Does the description of the Houris as "بيض مكنون" (guarded pearls/eggs) mean a yellowish-white color, and does this interpretation contradict the description of their whiteness as like pearls?
Scholars have differed on the reason for likening the Hoor al-Ain (maidens of Paradise) to hidden pearls (or guarded eggs) in the verse: "As if they were hidden pearls" (or "guarded eggs"). Some said they were likened to the inside of an egg in their whiteness, while others said they were likened to the eggs of a bird that it incubates, which tend to be yellowish. Still others said they were likened to pearls in their whiteness and purity.
The most preferred view is that their whiteness and untouched nature are likened to the whiteness of the egg inside its shell. The majority opinion is that their complexions are likened to the color of ostrich eggshells, which is a whiteness mixed with a beautiful yellowish hue, or a general simile comparing the overall beauty of the woman to the overall beauty of an egg in the proportion of the woman's parts.
Ostrich eggs were specifically chosen due to their purity, their beautiful appearance, the fact that they are laid in the wilderness and are thus kept from being touched, and because their whiteness is tinged with a yellowish hue and a luster, which is a commendable color.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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