Reconstructing Beauty Series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI

In an enlightening hadith (prophetic narration), the Prophet ﷺ tells us that no one with an ounce of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise. In seeking to understand what arrogance means, the companions asked “O Prophet of Allah, what if a person likes to dress well?” The Prophet ﷺ responded, “Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Arrogance is rejecting truth and looking down on people” [Muslim]

Allah is Beautiful

Let us first think about Allah’s Beauty. None of us have seen Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), so how can we even begin to contemplate His magnificence?

Allah (swt) gives us clues. He calls the sun, the moon, the stars, the skies, and the mountains ‘signs’. And what is a sign except something that leads us to something greater—to a logical conclusion, to the source of that sign?

Instead of writing, I want to just post some breathtaking pictures and videos of the universe. I can describe their beauty all I want, but there is nothing like experiencing something for yourself. If you are able to take a few moments to reflect in nature, please do.

Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “And it is enough to realize Allah’s Beauty when we know that every internal and external beauty in this life and the next are created by Him, so what of the beauty of their Creator?”

Our faith in Allah’s beauty should strengthen our connection with our Lord. It increases our love for Him and our longing to return to Him—to be able to see just a glimpse of Him. The Prophet ﷺ made the following du`a’ (supplication): “I ask of You the joy of looking on Your noble countenance and of my longing to be with You.” [Nisa’i]

Another aspect of Allah’s Beauty is in His actions. Allah is Beautiful in His Mercy, and His Mercy is manifested in the mercy He has bestowed upon people in terms of what he has proved for them, but also in the mercy that His creation show to each other. Look at a mother’s ability to forget the pains of childbirth as soon as she holds her newborn in her arms. A father’s patient answering of the same question his child asks for the 60th time. A stranger who helps an elderly person cross the street.

This is all part of Allah’s Beauty – so how can we not long to meet Him on the Day of Judgment?

He loves Beauty

The One who is the Most-Beautiful, and who is the source of all Beauty, surely knows what true beauty is. So what is the beauty that Allah (swt) loves? Ibn Al-Qayyim said that it pertains to two things: Firstly beautifying ourselves outwardly, and secondly beautifying ourselves inwardly.

Contrary to what some might think, outward beauty is important in Islam. At the very basic level is cleanliness. We are told “Cleanliness is half of faith” [Muslim]. Moreover, people are discouraged from attending the mosque if they have eaten garlic or onion because the odor may bother other people.

At the aesthetic level, we are encouraged to be well-dressed and presentable. As the hadith showed us, dressing well is not considered showing off, unless it is done for that purpose or to show that one is better than others. But dressing well is a sign of dignity. The Prophet ﷺ said “Allah loves to see the affects of His grace upon His servant.” [Tirmidhi] All of this pertains to outward beauty. We all incline towards that kind of beauty, in one way or another.

But if what we consider beautiful is touched by what doesn’t please Allah (swt), it ceases to be beautiful. It is just hawa (our own whims) which are affected by the messages that bombard us everyday in advertisements, magazines and movies. Allah tells us about the hypocrites “And when you see them, their forms please you, and if they speak, you listen to their speech.” [Qur’an, 63:4] They looked a certain way that was pleasing to other people, and they were charismatic when they spoke—but they were hypocrites. Their outward form did not make up for what was missing in their hearts. The Prophet ﷺ also says “Allah does not look at your appearance or your possessions; but He looks at your heart and your deeds.” [Muslim] So beautifying ourselves outwardly, while commendable and can take different forms in different cultures, is tempered by what is beautiful to Allah. No matter how elegant a shirt is, if it does not cover our ‘awra (parts of the body that must be covered), it is not beautiful to Allah (swt). Once a companion was wearing a gold ring, presumably because he did not know that it was prohibited for men. When he heard the Prophet ﷺ say it is forbidden, he immediately removed it and threw it away. It may have been a beautiful ring, it may have been an expensive ring, but in his eyes it was nothing because it was not beautiful to the Creator of beauty.

The real beauty that is evident to anyone is inner beauty. If the inside is beautiful, it beautifies what is outside. How many of us have met people whose inner light shines through? The Prophet ﷺ describes a “seemingly disheveled, dusty, negligible person, but if he would swear to God, He would respond to him,” (Tirmidhi). These are the people of true beauty to Allah (swt) because of the beauty in their hearts. They are a people who love to spend time with Allah, and if they are with people, they are in their service.

Look at the inner beauty of the Prophet ﷺ. There was an old woman who detested the Prophet ﷺ even though she had never met him. One day the Prophet ﷺ saw that she needed help and he proceeded to help her. So she thought she would give him advice, and the ‘advice’ was to warn him against the Prophet ﷺ. He simply smiled and listened to what she said. She later found out that he was the Prophet ﷺ. You cannot help but love someone with that kind of inner light.

And if Allah loves your inner beauty, what happens? Allah tells us in a hadith Qudsi:

“When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it.” [Bukhari]

So let us beautify ourselves outwardly for His sake by being clean and presentable ambassadors of His religion, and let us beautify ourselves inwardly by adorning ourselves with God-consciousness and good manners.

Reconstructing Beauty Series:

What comes to your mind when I say, “A beautiful Muslim woman”? Many of us may think of a woman in hijab (headscarf) or modest attire. Hijab is indeed beautiful, but by thinking Islamic beauty is only because of hijab, we are perpetuating the idea that beauty exclusively applies to an image.

While our religion teaches us to take care of our bodies and to maintain a pleasant physical appearance, it also emphasizes the need for every individual to develop an inward beauty: a beauty that comes with knowing Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) and obeying Him, and that transcends the mere image of a person.  This inward beauty can actually become so radiant that it manifests in a person’s external appearance. It is for this reason that some of the righteous people of the past would comment on the physical beauty of those who prayed during the night or performed other righteous deeds.  Our Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) mentioned again and again the beauty of he or she who embodies good character. He ﷺ also emphasized to those seeking marriage to look for the one who is beautiful as a result of their character and religion. In this way, Islam defines beauty as something more profound than just the physical.

Our history is filled with beautiful women, women who were devout in their service to God and who lived lives of purpose and meaning.  Their beauty is so much more than physical appearance; we see in them the beauty of character, morals, deeds, speech and lifestyle.

While there are multitudes of incredible women to select from in our tradition, I have specifically chosen not as well known women who will shatter our narrow perceptions of beauty and break the stereotypes of how a “righteous Muslim woman” should or should not be. Here is a brief glimpse into their lives.

A West African Beauty: Princess Nana Asma’u

We begin with the story of Nana Asma’u, the daughter of Uthman don Fodio, who was not only a renowned scholar of her time, but a poet, a political and social activist, and a creative intellectual. She is considered to be one of the greatest women of 19^th century Islamic communities. She was born in 1793 in modern-day Nigeria. A princess with an impressive lineage, she was named after a hero in Islamic heritage—Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr, who was a strong woman in her support of Islam. She was raised in a supportive Islamic household, having not only memorized the Qur’an, but extensively learned the Islamic sciences and four languages as well.

Asma’u believed in women having a role in society and she led the women of her time by example throughout her life. One of her greatest achievements was compiling the extensive collection of writings of her father after he passed away when she was 27. The degree of respect the scholarly community had for Asma’u is seen here because they chose her to complete such a monumental task. Not only did this job require someone trustworthy, but also someone who was familiar with his writings and was well-versed in the Islamic sciences.

When she was a mother of two and pregnant with her third child, Asma’u completed the translation of the Qur’an in her native tongue and also translated her father’s work into the various dialects of the community. This shows her concern for her community and her desire to bring the knowledge of the Qur’an and Islam to her people.

Asma’u saw a dire need for the teachings of Islam to reach the women in her community and beyond the Sokoto region. She saw that women were absent from the circles of knowledge and stayed in their homes as they tended to their familial duties. Asma’u came up with a brilliant idea to not only teach these women but to teach them in the comfort of their homes. It was then that she gathered knowledgeable women in her community and trained them as teachers. This group, known as jajis, traveled to neighboring communities to bring Islamic knowledge to secluded women. This movement was called the Yan-taru movement, which means “those who congregate together” and “sisterhood”. Asma’u taught the jajis to use lesson plans, poetry, and creative mnemonic devices in their teachings.

Nana Asma’u, by the grace and guidance of Allah (swt), revolutionized the way her community learned Islam. She brought the knowledge of the religion to the people in an easy to remember fashion and wrote in their language. Her legacy is a legacy of scholarship and activism, and her name is still used today in West Africa.

A Beautiful Healer: Al-Shifa bint Abdullah

Al-Shifa was one of the early Muslims at the time of the Prophet ﷺ. Her given name was Layla and she embraced Islam in Makkah. Al-Shifa (which means a healer by God’s permission) was the nickname given to her because of her extensive knowledge of ruqya (the art of reciting supplications to use for healing), which she practiced during her days before accepting Islam. She remained in Makkah until the community of Muslims migrated to Madinah.

Until she gained the permission from the Prophet ﷺ, Al-Shifa did not practice ruqya. The Prophet ﷺ   not only gave her permission to do so, but he asked her to teach it to his wife, Hafsa.

Al-Shifa had another valuable skill, which was literacy. Having learned to read and write early on in her life, she used this skill to help the Muslim community. She taught many of the Muslim women to read and write, including some of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ.

We see her name today in the collections such as Bukhari as a narrator in the chain. Her son and some of her grandchildren as well are mentioned in these chains as having narrated from her. Al-Shifa was a special member of the community, having unique skills that made her stand out amongst the early women of Islam.

A Beautiful Worshipper: Mu’adha al-‘Adawiyah

Our next beauty, while known for her scholarly endeavors, is a woman I would like to highlight for her worship and asceticism. Mu’adha, from Basra (Iraq), was from the generation of Muslims who were born during the era of the Companions. She studied with the major companions including A’isha radi Allahu `anha (may God send peace and blessings on her), ibn Abbas (ra), and Ali (ra). This generation, known as Al-Tabi`in (those who followed), was the generation of many luminaries of Islamic history.

Whenever her name is mentioned in classical books of history and hadith (prophetic narrations), two things are always mentioned: her worship and her marriage. Her husband, also a scholar, was Silah ibn Ashim. Whenever he is mentioned, it is noted that he was her wife, and vice-versa when she was mentioned. They were a tag-team of knowledge and their love for each other was visible to those around them. Their relationship was narrated to us through her students who would share how she spoke of him after he died. In one instance she said, “I do not wish to live a longer life in this world for the sake of pleasures or comfort; rather I wish to live longer to come closer to my Lord so that He may unite me with my husband and children in Paradise.”

She was known for her worship, especially the night vigils (qiyam al-layl). She used to stand up during the night, supplicating to Allah (swt) and asking for His salvation. She would discipline and admonish herself by telling herself things like, “I am amazed at how I can sleep now while I know there will be a lengthy rest in darkness of the grave.” She also advised her daughter as she cried, “My dear daughter, be of those who worship Allah with hope and fear. Hope will fill us with serenity on the Day we meet our Lord, and fear will keep us safe on the Day mankind stands before their Lord.”

While on her deathbed, these two qualities of her worship and her marriage were displayed again. When one of her students visited her, she saw her cry and then laugh. Those around her asked, “What made you cry, and what made you laugh?” She said, “The thought of not being able to fast, pray, and remember Allah made me cry. As for my laughing, I saw my husband who died before me wearing two beautiful green garments among a large group of people. By Allah, I have never seen more beautiful people in this world—so I laughed at him.” She died before the next prayer time.

A Modern-Day Beauty: Bint al-Shati’

Our final beauty is from a more recent generation, close to our time. Aisha bint AbdulRahman, known by her pen name Bint al-Shati’, died in 1998 at the age of 85. She was born in Damietta, Egypt, in 1913. She began her studies early, memorizing the Qur’an at age five. It was accepted during that time period for women not to go to school, yet Aisha convinced her family to let her enroll in school and study in a neighboring city. Her father, a scholar at the prestigious Al-Azhar University, opposed this idea at first but embraced it at the urging of Aisha and her grandfather, the grand Imam of Al-Azhar. By 1950, Aisha became a lecturer at various universities and completed up to a doctorate degree. In 1962, she was appointed the president of the Arabic and Islamic Studies Department at Ain Shams University in Cairo.

Aisha recognized the need for positive Muslim women role models during this time in Egypt. Using her knowledge and writing abilities, Aisha began an extensive collection of writings from books, research papers and newspaper articles advocating for women’s rights and bringing Islam to the common folk. She chose the pen name Bint al-Shati’, meaning “daughter of the riverbank” to pay homage to her childhood near the Nile delta. She wrote about issues of social reform such as a woman’s role in advancing her family and raising awareness of the issues surrounding the peasants of the countryside. She wrote about Arabic literature, the Prophetic biography (seerah) and Qur’anic exegesis. One of her most famous works was the detailed biographies of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ, a work which was geared towards the Muslims of her generation.

Aisha’s home life was strong as well. Her husband not only encouraged her as she wrote and taught, but he even supervised her masters. This shows how their relationship was based on mutual support and love for one another. She won many awards during her life, including the prestigious King Faisal’s Award for Literature and Islamic Studies from Saudi Arabia in 1994. Aisha left over 40 books and hundreds of articles when she died in 1998, and her name is still mentioned as a modern woman scholar and social worker.

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Now that you have read about these women, do you not think they are beautiful? Do you not think the beauty of a woman goes beyond her physical features? We learned from the creativity and scholarship of Asma’u, the pioneering qualities of Al-Shifa, the spirituality and worship of Mu’adha, and the courage and advocacy of Aisha. These women who were from all over the world with many centuries between them teach us the importance of having high aspirations. Each of them had beautifully distinct qualities that they used to better themselves and those around them. They knew of their talents and aspired to do great things with them. By expanding our notions of beauty to outside of the purely physical realm, we can focus on what is really important: utilizing our God-given talents to help ourselves in this life and the next. Let us focus more on our inward beauty, the beauty that comes with believing in and worshipping God, and pray we can be like these women in their beautiful devotion.

Sources

Yusha’u, Jameel M. (2004). Nana Asma’u Tradtion: An Intellectual Movement and a Symbol of Women Rights in Islam During the 19^th Century DanFodio’s Islamic Reform. Retrieved from: http://www.gamji.com/article3000/NEWS3642.htm

Al-‘Affani, S. (2009) Ruhban al-Layl. Cairo: Dar al-‘Affani (Arabic).

Bint al-Shati’ article (2008). Retrieved from: http://www.alarab.co.uk/Previouspages/North%20Africa%20Times/2008/04/27-04/NAT242704.pdf

Reconstructing Beauty Series:

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Americans spent nearly $10 billion on over 9 million cosmetic procedures in 2011. The latter represents a whopping 197% increase in the total number of procedures performed in 2007. ((Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank Statistics (2009-2011). <http://www.surgery.org/sites/default/files/ASAPS-2011-Stats.pdf>)) Some of the reasons cited for these alterations were to correct abnormalities, but most were for purely cosmetic reasons.

While the beauty, fashion and entertainment industries make big bucks on selling the newest standards of beauty and physical appeal, we as a society are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with our appearances. We are feeling more self-conscious, more deficient and even less beautiful. Why?

Because we’re being told—implicitly or explicitly— that we are not enough. We’re not good enough, thin enough, or attractive enough; that our skin does not look young or light enough. We are always broken, blemished, or scarred, and we need fixing. There is always a new standard or method for enhancing everything from our skin, hair, lips and nails, to almost every inch of our body—and it’s impossible to keep up. So many succumb to society’s pressure to conform, and they go to great lengths to surgically alter their bodies, inject foreign objects in them, starve themselves or follow strict diets or exercise programs—all in an effort to look more beautiful and desirable.

As my dear sister Jinan explained eloquently in the second article of this series, Islam encourages outward beauty, cleanliness and beautiful dress. We adorn our bodies with nice clothes and maintain good hygiene because this is what God loves. We also do our best to eat healthy and stay fit because our bodies are a trust from God, and because better health gives us more energy to serve God and society better. These are all admirable efforts, when done moderately. What I am addressing here is how we view the natural physical form of our bodies; what we were born with or what developed over time because of genetic influences.

It is important to remember that God is our Maker—He made you the way you are—your unique color, shape, hair and facial features. In His eyes, you are beautiful—no matter what society says. He says, “Surely, we have created the human being in the finest stature,” (Qur’an, 95:4). He fashioned you in your mother’s womb, brought you into this world knowing nothing, and then beautified your heart and mind with faith, wisdom and intelligence. Even before you were born, He honored you; He created your father, Adam, with His Own Blessed Two Hands, breathed His spirit into him, and made the angels prostrate to him out of respect.

Throughout your life, He showers you with beautiful gifts; He provides you with experiences that inspire you, teach you, and make you feel joy, connectedness and love towards Him and others. He gives you a lifetime to invest in the beauty of the Eternal life with gorgeous homes, companions, flowing rivers, and blessings that you cannot even imagine. Now, who could dare touch your feelings of self-worth after that?

Underneath the superficial layers of different physical features, skin colors and types of dress, all of us have hearts and souls that long and plead for the same deep connection with their Creator. As Ibn Al-Qayyim (may God have mercy on him) says, “Truly, in the heart there is a void that cannot be removed except with the company of God; and in it there is a sadness that cannot be removed except with the happiness of knowing God and being true to Him; and in it there is an emptiness that cannot be filled except with love for Him and turning to Him and always remembering Him; and if a person were given the entire world and what is in it, it would never fill that emptiness.” ((Madarij As-salikeen))

So no matter how much we alter and reshape our physical form, it will not fill the void in our hearts that is reserved for God. When we follow our desires and the ever-changing whims of creation, we chain our souls down to the lowly, fleeting life—and away from God. But when we connect our hearts and minds to the Eternally Permanent One, Al-Baqi, our souls are freer to draw closer to Him. Reflect for a moment on this hadith (narration) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him): “Prayer is light; charity is a proof, patience is illumination; and the Qur’an is an argument for or against you. Everyone starts his/her day and is a vendor of his/her soul, either freeing it or bringing about its ruin.” [Muslim]

When our souls are liberated, we see Reality for what it really is; that physical beauty fades, and that the beauty and light of our faith, character and actions are what bring us true bliss and deeply satisfying relationships in this life, along with a more permanent relationship with God and eternal bliss and in the Hereafter. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would supplicate, “O Allah, as You have made my appearance beautiful, make my character beautiful,” (Allahumma kama hassanta khalqi fa hassin khuluqi).

That beautiful character is in sincere intentions, in our positive attitude, and in a graceful smile. It’s in showing abundant gratitude and forgiveness, in overlooking people’s faults, in giving generously of your love and time to support others, and in treating people with respect, mercy and gentleness. As Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Gentleness is not in something except that it adorns it, and it is not stripped from something except that it ruins it.” [Muslim]

So, rather than striving to perfect a body that will, one day, end up covered in dirt, how about we turn to what truly matters? Instead of facelifts and breast enhancements, perhaps we ought to focus more on uplifting our faith and morality; and instead of dwelling over fat layers and contemplating liposuction, we might want to work on suctioning the arrogance, pride and anger from our hearts; and instead of eyelid surgeries—yes, those exist—we would prosper more if we considered the virtues of lowering our gazes and turning our faces and hearts toward God’s light and guidance. These are the changes that yield the most beautiful, long-lasting effects in this life and the Next.

“So direct your face toward the religion, with pure faith. This is the natural disposition God instilled in mankind—there is no altering God’s creation. This is the upright religion, though most people do not realize it.” (Qur’an, 30:30)

Reconstructing Beauty Series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI

We live in a time of incredible focus on physical appearances and image.  In our upcoming series Reconstructing Beauty – to be posted every Wednesday for the next five weeks, inshaAllah – some of our best writers here at VirtualMosque.com will be exploring an array of topics related to beauty, image and perception.

Jinan Yousef, author of many of our most popular series, including an ongoing feature on the Names of God, will begin by discussing Divine beauty, beauty from the perspective of the Divine, and the prophetic tradition that teaches us, “God is beautiful and loves beauty.”

In her usual poignant style, Naiyerah Kolkailah will reflect on the personal and larger effects of our perceptions of beauty, and contrast popular standards and expectations of image to those based on religious precepts.

Author and translator Amatullah will offer us glimpses into the lives of some amazing women from the history of our religious tradition, women who perhaps had a different, more spiritually grounded perspective of what a beautiful woman is and should be.

Shazia Ahmad will give a critical analysis of our culture’s fixation on youth and youthfulness, and how this relates to our perceptions of age, maturity and wisdom.

Finally, teacher and upcoming al-Azhar University graduate Muslema Purmul will conclude the series with some profound reflections on modesty and self-awareness, and their connections with gender relations in a Western context.

From popular perceptions of beauty and image to deeper and alternate definitions of what and who can truly be considered beautiful, we hope to begin a deeper discussion on beauty in the Muslim and larger community, and offer an understanding of it renewed and reconstructed.