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Fatwa CenterMeaning of {Farjaha} in verse 66:12 and {Kawaa'ib} in 78:33
Question
assalamu alaikum, In the Quran 78:33 reads: "And full-breasted [companions] of equal age" and verse 66:12 so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel In verse 66:12, does farjaha refers to private parts? Why the above verses mentions things which are sexually explicit or alluding as it would distract the readers?. Are these translations right?. Please note that these verses are quoted by enemies of islam also agains quran. One of our local scholar said that 78:33 means companions of equal age and the translation is not correct. Please explain.
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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
First of all, scholars of Tafseer had several opinions regarding the meaning of Farjaha (her Farj) in the saying of Allaah The Almighty: {Who guarded Farjaha}[Quran 66: 12] Some of them said: "It means the known private part." Some others said: "It means the neck opening of her garment in which Jibreel (Gabriel) blew and that breath went into her womb; this is how ‘Eesa (Jesus) 
was conceived."
Ibn Jareer At-Tabari 
said: "There are different opinions regarding the Farj that Allaah The Almighty said that she guarded. Some said: "It refers to her private part that she guarded against fornication. Some others said: "It means the neck opening of her garment from which she prevented Jibreel before she came to know that he was the messenger of her Lord. This is proved by His saying {So We blew into her} and this followed His saying: {Who guarded Farjaha}. They said: "In this way, the meaning is: who guarded the neck opening of her garment and We blew into it [her garment] through Our angel."
Al-Qurtubi said in his Tafseer: "{Who guarded Farjaha} meaning, who guarded her chastity and refrained from fornication. It was also said: "The word Farj means the neck opening of the garment, meaning no suspicion afflicted her garment (i.e. honor)." In other words, her garment (honor) is pure. A garment has four openings: Two sleeves and the upper and lower openings... " [End quote]
Az-Zarkashi said in Al-Burhaan: "Whoever thinks that it means the private part is really mistaken. Rather, it is one of the finest and best metonymy. It refers to the neck opening of the garment, i.e. no suspicion afflicted her garment (honor). She has pure garments (i.e. she is chaste); and the garment has four openings; two sleeves…etc." [End quote]
If we assume that what is meant is the private part, as is the view of Ibn Jareer At-Tabari then Allaah The Almighty has mentioned it about Maryam (Mary) to explain her chastity and prove her innocence of what the Jews, may Allaah curse them repeatedly, accused her of.
Hence, explicit mention of such matters that the questioner called 'sexual' is not considered dispraised in all conditions.
As for the saying of Allaah The Almighty: {Kawaa‘ib Atraaba}[Quran 78:33], {Kawaa‘ib} means round-breasted. They meant by this that the breasts of these girls will be fully rounded and not sagging, because they will be virgins. {Atraaba} means equal in age. Allaah The Almighty mentioned this description to encourage people to do their best in worshiping and obeying Him alone so that they may get such endless pleasure. Thus, telling that is not at all something shameful.
Finally, it is not strange that the enemies of Islam quote these verses to criticize the Quran. They do their utmost to criticize the Noble Book of Allaah The Almighty and His religion with all what they imagine to be defective. Allaah The Almighty, when explaining that such people will never believe even if every sign should come to them, Says (what means): {Indeed, those upon whom the word of your Lord has come into effect will not believe, even if every sign should come to them, until they see the painful punishment.}[Quran 10:96-97] So, proofs will avail nothing with them because they are arrogant and not seekers of truth.
Allaah Knows best.
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