{"product_id":"the-beauty-of-the-houri-heavenly-virgins-feminine-ideals-hardcover","title":"The Beauty of the Houri: Heavenly Virgins, Feminine Ideals - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eNerina Rustomji\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA captivating look at the history of the pure females of Islamic paradise known as the houri\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe fascination with the houri, the pure female of Islamic paradise, began long before September 11, 2001. \u003cem\u003eBeauty of the Houri: Heavenly Virgins, Feminine Ideals\u003c\/em\u003e demonstrates how the ambiguous reward of the houri, mentioned in the Qur)qan and developed in Islamic theological writings, has gained a distinctive place in the cultural eye from the seventeenth to the twenty-first century. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe houri had multiple functions in Islamic texts that ranged from caretaker, to pure companion, to personal entertainment. French, English, and American writers used the houri to critique Islam and Muslim societies, while also adopting the houri as a model of feminine beauty. Unlike earlier texts that presented different forms of the houri or universalized the houri for all women, writings about the houri after September 11th offer contradictory messages about Islam. In the twenty-first century, the image of the houri has come to symbolize a reward for violence and the possibility of gender parity. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs a cosmic figure that inspires enduring questions about the promise of paradise and the idealized feminine form, the houri has a singular past and broad potential for future interpretation. \u003cem\u003eThe Beauty of the Houri\u003c\/em\u003e narrates an intellectual history of the houri and offers a contemporary account of how theological ambiguity has led to different interpretations of this powerfully enduring Islamic concept.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNerina Rustomji \u003c\/strong\u003eis an Associate Professor of History at St. John's University. She specializes in the intellectual and cultural formation of Islamic societies and the Middle East. Her first book \u003cem\u003eThe Garden and the Fire: Heaven and Hell in Islamic Culture \u003c\/em\u003enarrates a history of heaven and hell in\u003cbr\u003eIslamic texts, material cultures, and book arts from the seventh century C.E. project. \u003cem\u003eThe Beauty of the Houri \u003c\/em\u003ereceived fellowship support from the American Council of Learned Societies, the American Center of Oriental Research in Amman, Jordan, and The New York Public Library.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 248\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 8.3 x 5.7 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 03, 2021\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52148413169895,"sku":"9780190249342","price":33.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0793\/8329\/8279\/files\/e94c18f3785484d22c4d80ff8b525609_dc8a9380-0994-4f92-a0ba-555bc93f1e2c.webp?v=1780385604","url":"https:\/\/skinnonsmooth.myshopify.com\/products\/the-beauty-of-the-houri-heavenly-virgins-feminine-ideals-hardcover","provider":"SkinnOnSmooth","version":"1.0","type":"link"}