Age of women in Paradise
Fatwa No: 133535

Question

I heard a reliable scholar mentioning in his lecture that "men would enter Jannah between 30-33 and women would enter between the age of 17-19" When I asked the scholar who mentioned it He couldn't recall the exact details .... when I asked him about the Ahadeeth which specify the age of 30/33 for the people of Jannah - he replied that they don't specify women and when the Prophet (SAWS) said this .... in all such narrations he (SAWS) wasn't addressing females
When I discussed this with another senior scholar ........ he told me that he had read about this in some Tafseer but he couldn't recall any further details & the name of the tafsir.
He said that one possible explanation to reconcile the Ayaah 33 of Surah Nabaa:
وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًا
with this particular opinion is that "maidens of equal age" in this Ayaah can imply that female companions in Jannah will all be of the same age.
It does not imply that they are of the same age as that of the men.
My Question: What is the basis from the texts for the the scholar making the distinction between the age of people in Jannah.
Who is the Salaf for such an opinion ?
Which Tafseer mentions such a view ?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

 

Authentic texts have been reported about the age of the people of Paradise that all of them will be at the same age, which is thirty three. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said: “The people of Paradise will enter Paradise hairless (in their body), beardless, white colored, curly haired, with their eyes anointed with kohl, aged thirty three years.” [Ahmad]

This applies to all the people of Paradise and we are not aware of any evidence that women are different from men in this regard.

When interpreting the verse in which Allaah Says (what means): {And with them will be women limiting [their] glances and of equal age.}[Quran 38:52], Al-‘Ayni said: “This means that they [the women] will have the same age, thirty three years old.”

Moreover, no scholar among the Salaf (righteous predecessors) has ever distinguished between the age of men and that of women.

As regards the Shaykh whom you mentioned in the question, then you may ask him about his evidence for his claim.

Furthermore, the Saying of Allaah (which means): {And full-breasted [companion] of equal age.}[Quran 78:33], means as stated by the scholars of interpretation of the Quran that they are of the same age.

The verse did not determine the age, so it does not contradict the Ahaadeeth that determined the age of the people of Paradise.

Allaah Knows best.

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