dealing with paradise to a Christian text called Hymns of Paradise by a fourth-century author. Mr. Luxenberg said the word paradise was derived from the Aramaic word for garden and all the descriptions of paradise described it as a garden of flowing waters, abundant fruits and white raisins, a prized delicacy in the ancient Near East. In this context, white raisins, mentioned often as hur, Mr. Luxenberg said, makes more sense than a reward of sexual favors.
Additionally a friend of mine knows a professor who speaks and reads Arabic, and his specialty is the medieval period. He has an incredible gift for languages. Anyway, he explained to me that the Arabic language, like most languages, has evolved over time. So, modern Arabic is quite different that the Arabic used when the Koran was written. Back in Mohammed's time, white raisins were considered a delicacy, and the modern translation of the virgin thing, is a total mistranslation from the original. What they will actually receive when they meet Allah is 72 raisins, not virgins. Imagine the looks on their faces....
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Before you call for a lynching, I didn't write this, but I thought it was pretty funny. This isn't an anti-Islam thread, just a "be careful how you utilize ancient languages" thread.
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