08/10/2017
Praise be to Allah.
The primary purpose of the Quran is to guide mankind to Allah, so that they will affirm His Oneness and worship Him alone, and attain His Paradise and His pleasure. The Quran is not a book of science, medicine or astronomy, even though its verses may contain a little of such things.
Hence the Muslim should not let himself be distracted from the greater purpose of reciting the Quran and look for the number of stones or rivers or kinds of animals mentioned therein.
Some precious stones such as rubies, pearls and coral are mentioned in the Quran.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
[Al-Rahman 55:58]
كَأَنَّهُنَّ الْيَاقُوتُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ
“(In beauty) they are like rubies and coral”
[Al-Rahman 55:22]
يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ
“Out of them both come out pearl and coral”
[Al-Waqiah 56:23]
"كَأَمْثَالِ اللُّؤْلُؤِ الْمَكْنُونِ"
“Like unto preserved pearls”
[Al-Insaan 76:19]
وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَانٌ مُخَلَّدُونَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ حَسِبْتَهُمْ لُؤْلُؤًا مَنْثُورًا
“And round about them will (serve) boys of everlasting youth. If you see them, you would think them scattered pearls”
These stones do not have any spiritual significance, rather they are mentioned in the Quran to explain the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon His slaves, of the seas and the things that are brought forth from them, or as a metaphor – so al-hoor al-‘iyn are likened to rubies, coral and preserved pearls, combining the purity of rubies and the whiteness of pearls and coral.
The boys are likened to scattered pearls, to indicate their beauty and good looks.
And Allah knows best.
