Hur al-ayn in Sheikh Omar Abdelkafy's lecture

Sheikh Omar Abdelkafy says that the hur al-ayn are women whom God created with His own hand and are not like the wives of this world. ¹ He holds that the women of paradise do not age and that husband and wife rise together. ²

The Sheikh cites a question some people raise: why are we limited to four wives in this world while seventy-two are mentioned in the hereafter? (needs_source) ¹. He answers with two points, the first being that the hur al-ayn are women whom God created with His own hand, unlike the wives of this world ¹.

The Sheikh says scholars have said that the wives of this world are raised in paradise to a state in which, if one of them spat into the salty, bitter sea, she would turn it fresh and sweet (needs_source) ³. He then jokes with his audience by bringing up a man's mother-in-law ³.

The Sheikh jokes about the tongue of some wives, then praises righteous, devout, worshipping women who guard what God has asked them to guard, and counts some of them among the signs of God ⁴.

The Sheikh explains the word used of the companions of paradise, atrab, as meaning that they are of one age ⁵. He jokes that marriage contracts contain no clause on a period of validity ⁵.

The Sheikh rejects the idea that the wife turns grey and ages while the husband stays young, saying that the two rise together and that this view is a kind of short-changing in dealing and in understanding ². He then begins to mention an old woman who came in to the Messenger of God ﷺ and spoke to him (needs_source) ².

The Sheikh tells a joke about a Friday preacher who saw some beautiful women and said they were the hur al-ayn, and was told that they were merely their servants ⁶.

The joke continues: the preacher sees a group more beautiful still and is told they are the attendants of the hur; he then says that when you enter your palace in paradise you will find your wife from this world waiting to receive you ⁷.

The Sheikh says the listeners were stunned that the preacher said the wife of this world would be waiting, and that one man objected humorously that the preacher seemed happy at home, whereupon the preacher told him to be quiet ⁸.