ON BEAUTY: AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

A Paper to be presented at:

1st World Congress on Integration and Islamicization of Acquired Human Knowledge (FWCII-2013) 23rd 25th August 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Theme: Constructing the Alternative Paradigm of Tawhid

by

Professor Dr. Hassan A. El-Nagar Professor of Arabic and African Literature in English

International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) No. 24, Pesiaran Duta, Taman Duta 50480 Kuala Lumpur Telephone: 03-62073460 (Office) Fax: 03-62073477 Email: nagarhassan@yahoo.com

ON BEAUTY: AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE ABSTRACT This paper attempts to present the findings of a project that has been sponsored by the Research Management Center of IIUM. The choice of this topic has been prompted by the concept of beauty in Western culture which places so much consideration on human physical beauty to the point of worship. Muslims have become so much influenced by this Western conception of physical beauty to the extent that they had totally forgotten what constitutes beauty in their own culture. Thus, this research undertakes the task of defining, discussing and critically examining the different manifestations of the concept of beauty in Islam. In his Lisn al-Arab Ibn Manour states that the root verb for the noun Jaml is Jamula (to be beautiful) which applies to both al-fil (action/spiritual beauty) and khalq (physical entities)1. This definition puts the concept of beauty in Islam in total contrast to the Western one. The importance of this work lies in the fact that it attempts to explore this difference by addressing (but not limited to) the following issues: What constitutes beauty in Islam The different manifestations of beauty in Islam What does the beauty of Allah mean? Is beauty in Islam an end in itself or is it indicative to something else more sublime?

The research adopts the library oriented methodology that seeks to answer the above raised issues by resorting to the authentic collections of tafsr and adth as well as other relevant sources. Keywords: Beauty (Physical/Spiritual), Beauty of (Allah/Character/Universe, Quran, Existents)

What is beauty? What does the beauty of Allah mean? Perhaps, Broadly speaking, we can define beauty as a feeling of pleasure, happiness, satisfaction, or contentment which a person may experience; and that feeling is arrived at through the senses or the psyche. Thus, a devoted worshipper can experience this beauty which one can also feel when one encounters a beautiful poem, a moon-lit sky, a fresh fragrant flower, the smile of a baby or when encountering a physically charming young woman. But the above broad definition only applies in the domain of the created. In an authentic adth reported in Muslim Abdullh ibn Masd relates that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: Allah is Elegant and Beautiful and He likes elegance and beauty 2 The question here is, what does the Beauty of Allah, Allah is Beautiful mean? The above adth focuses on two major factors: That Allah is beautiful and that He likes beauty. But what does the beauty of Allah mean? And what kind of beauty does He like? In trying to answer these questions I resort to one of Islams most prominent figures in the field of metaphysics, namely, Ibn al-Qayyim who dealt with this issue in a comprehensive way in his insightful work, Al-Fwid3. In this book Ibn al_Qayyim places the beauty of Allah into four categories. 1. Jaml al-tht 2. Jaml al-ift 3. Jaml al-Afl 4. Jaml al-Asm 5. Before explaining the above, Ibn al-Qayyim cautions one not to compare at all between the beauty of Allah and the beauty of His creation, because doing so is against Islam. He emphasizes the fact that knowing Allah as beautiful is the highest degree of knowing Him (subnahu wa tala). According to Ibn al-Qayyim, All of Allahs names are beautiful, His attributes denote perfection, His actions are full of wisdom, benefit, justice and mercy. As for Jaml al-Tht, nobody knows it except Him sublime is He. Ibn Abbs, however, presents a method by which one can understand what is meant by Jaml alTht. He believes that we can progressively move from knowing His Afl to knowing His ift, and from knowing His ift to knowing His Tht. If the servant of Allah could comprehend the beauty of His Afl that will lead him to the beauty of His ift (attributes) and if he could comprehend the beauty of his ift that would lead him to the beauty of His Tht. As the adth has indicated that Allah is beautiful and he

likes the beauty of speech, actions, beauty of dressing and appearance. He likes beauty and dislikes the ugliness of those who do not observe the above. However, Allah does not dislike the physical shapes or the different complexions of His human creation. These differences are signs of the unlimited power of the creator. Allah says: O mankind! We created You from a single (pair) of male and female, And made you into Nations and tribes, that You may know each other (not that you may despise Each other). Verily The most honoured of you In the sight of Allah Is (he who is) the most Righteous of you4 (al-ujrt, 13) Another authentic adth reported in Muslim further explains the above verse: Allah does not look at (does not consider) your physical shapes or your wealth, but (rather) He looks into your hearts and actions. However, there are those who argue that all creation of Allah is beautiful and that ugliness does not exist among the creation of Allah. They made reference to the Qurn and adth to support their claim5. Allah says: He who has made Everything which He has created Most good (al-Sajdah, 7)

And also: (such is) the artistry of Allah Who disposes of all things In perfect order (al-Naml, 88) The counter group claim that Allah has dispraised physical beauty. Allah says about the hypocrites: When thou lookest At them, their exterior Please thee (al-Munfiqn, 4) To support their claim they also use the adth indicating that Allah Almighty does only consider our sincere actions, but not our physical shapes. Ibn al-Qayyim, however, refutes the contentions of both groups. He classified beauty into three categories, praised, dispraised and beauty neither praised nor dispraised. Praised beauty, whether physical or spiritual, is that which is done for the sake of Allah, like what the Prophet did, he used to look his best when receiving delegations. Dispraised beauty is ones beautifying of himself out of haughtiness and pretension. Any other manifestations of beauty are neither praised nor dispraised. Thus, beauty (whether physical or spiritual ) is a means of worshipping Allah Taal. A Muslim is rewarded when he observes physical beauty. He is, similarly rewarded when he adheres to spiritual beauty reflected in his/her character like truthfulness, sincerity, etc. This is the kind of beauty which Allah likes. Forms of Beauty: Physical, Spiritual and Inner Beauty: Ibn al-Qayyim divides beauty into two kinds, hir (exterior/physical) beauty and bin (inner/spiritual beauty)6. He considers al-Jaml al-Bin to be above exterior beauty because Allah looks into our hearts and not our looks and because the most righteous is the most honoured in the scale of Allah. While both inner and outer beauty are blessings from Allah for which the servant must thank Allah, exterior beauty can be a source of temptation and tribulations as in the case of Prophet Ysuf (pbuh)7. Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Ghazl and Sayyid Qub share the idea that inner beauty adds a special radiance to the faces of the believers. Al-Ghazl considers the face as the mirror of the soul. A virtuous soul will reflect itself

on the relaxed features, pure eyes and the peace and calmness, the gentle smile on the face of the believer8. Sayyid Qub supports this by referring to the Qurn. Allah says9: On their faces are their Marks (being) the traces Of their prostration (al-Fat, 29) Islam is set apart from other cultures when it comes to the beauty of character (usnul-khuluq) or, Jamlul-fil versus Jamlul-rah. In Islam, the beauty of character is held most high in contrast to Western culture which places little or no consideration to the beauty of character, and display, instead, so much cultic infatuation with human beauty to the point of worship. In this respect Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emerges as an embodiment of both physical and spiritual beauty. He is highly praised in the Holy Qurn for his outstanding character, as the perfect man, the role model whose character we must emulate in all aspects of our life. It is true that the Prophets bashariyyah (the fact that he is human) has been highly stressed upon in the Qurn and the adth. However, he is the most sublime human ever because Allah had educated him and had made his education most excellent. This is why Allah directs us to take the Prophet as a role model because he always manifested usnul-khuluq. Allah says describing the Prophet. And thou (standest) On an exalted standard of character (Al-Qalam, 4) The Qurn abounds in verses describing the character of the Prophet and presenting him as an example for the believers. Hence is the reason why his entire life is like an open book to all Muslims. It has been documented in the Holy Qurn and in the Sunnah in authentic biographies, and through, not only his wives, but thousands of his companions. The Holy Qurn presents him to us as a role model, as the perfect man. Hence, our educational systems throughout the Muslim world must reflect him. His humility, compassion, taqwa, outstanding character, his honesty, integrity, courage, wisdom, generosity, his life as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a father-in-law, a neighbor, a community leader, a military commander, a

human being must be the milestones to be followed, emulated and incorporated not only in our educational curricula, but in all aspects of our lives as well. Mans infatuation with feminine human beauty is as old as human creation. This infatuation has reflected itself in all genres of artistic expression. But the concept of beauty is a mutable one, depending on the people, the culture, and the historical epoch10. The Arabs as old as pre-Islamic times were so enchanted with feminine beauty that they considered it an integral part of their poetry. Al-Ghazl and Ibn al-Qayyim have written extensively on the issue of beauty in general, particularly human physical beauty11. Both al-Ghazl and Ibn al_qayyim agree that man is inclined towards physical beauty by nature; it is part of their creation. The fact that the Prophet prefers the righteousness of a woman over her physical beauty does not mean that he places no consideration on physical beauty. What this means is that one should not go after physical beauty only, at the expense of character12. As I have said a little earlier, both physical and spiritual beauty are blessings from the creator. Allah says: He adds to creation As He pleases: for God Has power over all things (Fir, 1) In his comment on this verse, Sayyid Qub relates it to the ability of Allah to create whatever he wanted13. However, al-bn as well as al-Qurub interpret this as the physical beauty which Allah grants to whoever He chooses14. Islam has emphasized beauty so much that one can one can venture to say that no other culture has done so. Muslims have understood the tradition of the Prophet that Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty to the extent that it became a motto for all Muslims. However beauty is not a human characteristic, for it is an essential element in all creations of Allah. Allah says: And We have (from old) Adorned the lowest heaven With lamps (al-Mulk, 5)

We have indeed created Man In the best of moulds (al-Tn, 4) The beauty of the universe, nature, birds and animals are for man to enjoy. Allah says: And cattle He has created for you (men): from them Ye derive warmth, and numerous benefits And of their (meat) ye eat. And ye have a sense of pride and Beauty in them as ye drive them home in the evening, and as yet Lead them forth to pasture in the morning (al-Nal, 5-6) But man must shoulder the responsibility of preserving the beauty of his surroundings, the environment and himself. Thus, cleanliness and observing sunanul-firah, oral hygiene, keeping a clean tidy outfit, home, place of worship and wearing perfume, among other requirements of al-tajammul (beautifying yourself) are required of each Muslim, male or female. The sunnah outlines certain beauty elements at certain places and occasions such as going to the masjid or meeting Muslims in general. Thus, one is supposed to show the bounties of Allah if he is rich by dressing well and eating well. Beauty is involved even if one is reading the Qurn or calling the Adhn, or going to bed with his wife. A beautiful voice is a blessing from Allah. On a larger scale we can say that whatever has been sanctioned by Islam is beautiful and whatever has been prohibited by Islam is ugly. Allah says: But Allah has endeared the faith to you and has made it Beautiful in your hearts, and has made hateful to you Unbelief, wickedness and rebellion (al-ujurt, 7) The Holy Qurn presents the highest form of beauty both in form and content. The Arabs in preIslamic times were struck by its beauty and its unparalled form and content even at that age of linguistic and literary excellence, the age that produced the seven golden odes, as they were called. The Arabs then were challenged by Allah to produce ten chapters or even one chapter similar unto the Qurn, but they

could not. To the Muslim, the beauty of the Qurn lies in it guidance. It tells us about our creator, His names and attributes, about tawd, the hereafter, the purpose of our creations and our accountability to Allah Almighty. Thus, the Muslim who abides by the teachings of the Qurn is immuned from the misleading deviationist ideologies. The Qurnic narratives, however, provide the Muslims with valuable lessons about the lives of previous peoples who endured and remained steadfast on the path of tawid. No one would argue against the fact that the call to monotheism is the ultimate theme of the holy Qurn and that the Quranic narratives which comprise the bulk of the holy text act as means in exposing this theme. Hence, unlike the purely artistic narrative which generally observes certain aesthetic elements of fiction, the Quranic narrative, because of the priority given to its subject matter and the manipulation and exposition of its incidents its artistic elements, we notice, have been totally made subservient to the dictates of the major theme. This, however, does not mean that the Quranic narrative is devoid of technique. As a matter of fact, a quick review of the holy text reveals that, in addition to the presence of some distinct narrative techniques, the text presents some artistic elements that may be solely characteristic of the Quranic narrative. This may, perhaps, be the subject for another undertaking. Perhaps it is suitable here to take the story of Prophet Ysuf as an example firstly because it deals with beauty and, secondly, because it is described by Allah as the most beautiful of stories and thirdly because it paints a happy ending for almost all the characters. It is here that action evolves around the victory of love over jealousy and chastity over lust. It is also here that we see the outcome of the unstated struggle between two conceptions of beauty, the physical one and the spiritual one. The wife of the Azz only subscribes to the physical aspect of beauty through which she craves to relate to Prophet Ysuf (peace be upon him). She fails to see the beauty of his soul and all that he represents of noble virtues. Nor does she see the beauty of the message entrusted to him. Upon realizing her worldly view of beauty, he straight forwardly rejects her. Our brief discussion of the Quranic chapter of Ysuf will be incomplete without a succinct outline showing the principal teachings and guidance contained in the story. It is these teachings, in my opinion, and the way they are presented that render the chapter so beautiful and so enjoyable to read over and over again15. The teachings that eminently surface in the chapter are:

That hampering the process of justice leads to injustice, and That the Muslim diya is distinguished by his character, conduct and piety and That the struggle for the cause of Islam must not come to a stop irrespective of the personal agony and suffering the diya may go through, and that the diya must employ the best means and technique in his call to Islam, and That a Muslim must always maintain a good name. Should anything stain his reputation he must do all he can to clear his name, and That in times of distress and temptation we should remember Allah, seek refuge in Him and never indulge in unislamic practices, and That despite the difficulty and anguish a Muslim may sometime go through, he must not give up hope in Allahs soothing mercy, and That while falsehood complicates peoples lives and creates discord, truthfulness results in prevalent justice and harmony among people, and That people of authority should appoint at once and elevate to high position those who surpass others in terms of their qualifications, integrity, piety, charisma, and a high standard of principles, and That although you can treat people equally, you cannot love even your own children equally, and That jealousy is a very destructive human emotion. It can exist even between members of the same family. If not recognized and immediately addressed it can demolish all bonds of love and solidarity between members of the family, and That a noble Muslim must always show his gratitude and indebtedness in word as well as in action to those who do him good, and That human beings are attracted to physical beauty by nature. This can be a great source of temptation to some people. The ideal form of beauty is that which embodies the beauty of the soul and that of the physique, and That human beings are fallable by nature, and that the best amongst them are those endowed with the quality of repentance, and That the quality of forgiveness is the most sublime human virtue of all. It is only

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granted to people who exercise patience and self denial. It is indeed these teachings that underscore the fact that the Qurnic Story of Yusuf must be read as a divine illumination on human nature. Beauty in the Qurn: Man, the Universe and all Existents: The Holy Qurn confirms that Allahs best creation is man: We have indeed created man In the best of moulds (al-Tn, 4) In his commentary on this verse al-Qurub states that man is Allahs best creation because of his reason and the variety of his abilities16. He refers to the verse; We have honoured the sons of Adam, provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation. (al-Isr, 70) According to al-Shawkn, the renowned scholar, in addition to reason man has been blessed with the fact that all other creation is made subservient to him, he was blessed with varieties of food and drink, speech, the writing system, and a lot more17. Sayyid Qub adds to that the element of beauty as part of all creation of Allah because creating things in the best form is indicative of beauty. Thus, we find beauty in the stars, flowers, night and day, but reason (aql) remains the most beautiful creation, because it leads us to the knowledge of Allah, and because without aql there is no accountability. Believers and non-believers alike are addressed in the Qurn to use their aql and reflect, meditate in the beauty of the universe and all that is within it. Perhaps a few verses from the chapter of al-Baqarah will be an example. Allah says:

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(Here) indeed are signs For a people that are wise (al-Baqarah, v. 164) Thus does Allah make clear To you (His) signs That you may consider (al-Baqarah v. 266) So fear Me O you that are wise (al-Baqarah v. 197) Our examination of the manifestations of beauty in the Qurn reveal that beauty is not an end in itself, rather it points to the power and beauty of the creator, for, we are ordered not to reflect on the creator but on His creation18. This is some of what the Qurn contains: He Who created The seven heavens One above another: No want to proportion Wilt thou see In the creation Of (God) Most Gracious So turn thy vision again: Seest thou any flaw? (al-Mulk, 3) Again turn thy vision A second time: (thy) vision Will come back to thee Dull and discomfited In a state worn out (al-Mulk, 4)

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And we have (From of old) Adorned the lowest heaven With Lamps, and we Have made such (Lamps) (As) missiles to drive Away the Evil ones, And have prepared for them The penalty Of the blazing fire (al-Mulk, 5) Perfection is one of the qualities of the beauty of His creation, so are the differences in fruits, tastes and patterns of beauty: It is He Who sendeth down Rain from the skies With it We produce Vegetation of all kinds: From some We produce Green (crops), out of which We produce grain, Heaped up (at harvest); Out of the date-palm And its sheaths (or spathes) (Come) clusters of dates Hanging low and near: And (then there are) gardens Of grapes, and olives, And pomegranates Each similar (in kind) Yet different (in variety):

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When they begin to bear fruit Feast your eyes with the fruit And the ripeness thereof. Behold! in these things There are Signs for people Who believe. (al-Anm, 99) And then there is the beauty in the difference of the colours of mountains, fruits, animals, cattle and people: Seest thou not that God sends down rain From the sky? With it We then bring out produce Of various colours. Are tracts white and red, Of various shades of colour, And black intense in hue. And so amongst men And crawling creatures and cattle, Are they of various colours Those truly fear God, Among His Servants, Who have knowledge: For Allah is exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving (al-Fir, 27-28)

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And then there is the beauty represented in the difference of our languages, complexions and tribes. Indeed, it will be a dull uninteresting world if everybody had the same complexion, belonged to one tribe and spoke the same language. The Qurn abounds in verses that highlight the beauty of the universe in which the night and day, stars, rivers, trees, mountains, the sun and moon all of which bow down to Allah Almighty. (al-ajj, 18). Allah says: Thou seest the mountains And thinkest them firmly fixed: But they shall pass away As the clouds pass away: (Such is) the artistry of Allah, Who disposes of all things In perfect order: for He is Well acquainted with all that ye do (al-Naml, 88) Every now and then Allah asks us in the Qurn to reflect on His masterful creation of the universe and the qualities of His beauty, the precision, coordination and connectedness of its planets: And the Sun Runs his course For a period determined For him: that is The decree of (Him) The Exalted in Might, The All-Knowing (Yasn, 38) It is not permitted To the Sun to catch up The Moon, nor can The Night outstrip the Day:

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Each (just) swims along In (its own) orbit (According to Law) (Yasn, 40) And then there is the balance of creation: And the earth We have spread out (Like a carpet); set thereon Mountains firm ad immovable; And produced therein all kinds Of things in due balance (al-ijr, 19) Our discussion about beauty in the Qurn will not be complete without including the verse that speaks volumes about the beauty of Allahs creation19: Verily, all things Have We created In proportion and measure (al-Qamar, 49) To the believer, this beautiful universe with its precision, balance, coordination and its proportional measure is not created by accident or by the big bang. The beauty of all existents is not an end in itself, rater it is a reflection of the masterful creator, who fashioned everything in the most perfect form. The Qurn calls the believers to see the wider perception of beauty. Part of this beauty has to do with the holy text itself, the beauty of the medium that carries it, the Arabic language which has been described by Allah as Arabic, pure and clear (al-Nal, 102), and as: (It is) a Qurn In Arabic, without any Crookedness (therein):

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In order that they May guard against Evil (al-Zumar, 28) But more important than the medium is the message, the content and guidance contained in the holy text. To the Muslim, beauty is an essential ingredient in all existents, and not only in the physical domain of the rational being. In addition to the beauty of the human being, the quality of beauty encompasses all existents in our universe. However, more important than beauty is the quality of tathaq al-jaml (savouring, perceiving beauty) which Allah has planted within all of his human creation, without which no human can savour the beauty of Allahs creation. CONCLUSION This study attempts to define and discuss the concept of beauty in Islam. It distinguishes between two kinds of beauty, namely: Jamlul-Khalq (physical beauty) and Jamlul-fil (beauty of character, action or spiritual beauty). With respect to the human being, it elaborates on two kinds of beauty, a concept that has been advanced and explained by al-Ghazl and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah which delineates inward and outward beauty (al-Jaml al-hir wal-Jaml al-Bin) and gives evidence from the Holy Qurn that explain the nature of these two kinds of beauty. Furthermore it examines the manifestations of beauty in the Qurn and the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh), an area that includes the beauty of Allah Almighty, human beauty, beauty of the universe, of the Qurn and the Arabic Languages as well as the beauty of all existents. The study also covers the wider scope of beauty called Jamlul-tajammul which has to do with the obligations or requirements stipulated in the Qurn and adith asking every Muslim to beautify his body/cloth/food, environment, places of worship and even his/her voice when calling for prayer or reading the Qurn. Thus, beauty in Islam is an attitude that must be adopted by each Muslim in his life span which extends from adulthood up to the grave.

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Ibn Manzr, Lisn al-Arab, 2 . Ed. v.2 (Beirut: Dr Iy al-Turth al-Arab, 1997), p. 363. 2 This hadth is reported is Riyadh-us-Saliheen (Arabic English) compiled by Imm Abu Zakariyyah al-Nawaw, trans. By S.M. Madni Abbas; (Riyadh: International Islamic Publishing House, (No date of publication given), p. 349. 3 The adth Allah does not look at (does not consider) your shapes or wealth, rather, He considers (looks at) your hearts and actions, is reported in Arabic (translation is mine) in ha Muslim, by Imm Abu al-asan bin Muslim (al-Manrah, Egypt: Dr ibn Rajab, 2003), p.1344. 4 Abdullah Ysuf Ali, The Meaning of the Holy Qurn (Brentwood: MD Amana, 1993), all further verse references are to this edition. 5 Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, al-Fawid (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr al-Lubnn, 1992), p.160. 6 Ibid., pp.161-163 7 Ibn al-Qayyim, Rawat al-Muibbn wa Nuzhat al-Mushtqn, (No date or place of publication given) al-Muassasa alJmiiyyah lil-dirast wa-nashr wal-Taw, pp.180-181. 8 Abu Hmid al-Ghazl, Iy Ulm al-Dn, v.2 (Cairo: Dr al-Tawi wal-Nasr al-Islmiyyah, 2005), p.56 9 Sayyid Qubm F ill al-Qurn, v. 6 (Cairo: Dr al-Shurq, 2000), p.3332. 10 Please see the definition of physical beauty in Abu Man r al-Thalib, Fiqh al-Lugha wa Sir al-Arabiyyah (Beirut: Maktabat Lubnn, 1997) p.20. 11 Please see Ibn al-Qayyims comprehensive definition of Physical beauty in Rawat, p.193. 12 Al-Ghazl, p.70 13 Sayyid Qub, ill, v.5, p. 2921. 14 th See the opinion of both in Muhammad Ali al-bn, afwat al-Tafsr, 4 ed. (Beirut: Dr al-Qurn al-Karm, 1981), pp.564565. 15 Hassan A. El-Nagar, Narrative Discourse in the Quranic chapter of Ysuf in English and Islam: Creative Encounters. Ed. Jalaluddin Khan (Kuala Lumpur: The Research Centre, 1998), pp.523-531. 16 Abu Abdullah al-Qurub, al-Jmi Li akm al-Qurn, v.7 (Beirut: Dr Iyya al-Turth al-Arab, 1965), pp. 195-198. 17 nd Muhammad S. al-Ashqar, Zubdat al-Tafsr min fat al-Qadr, 2 ed. (Kuwait: Wizrat al-Shun al-Islmiyyah, 1988), p.374. 18 Muhammad Qub has written in a detailed way with the concept of beauty in Islam in his: Manhaj al-Fan al-Islm (Cairo: Dar al-Shurq, 1995) particularly pages 85-96. 19 Please see Sayyid Qubs extensive commentary on this verse in ill, v.6., pages 3436-3440.

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