Voice of British Muslim Women

Khoula Saeed, Islamabad, Tilford.

A few weeks ago, I was faced with the question ‘What is Beauty?’ and it got me thinking; what really is beauty? My first port of call: The Oxford Dictionary of course.

“A combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.” ^[1]

But that left me even deeper in my abyss of thought. Is beauty defined by the symmetry of your face, your age, race, gender, body shape or bone structure? Various cultures have different views  and perceptions of beauty, ranging from height to the colour of your skin. Maybe beauty comes down to the aestheticists and makeup artists who can transform their faces into the most wondrous works of art. Being a teenage girl, writing this reminds of all the times I’ve brought a winged liner to my eye, taking deep breaths and bracing myself for the mission of applying the perfect wing. But does symmetry necessarily equate to beauty? Can beauty be achieved from within and then present itself on the outside for the world to see?

As a teenager, these formative years of adolescence where we are suddenly out in the big, wild world are tough and we question how we look and act in society. During secondary school, I was one of the only Muslim girls in the entire school, and with that came many questions about how I dressed, with curiosity about my hijab, or head covering.  I don’t think there has ever been a time where I have been more acutely aware about my appearance and it allowed me to question why I behaved as I did, enabling me to embrace my differences.

Islam places importance on the relationship between body and mind, and in covering the body and dressing modestly one shields the heart from impurities, with the ultimate goal of hijab being to achieve purity of the heart. The Holy Qur’an teaches Muslim men and women to instil modesty and piety in their hearts to be able to respect one another: “And say to the believing women that they restrain their eyes and guard their private parts, and that they display not their  beauty and embellishments except that which is apparent thereof, and that they draw their head-coverings over their bosoms…” [24:32] A woman should not have to rely on her physical beauty or dress according to any given rules in order to contribute to society; she should be at liberty to participate in society without being scorned or ridiculed due to her physical appearance.

The pressure that comes with the socially constructed ideas of beauty not only affects young girls but even men and women who have grown to be successful in their fields but still face prejudices due to how they look or because of the stereotypes they face. We are often bombarded with ideas and opinions from social media, culture and society which lead to us comparing ourselves to false ideals.

I believe that real beauty comes through accepting yourself, flaws and all, to realise that they are a part of what makes you unique. There is only one you, made up of both your genetic makeup and the life you live, making you beautiful in every way, and only through appreciating yourself and others, through realising that everyone is one of a kind, can we move forward to a just and beautiful future.

https://www.lexico.com/definition/beauty