How a Muslim Woman Values Herself

[inqilab]

The Muslim woman does not value herself on something as superficial as beauty. Nor does she make the shallow judgment that she is a failure if she does not measure up to the societal definition of what constitutes a 'Beautiful Woman.' She understands clearly that such images are a myth and are used as a distraction from thinking about the important questions in life such as the true purpose of life and how to organize the affairs of the human beings in the correct manner.

The Muslim woman understands that the basis upon which she should judge herself upon is not her face but her thinking and her behavior. She values herself on how obedient a slave she is to her Creator and the quality and quantity of actions she performs in life, in accordance with His I obligations and refraining from His I prohibitions, to earn His I pleasure, knowing that this is the supreme success in this life and the hereafter. For this is the key to eternal bliss in paradise. Allah relates in Surah Al-Ahzab,

“For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for truthful men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant,for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in God’s praise, for them has God prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” [Quran al-Ahzab: 35]

She therefore evaluates herself on the basis of her taqwa (obedience to Allah), for this is the standard by which her Creator evaluates the human being and the basis upon which He I elevates one individual over another. Allah says in Surah al-Hujurat,

“The most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has more Taqwa.” [Quran al-Hujurat: 13]

The Prophet [s] also mentioned in his last sermon that no man is better than another except on the basis of taqwa and good deeds. Therefore the struggle that the Muslim woman should engage in her life is not the quest for beauty or to try to imitate the shallow thinking of the Western identity but to adopt the Islamic personality as a whole and look to live by the laws of Islam as an individual, in her family life, and within society. The Prophet [s] once said,

“The world and all things in the world are precious but the most precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman.”

[Muslimah]

ameen
James - I was born non-Muslim and realized how Muslim women have more freedom, rights, respect and happiness in Islam. As a "feminist" I was quite excited to convert.
Women also are not as concerned with how they look on the outside. Inner beauty is the most important.
In Afghanistan, they hold/held pageants similar to Miss Universe. But, in North America - it is about how hot a woman is in a bikini. There, they are chosen based on their contribution to society, their studies, their behaviour. Nothing is based on physical appearance. So you don't have to be 100 pounds with perfect hair to be honoured.