Journal of Intercultural Communication Research

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“Everything Has Beauty but Not Everyone Sees It”:

An Islamic Alternative to Assessing Beauty

Abdulgafar Olawale Fahm

To cite this article: Abdulgafar Olawale Fahm (2020) “Everything Has Beauty but Not Everyone
Sees It”: An Islamic Alternative to Assessing Beauty, Journal of Intercultural Communication
Research, 49:3, 211-226, DOI: 10.1080/17475759.2020.1736601

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2020.1736601

Published online: 18 Mar 2020.

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JOURNAL OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION RESEARCH
2020, VOL. 49, NO. 3, 211–226
https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2020.1736601

“Everything Has Beauty but Not Everyone Sees It”: An Islamic

Alternative to Assessing Beauty
Abdulgafar Olawale Fahm
Department of Religions, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

The constant reference to beauty ideals in all facets of contemporary Received 14 July 2019
culture, including work, sex, and religion as well as the constant expo- Accepted 26 February 2020
sure to images of “beautiful” women, which are ubiquitous in the mass KEYWORDS
media as the ideal, make a search for a categorical view a necessity. Beauty; Islam; Qur’an;
Through qualitative research approach, in which critical, content, and Hadith; contemporary issue
discourse analysis were applied on classical, as well as relevant con-
temporary materials on beauty, this study contributes an Islamic per-
spective to the discourse, and hinges its discussions on the primary
sources in Islam (Qur’an and Hadith). The paper examines what the
Qur’an and Hadith view as beauty and physical attractiveness. It was
discovered that in Islam, beauty has five primary emphases: virtue,
divine, nature, order, and proportion.

Introduction
Beauty holds a fascination for many people. Art specialists, logicians, philosophers,
researchers, scientists, priests, financial experts or economists, and many others have
long debated about its nature and implications. As stated in Hagman’s (2002, p. 662)
paper titled “The Sense of Beauty”, “beauty is an aspect of the experience of idealization
in which an object(s), sound(s) or concept(s) is believed to possess qualities of formal
perfection.” According to Vacker and Key (1993), “beauty” consists of three basic
components, including an object, a subject, and a purpose or end. Vacker and Key also
point out that “beauty” can be approached through the beauty-as-impossible theory, the
beauty-as-appearance theory, and the beauty-as-relative theory (Vacker & Key, 1993).
Today, consumers around the globe spend billions a year on scents, beauty care
products. The beauty industries change from moral nuisance to worldwide brand-
driven powerhouse offering items basic to everyday life and providing an interesting
story in modern business history (Jones, 2010). In this regard, therefore, beauty is one of
the most profitable industries after pharmaceuticals and software industries, with far
above patronage the average of other businesses. According to Porter (2008, p. 28),
“Perfume, Cosmetics, Toiletries” was ranked the fifth most profitable industry between
1992 and 2006, after “Security Brokers and Dealers,” “Soft Drinks,” “Prepackaged
Softwares,” and “Pharmaceuticals.” And as rightly submitted by Hennessy (2000), the

CONTACT AbdulGafar Olawale Fahm fahm.ao@unilorin.edu.ng

© 2020 World Communication Association
212 A. O. FAHM

significance of women as consumers, specifically, has prompted a longstanding critique

of the business as an instrument for the oppression of women by men (and their firms).
However, there is a whole other world to being physically alluring than simply great
looks. It is believed that people are born beautiful, attractive or handsome and that having
pretty faces, pleasant hairs, or shapely bodies can be taken as inherited. It is something
you either have or you do not (Riggio, 2011). We presently live in a world that
exaggerates physical beauty above and beyond where its true status lies. The media,
culture, and society can be said to have indirectly pushed many minds to treat beauty as
one of the determinants of self-worth, especially in young girls and women. That is why it
becomes crucial to examine what beauty really is, and what role physical beauty has to
play in an individual’s life. In this study, the author suggests another alternative from the
Islamic perspective.
Furthermore, it has been noted that beauty is multidimensional. Even though physical
attractiveness may be seen as the initial criterion on which individuals evaluate beauty, evidence
also shows that values, habits, personality, and behaviour are the soul of beauty and are the
essential ingredients in the making of a truly beautiful person (Langmeyer & Shank, 1994). For
instance, Aristotle considered moral beauty to be the telos of the human virtues (Sachs, 2002).
Also, exhibitions of moral beauty have been revealed to evoke the ethical feeling of elevation
and cause a yearning to improve as a person and to take part in prosocial conduct. It also
explains several psychological constructs related to moral education in terms of the story of love
and connectedness, caring for, being empathic, loving, and esteeming benevolence towards
others (Diessner et al., 2013). All these, apart from helping to explain moral beauty can also be
linked to beauty as experience of idealization as well as beauty as relative theory as mentioned
earlier. Similarly, in describing the nature, sources, and functions of subjective experience of
beauty, Hagman (2002), identified the following: beauty as sublimation, idealization, and
beauty, beauty as an interactive process, the aesthetic and non-aesthetic emotions, surrendering
to beauty, beauty’s restorative function, the self-integrative function of beauty, beauty as
a defence, and beauty and mortality, as the psychoanalytic understanding of beauty. In
examining beauty from various angles Hagman showed beauty as a reality of human life in
all cultures, throughout history and viewing it from the psychoanalytic lens, help explain
“humanity’s troubled search for perfection, transcendence and hope” (Hagman, 2002, p. 672).
Despite all these remarkable aspects of beauty, it has also been used, deployed, subordinated,
marketed, and manipulated to intersect with gender and value system. Meanwhile, beauty is
a matter of the spirit that is affected by various constituents which makes something to be
deemed beautiful. It is against this backdrop that the idea of beauty was conceptualized and
promoted in the Islamic worldview.
Admittedly, Islam, one of the major religions of the world, is the faith of around
1.8 billion individuals on the planet – according to study conducted by Pew Research
Centre in 2015 (Lipka & Hackett, 2017). Adherents of the religion are spread over an
expansive part of the globe, from the Atlantic to China and from Southern Europe to
Africa. Also, they have their presence (for the most part through migration) in Western
Europe, the Americas, and Australia. In this article, we investigate the disposition and
position of one of the major spiritual and thought frameworks on the planet towards an
issue of basic significance these days, that of beauty. Since this study seeks a firsthand
comprehension of the Islamic disposition and position, it explores the wellsprings of
Islamic teachings, which are the Qur’an and the life case of the Prophet Muhammad, as
 JOURNAL OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION RESEARCH 213

saved in his expressions and teachings (Hadith). Muslims trust that the Qur’an, inferable
from its timeless and general nature, contain layers of meaning. Interpretations of the
significance of Quranic terms must, consequently, consider the broadest and most
profound conceivable meaning keeping in mind the end goal to completely comprehend
the divine message. The Qur’an says: “If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the
words of my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my
Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid.” (18:109). Muslims are charged,
by the Qur’an itself, to peruse and recite the Qur’an always and to endeavour to fathom
its meaning. This order appears to mean for Muslims to build up a firsthand learning and
comprehension of the fundamentals of the Islamic message (Bazna & Hatab, 2005; Brown
& Wahyudi, 2006; Nelson, 2002).
Muslims have constantly sought to learn and take the Prophet’s words and actions as
templates in all matters. The Hadith is a report describing the words, actions, or habits of the
Prophet. Unlike the Qur’an, the hadiths were not quickly and concisely compiled during and
immediately after Muhammad’s life. Afterwards, these hadiths were meticulously investigated
and confirmed by Muslim scholars who then preserved, compiled, and transmitted collections
of Hadith that continue to be studied as students become part of the timeless tradition of
passing knowledge from one generation to the next (Brown, 2009). These compiled ahadith
give elucidation, elaboration, and outline the implications and purports of the Qur’an, includ-
ing how the Quranic principles ought to be comprehended and put into practice. It is,
subsequently, unrealistic to endeavour a full elucidation and comprehension of the Qur’an
without analysing the Prophet’s Hadith with respect to the subject.
This paper is therefore poised to assess the Islamic position on beauty from the Qur’an
and the Hadith. It provides a variety of contemporary and Islamic positions on beauty as
well as detailed and multi-faceted descriptions of beauty in the primary sources in Islam.
This will help to determine the extent to which beauty is regarded in Islam and the level
of similarity or otherwise with contemporary views on the subject matter. This will also
aid the understanding of beauty within religious context and possibly to bring about
a more comprehensive outlook on beauty.

Defining beauty, models of beauty, and benefits of beauty

This section discusses the extent in which beauty is regarded and the interplay between
definition, characteristics, and benefits of beauty, especially in contemporary period.
Many researchers, such as Newton (1955) submits that “the epithet of beauty is more
specifically applicable when the valuable quality is a harmony of instincts or impulses
resulting in inner peace”. Nonetheless, he attempts to expatiate on the meaning of beauty,
but from what he observes it appears that the concept of beauty is a human experience
describable in definite psychological terms. Scruton (2011) does not see beauty in
psychological terms but rather as a real and universal value anchored in human rational
nature. Therefore, the sense of beauty has an indispensable part to play in shaping the
human world. This shows that there is a rational angle to explaining beauty which helps
to shape our understanding of the present world. Similarly, Sartwell (2004) examines
beauty from a universal angle and argues that the meaning of beauty can best be seen in
the words for beauty in six languages, i.e., beauty (English), yapha (Hebrew), sundara
(Sanskrit), kalon (Greek), wabi-sabi (Japanese), hozho (Navajo). This helps in
214 A. O. FAHM

understanding the meaning of beauty not only as an object of longing but that it is also
connected with glow and boom, whole and holy, idea and ideal, humility and imperfec-
tion, and health and harmony.
Taking an approach which attends to the recent turns in feminist theory – to beauty
and to affect – Coleman and Figueroa (2010) suggest an understanding of beauty as “an
inclination towards a perfected temporal state which involves processes of displacement
to the past and of deferral to the future” (p. 357). The authors (Coleman & Figueroa)
arrived at this definition of beauty based on Colebrook’s perspective on relationship
between feminist theory and philosophies of aesthetic beauty and Lauren Berlant’s views
of “cruel optimism” and “aspirational normalcy”. It is, therefore, argue that beauty can be
regarded as an aspiration to normalcy that is both optimistic and cruel (Berlant, 2006,
2007; Colebrook, 2006). On the other hand, Parsons and Carlson (2008) in their work
argue that at the heart of beauty is the aesthetic appreciation involving knowledge that
concerns function. This is a very broad view of beauty, that is, beauty in this context is
regarded as aesthetic appeal in general. Hyland (2008) examines the meaning of beauty
based on three Platonic dialogues, the Hippias Major, Symposium, and Phaedrus. Hyland
observed that what Plato meant by beauty is not easily characterized and that close
readings show that Plato ultimately gives up on the possibility of a definition. However,
one can deduct from this that beauty cannot be reduced to logos. Furthermore, by
exploring questions surrounding love, memory, and ideal form, Hyland draws out the
connections between beauty, the possibility of philosophy, and philosophical living,
thereby, placing it at the very heart of philosophy.
Moving beyond philosophy and relating beauty to the domain of religion, Gonzalez
(2001) opines that aesthetics and aesthetic phenomenology is a new field not taken into
account in Islamic studies discipline, the work; however, among other things examines
“Beauty and the Aesthetic Experience in Classical Arabic Thought”. There, Gonzalez
gave the view of Ibn Sina on beauty thus:

For all beauty which is suitable and goodness which one perceives (kull jamāl mulā’im wa-
khayr mudrak), that one loves and desires (mahbūb wa ma‘shūq), the principle of perceiving
_
them (mabda‘ idrākihi) relies on the senses (hiss), imagination (khayāl), the estimative
_
faculty (wahm), conjecture (zann) and the intellect (‘aql) (Ibn, 1985).
_

The quote above shows the perspective of medieval Arabic aesthetics which is said to be
highly characterized by a strong reliance upon other fields of knowledge. For instance, the
concept of duality finds its way into the medieval Arab philosophers understanding of
beauty as physical beauty and divine beauty since they took into consideration human
sensory perception and inner perception. Therefore, beauty is often related to the concept
of God’s beauty. In other words, “the visual experience of the beautiful implies, in some
way, a spiritual resonance through a noetic perception of a metaphysical nature” (Gonzalez,
2001, p. 7). Another Muslim scholar, Ibn Hazm, while defining beauty noted that:
_

Beauty is something that has in language no other name (than the one) that designates it, but
is unanimously perceived by the souls (mahsūs fi’l-nufūs) when they see it (fi-ttifāq man
_
ra’ā-hu). It is like a fine linen covering the face (burd maksū ‘alā l-wajh), a glance (ishrāq)
that inclines hearts towards it (yastamīl al-qulūb nahwa-hu), in such a way that opinions
_
(‘arā’) coincide in judging it beautiful (istihsāni-hi) and, although it does not possess fine
_
qualities (sifat jamīla), everyone that sees it, admires it (rāqa-hu), considers it beautiful
_
 JOURNAL OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION RESEARCH 215

(istahsana-hu) and accepts it, even though contemplating its separate qualities afterwards,
_
one finds nothing remarkable. It seems like something that lies within the soul of the
contemplated object and is found by the soul of whoever contemplates it. This is the highest
of the categories of beauty (ajall marātib al-sabāha). (Puerta-Vilchez & Lopez-Morillas,
_ _
2017, pp. 513–514)

A less complex understanding of beauty from the Arabic tradition can be seen in two
Arabic words jamal and husn since both indicate beauty. According to Raghib,

‘Jamal means great beauty (husn), and there are two aspects to this: the first is the beauty
with which a person is characterised in soul, body or actions; the second is that which
connects to something else. In this regard, it is related that the Prophet! said: ‘God is
beautiful, and He loves beauty’, which indicates that all goodness flows from Him, so He
loves those who are characterised by this goodness. And God Almighty says: ‘And for you
there is in them beauty, when you bring them [home] to rest . . . ’ (Al-Nahl, 16:6), and: ‘ . . .
Yet beautiful patience! . . . ’ (Yusuf, 12:18)’. (Raghib al-Isfahani, 2005, p. 97)

Zabidi (1994), on his own part, describes Jamal as beauty (husn) whether of appearance
or of character. Raghib went further to define Husn as:

. . . all that is delightful and desirable, and there are three aspects to this: that which the mind
finds attractive, that which the impulse finds attractive, and that which the senses find
attractive. (Raghib al-Isfahani, 2005, p. 118)

Zabidi, on the other hand, states:

Husn means beauty (jamal), and it seems that they are synonyms. Asma’i said that husn
refers to the beauty the eyes perceive, and jamal to the beauty the nose perceives. The Sihah
says that husn is the opposite of ugliness. Azhari said that husn describes all that is good and
beautiful. (Zabidi, 1994, p. 263)

In contemporary period, discussion on beauty has been much preoccupied with a pervasive
and persistence of the feminine beauty and on the beauty industry, where beauty is
regarded as a series of economic, social, and cultural practices (Baker-Sperry &
Grauerholz, 2003; Coleman & Figueroa, 2010), rather than been understood as an embody-
ing human virtue, which contributes to becoming a better person and supporting prosocial
behaviour. It is also important to mention the role that culture plays in perception and
definition of beauty – physical and otherwise. Perception of beauty is sometimes guided by
cultural influences and ideas of aesthetics are at times determined by fashion dictates of
a particular era. Although the quest for perfect looks has been as old as time itself, however,
culture plays a significant role in dictating what beauty is. In some cultures youthfulness is
the focus while some pay attention to natural impeccable skin and others on fairness or
shapely figure with long hair and tanned skin. For example, in sub-saharan Africa,
a rounded out bigger figure is viewed as lovely. In many parts of the world being tall,
fair, slender, having light eyes and light hair are associated with beauty (Sunaina, 2016).
However, there are also views which have characterized beauty into normative-based,
experiential-based, and judgemental-based. This approach has helped to present beauty
in a more comprehensive outlook. The normative-based model, for instance, charac-
terizes specific traits of something as communicating more or less beauty. Such traits can
be, for instance, symmetry or proportion. This approach, additionally, expects symmetry
to be more beautiful than asymmetry, specific proportions to be superior to others, et
216 A. O. FAHM

cetera. In light of the target design of traits, it can then be decided whether a thing is
beautiful or ugly. The normative model is fundamentally design-oriented. Subsequently,
it begins from the materials (e.g., colour, format, frame, developments) and endeavours
to give a “formula” of how to outline something as beautiful (Hassenzahl, 2008; Ngo &
Byrne, 2001).
The experiential-based model concentrates on all-embracing, comprehensive aesthetic
encounters set apart by a modified view of one’s environment or a scene – an increased
sense for objects, people, the earth, which makes and connects new, yet unthought
meaning to things. The experiential model is fundamentally worried about safeguarding
the complexity and abundance of an aesthetic encounter. Beauty is fairly considered as
something uncommon, and extraordinary – a plan prize (Frohlich, 2004; Hassenzahl,
2008; McCarthy & Wright, 2004). The judgemental-based model, on the other hand,
focuses on what an individual judge to be beautiful or not. This model is fundamentally
interested in the consistency of beauty judgements among people and how quick and easy
those judgements are. Moreover, it addresses the topic of how beauty identifies with
other characteristics, for example, novelty or ease of use (Hassenzahl, 2004, 2008;
Lindgaard et al., 2006; Tractinsky et al., 2000).
In addition, contemporary discourse on beauty has also delved into addressing the
question of how it should be seen as a source of value (Diefenbach & Hassenzahl, 2009;
Hassenzahl, 2008). This has led to the identification of the likely benefits of beauty which
include: Beauty as a way to accomplish self-referential goals (Hassenzahl, 2008), beautiful
things work better (Hassenzahl, 2008), beauty help promote a sense of well-being (Paulson,
2008), beauty help promote feelings of relaxation (Paulson, 2008), beauty reconciles the
polarization of self and world (Boesky, 1986; Loewald, 1988), love of beauty is an indication
of the importance of idealization during development (Hagman, 2000; Kirwan, 1999;
Kligerman, 1980), sense of beauty is interactive and intersubjective (Wheelis, 1999), specific
aesthetic emotions are experienced in response to the formal design of the beautiful object
(Segal, 1957), beauty provides us with an occasion for transcendence and self-renewal
(Ghent, 1990; Loewald, 1988), beauty’s restorative function helps in the preservation or
restoration of the relationship to the good object is of utmost importance (Lee, 1947, 1948),
sense of beauty can also reconcile and integrate self-states of fragmentation and depletion
(Schjedahl, 1999), beauty can function defensively for the expression of unconscious
impulses and fantasies, or as protection against self-crisis (Chasseguet-Smirgel, 1984;
Pacteau, 1994; Rittenberg, 1987), sense of beauty can alleviate anxiety regarding death
and feelings of vulnerability (Hagman, 2002; Rank, 1932).
The foregoing explains various definitions and models of beauty with focus on
contemporary understanding. All the points that have been raised in this section show
the various ways in which researchers have contemplated the idea of beauty, its attributes
as well as qualities. The conceptions of models of beauty have also been considered which
explains various ways beauty is experienced. These models can also be linked to Islamic
outlook on beauty. This is because the Islamic conception of beauty takes into considera-
tion the idea of proportion, aesthetics as well as the individualistic judgement of beauty.
All these will be elaborated upon in the later sections of this paper.
 JOURNAL OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION RESEARCH 217

Qur’an and hadith on beauty

Central to a discussion on beauty in the Qur’an is the concept of nature or natural world
from the Islamic perspective. The Qur’an’s attitude towards the beauty of phenomena
could be drawn from this verse:

And He it is who has caused waters to come down from the sky; and by this means have We
brought forth all living growth, and out of this have We brought forth verdure. Out of this
do We bring forth close-growing grain; and out of the spathe of the palm tree, dates in thick
clusters; and gardens of vines, and the olive tree, and the pomegranate: [all]so alike, and yet
so different! Behold their fruit when it comes to fruition and ripens! Verily, in all this, there
are messages indeed for people who will believe! (6:99).

Humans are asked to react with aesthetic sense and to reflect upon the marvellous
beauties of nature. The appreciation of nature is regarded as a mark of refinement and the
mark of a refined person is good taste, a term which refers to one’s ability to appreciate or
judge what is beautiful. According to Asad (2003), he notes that: “ . . . i.e. all so alike in the
basic principles of their life and growth, and yet so different in physiology, appearance
and taste” (p. 283). This shows that apart from the tastes of these fruits the physique and
appearance of the fruits are also considered thing of beauty to be appreciated. In Islam,
physical appearance is also important when talking about beauty. The Islamic teaching
holds that beauty can be seen from a physiological state.
It is said in the Qur’an: “It is we who have set out the Zodiacal Signs in the heavens, and
made them fair seeming to (all) beholders” (15:16). In another verse, it is stated: “We have
indeed decked the lower heaven with beauty in the stars” (37:6). Also, “Do they not look at the
sky above them? How We have made it and adorned it, and there are no flaws in it?“ (50:6).
Thus, according to Islam, beauty can be characterized by being free of gaps, breaks, or fault.
The concept of nature, therefore, alludes to being fair seeming, shining, and having no flaws.
The Qur’an’s attitude towards the beauty of life in this world could be drawn from
reference to wealth and sons as allurements of the life of this world: “Wealth and sons are
allurements of the life of this world: but the things that endure, good deeds, are best in the
sight of your Lord, as rewards, and best as (the foundation for) hopes“ (18:46). Having
properties and children are regarded as part of the beauty of life – implying that they are part
of what make the world beauty. It can also be deduced that things that bring joy to one’s
heart in terms of merit and hope are part of beauty. This connects with the urging to enjoy
“. . . the wonder and splendour of the life of this world” (20:131). However, the exquisiteness
and magnificence of life in this world might be an enticement but they are nothing compared
to that of the Hereafter. According to Asad (2003), “whatever God grants a person is an
outcome of divine wisdom and, therefore, truly appropriate to the destiny which God has
decreed for that person. Alternatively, the phrase may be understood as referring to the life to
come and the spiritual sustenance which God bestows upon the righteous”.
On the Hereafter, this is also connected to the idea of beauty in the Qur’an. For the
Qur’an refers to all of Paradise as beautiful especially because in it is found the beatific
vision of the Beautiful, i.e. the vision of God. The Qur’an says: “some faces that Day, will
beam (in brightness and beauty); Looking towards their Lord” (75:22–23). Paradise is
also noted to be filled with beautiful spirits, starting with Prophets. The Qur’an says:
218 A. O. FAHM

All who obey Allah and the Messenger are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of
Allah, of the Prophets (who teach), the Sincere (lovers of Truth), the martyres, and the
Righteous (who do good): Ah! How beautiful is their Company (4:69).

The above-stated examples comprise Islam’s position and attitude towards evaluating
beauty. However, the real merit of beauty in Islam lies in the degree or level of one’s
righteousness. The following are more specific findings of the research.

Beauty of the Houris (hur) as alternative to virtue beauty in Islam

The Qur’an made several references to the beauty of the houris of Paradise (37:48; 38:52;
44:54; 52:20; 55:56; 55:72; 56:22–23; 56:36–37). In fact, in describing the beauty of the
Houris the Qur’an compares them to an egg. According to Asad (2003), this was so used
because of an ancient Arabian figure of speech derived from the habit of the female
ostrich, which buries its eggs in the sand for protection. The Houris are described as being
of modest bearing, young, virgins, and having eyes only for their mates. As a metaphor,
this phrase also implies their righteous. The Qur’an also regards them as companions
pure and having the most beautiful of eyes. A more detailed description of their eyes
entails intense whiteness of the eyeballs and lustrous black of the iris.

Beautiful gifts of Allah as alternative to nature beauty in Islam

The Qur’an also speaks about the beautiful gifts of Allah. It notes God’s wish that man
should appreciate the beautiful (gifts) of Allah that He has set on earth. In verse 7:32, the
Qur’an states:

Say: Who has forbidden the beautiful (gifts) of Allah, which He has produced for His
servants, and the things, clean and pure, (which He has provided) for sustenance? Say: They
are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and) purely for them on the Day of
Judgement. Thus do We explain the Signs in detail for those who understand.

According to Asad (2003), the declaration by the Qur’an that all good and beautiful
things of life are lawful to the believers is by implication a way denying asceticism, world-
renunciation and self-mortification. Humans are expected to recognize and appreciate
these beautiful things. In addition, these beautiful things are described as clean and pure.
This shows that in Islam things are considered beautiful when they are clean and pure.
Furthermore, part of what the Qur’an regards as beautiful is clothing. It was specifically
mentioned that believers were to assemble for worship in their beautiful clothing, “. . .
O offspring of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer . . .”
(7:31). It is also understood that the use of beautiful here includes thing that does not
disgrace. This shows that the beautiful thing goes beyond the physical and takes into
consideration moral connotations of beauty. In addition, the position of Islam is that God
put beauty into all that He created. For instance, it is stated that God beautified every-
thing that He created and also that He has ordered all his handiworks to perfection (e.g.,
32:7; 27:88). This goes to show that the idea of function is embedded in beauty in Islam. It
entails working in perfect consonance with the purpose for which one has been created.
This is because God fashions every detail of His creation in accordance with the functions
 JOURNAL OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION RESEARCH 219

intended for it, irrespective of whether those functions can be understood by us or are
beyond the reach of our perception.

Human beauty as alternative to proportion beauty in Islam

With respect these, humans are being of beauty for Allah the Creator says: “We have
indeed created man in the best of moulds” (95: 4). This entails been bestowed with
positive qualities including physical as well as mental. It is also connected to the term
fitrah (natural disposition), connoting man’s inborn, intuitive ability to discern between
right and wrong, true and false. These are all parts of human beauty because they help
humans to function properly and make the best possible use of their inborn qualities and
of the environment to which they are exposed. In this manner, subsequent to depicting
the different stages in the creation of man, the Qur’an says: “. . . So blessed be Allah, the
best to create!” (23:14). There are indeed numerous ahadith (plural of hadith) alluding to
the Prophet’s attributes, words and actions with respect to beauty. It is stated that his face
shone as bright as the full moon a reference to the Prophet’s great looks. The character-
istic of having an appealing nature is noted among the Prophets of God, so they are often
good looking as well as persuasive in speech. The Prophet, in fact, cherished the beauty of
discourse and it is accounted for that when he was asked: “Where does beauty lie?” he
reacted: “On the tongue”, i.e. in the persuasiveness of articulation. It was reported that
the Prophet discourse was controlled, compact, and terse (Rida, 1998).
In addition, Prophet Muhammad is also said to be someone who acknowledged and
was moved by beauty, and he had no affection for anything ugly. For instance, on
observing a good-looking man, he stroked his head and whiskers and said: “God who
made him good looking, keep him so!” If the names of individuals or something were
unpleasing, he would change them. This was the reason he changed the name of a lady
called ‘Āsya (in light of the fact that it connotes recalcitrance or sin) and informed her
_
that she should be called Jamīla (beautiful) (Abu Rida, 1998).
However, Islam also cautions against narcissistic vanity and arrogance. In the event
that God has given individuals good looks, they should be grateful keeping in mind that
their conduct repudiates the appearance with which they have been favoured. The
Prophet informed the believers: “As God made me idealize in body, so have I looked
to consummate my character.” Believers must make progress towards flawlessness and
beauty in every one of their activities. This is why the Prophet was reported to have said:
“God requests capability of you in every way: along these lines, regardless of the
possibility that you murder or butcher, do it well.”

Moral beauty as alternative to order beauty in Islam

The Qur’an talks about “good” (al-husn) with a specific end goal to allude to acts of
_
kindness (27:11). In another unique situation, managing the treatment of parents, al-
husn has the sense of “generosity and kindness”: “We have charged on man kindness to
_
guardians” (29:8). This demonstrates that the act itself is characteristically or basically
great. A further case is of husn utilized adverbially to portray the unmistakable attributes
_
of discourse: “Talk reasonably to the general population” (2:83). Furthermore, the Qur’an
discusses moral beauty as magnificence in regard of activities and behaviour: exemplary
220 A. O. FAHM

nature, astuteness, and righteousness in conduct are named “good” (hasana), i.e. some-
_
thing delightful as opposed to its inverse, “terrible” (sayyi’a) (6:160; 11:114). The above-
expressed cases involve the Qur’an’s position and disposition towards assessing beauty.
The genuine value of individuals lies in the degree with which they have faith in Allah
which in other words can be described as moral beauty. The hadith mentions beauty in its
common sense regarding material and non-material: for instance, riches, rank, reputa-
tion, religion, have all been compared with. It is in this regard that the Prophet supports
a man who prefers a lady whose perfection lies in religion as opposed to wealth or beauty.
The genuine estimation of the person, as such, lives in the ethical demeanour and
conducts that come from genuine religious conviction.

Al-jamīl, Al-jamāl and husn as alternative to divine beauty in Islam

It is important to state here that according to Ghazi Bin Muhammad (2010), in the
Qur’an and the Hadith the word jamal is used when the beautiful thing is singular such as
_
God is beautiful (Jamil); patience is beautiful (jamil), and there is beauty (jamal) in cattle.
However, whenever the word husn is used, it describes more than one of something, or
a plurality of different types of beauty, for example, God has the Most Beautiful Names
(Al-Asma’ al-Husna). He further stated that the beauty (husn) of a woman means all the
aspects of beauty which are combined in her appearance while ihsan (virtue) means all
good characteristics and virtues.
The Qur’an reference to “And therein is beauty for you, when you drive them back
(home) and when you send them out (to pasture)” (16:6), is in reference to cattles, horses,
mules, and donkeys aside from their being used for human sustenance in terms of
clothing and food, they are also, bred for beauty, grace and elegance (16:5, 8). Not only
these were regarded as jamīl but also virtues are also portrayed as beauty (jamīl) in some
specific way. For instance, persistence (al-sabr al-jamīl) (70:5; 12:18). In addition, leaving
_
and moving away from the unbelievers might be beautiful (al-hajr al-jamīl): “. . .
Abandon them with respectable (poise)” (73:10). The faithful must be patient and fight
the temptation to take after their example. Setting free is beautiful (al-sarāh al- jamīl) that
_
is when a lady is divorced by a man and she suffers no harm, and her rights and dignity
was respected, this is regarded as a beautiful thing or act. Also, exonerate is beautiful (al-
safh al-jamīl) and the Qur’an talks about “gracious forgiveness” (15:85), i.e. leniency
_ _
without the quest for exact retribution. The connection between beauty and good are
referred to in a hadith where the Prophet stated: “Look for that which you require from
the individuals who are fair face”. The sense is that the individuals who have been
honoured with beauty will, thus, be kind and concerned to do good.

Order, harmony, and equilibrium as alternative to order beauty in Islam

Central to the discussion on beauty in the Qur’an is the idea of natural order or harmony
and equilibrium in God’s creation. The Qur’an speaks of natural harmony and equilibrium
from the universe perspective. It is said in the Qur’an: “It is He Who hath created for you all
things that are on earth; then He turned to the heaven and made them into seven
firmaments. And of all things He hath perfect knowledge” (2:29). Also, “On high hath
He raised its canopy, and He hath given it order and perfection” (79:28). Ali (1989) says:
 JOURNAL OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION RESEARCH 221

The mystery of the heavens with their countless stars and the planets obeying the laws of
motion, and the sun and moon influencing the temperature and climates of the earth from
thousands or millions of miles, illustrate the order and perfection which Allah has given to
His Creation. (p. 1892)

Order (taswiya) in its true physical, moral, and psychological sense suggests that things
are made impeccable and are in harmony, each in concordance with itself. God has given
every one of His creatures “order and proportion”. The Qur’an says: “Who hath created,
and further, given order and proportion” (87:2). Interestingly, Ali (1989), notes that
[t]he story of Creation is wonderful and continuous. There are several processes which we
contemplate in glorifying Allah’s name. First, He brings us into being. Secondly, He endows
us with forms and faculties exactly suited to what is expected of us, and to the environments
in which our life will be cast, giving to everything due order and proportion. (p. 1938)

Clearly, therefore, this shows God has given things beautiful shape and nature, “He said:
Our Lord He Who gave to each (created) thing its form then, gave (it) guidance” (20:50).
Also, in the same breath, another verse mentions “He is Allah, the Creator, the
Originator, the Fashioner to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names” (59:24), noting
that among the names ascribed to God in the Qur’an is “The Fashioner” (al-Musawwir).
_
Thus, He bestows definite form or colour in order to make a thing precisely suited to
a given end (Abu Rida, 1998). This may be the reason Fakhr al-Din al-Razi in dividing
God’s Most Beautiful Names suggested two categories, Majesty, and Munificence, which
according to Ghazi Bin Muhammad (2010) are the components of beauty.

Embellishment (zukhruf) as alternative to proportion beauty in Islam

Aside from general references to beauty, the Qur’an, in many instances, draws together
the components of shape and shading which combine to deliver perfect beauty (16:13, 69;
30:22). The impact of God’s perfection in moulding various shapes and colours can have
serious impact on individuals to the point that they are unconscious of what they are
doing (12:31). Such embellishment are conceded to man for his satisfaction in this life;
however, these delights are little when contrasted with those of the Hereafter. Also, those
that are enchanted by the fine things in this world will find that what they are enchanted
on will quickly be discarded, abandoned and forgotten when the Great Calamity beset the
world and the earth itself made “like a gather clean-mown, as though it had not prospered
just the day preceding” (10:24).
Moreover, this type of beauty is, generally, identified with the sights and objects of nature.
The approach of the Qur’an would appear to recommend to the reader in such manner that
while one might have the capacity to appreciate these stylish manifestations, shapes, and
colours, one cannot get a handle on their essential nature, and it encourages human beings
to go past them, to their Creator (Rida, 1998). It is for the above reason that Islam urges its
adherents that seeking beautiful things of life can be of little importance especially at the point
when one experiences an overwhelming calamity. Human beings are, therefore, admonished to
take a more cautious step in its pursuit of physical beauty for we know little about what life
holds in store (9:38). In other words, an individual is expected to seek something more
heavenly, divine and persisting, as well as increased amounts of goodness and seek God who
is the wellspring of all beauty. In a Hadith, it is said that God is beautiful and cherishes beauty.
222 A. O. FAHM

The beauty which is obviously Divine is not what is seen by the faculties but rather flawlessness,
sublimity, and qualities whose nature one cannot know. Humankind has gotten signs of God’s
disclosure and typical references to metaphysical beauty in His works and in our spirit.
Outright beauty, in any case, is past the limits of our constrained imagination and the bounds
of our observation.

Alternate assessment of beauty in Islam

This paper explored the attitude of Islam towards beauty with focus on its multidimen-
sional nature. One of the dimensions presented is physical beauty. The contemporary
society obsession with this form of beauty betrays the holistic approach of Islam and
proceeded to regard them as the ideal form of beauty. The Qur’an, consistent with its
view that every creation of Allah is potentially beauty so long as one works on developing
one’s innate qualities to a high level of moral uprightness shows that physical attractions is
“secondary”. Consistent with Diessner et al. (2008) and Ghehi (2017), this study indicates
that beauty as viewed in the Qur’an goes beyond physical attractions; it exists both in
human heart and mind and in creatures of God in this world. The Qur’an removes
unnecessary obsession with female beauty. Consistent with the Qur’anic tenet that
“Indeed, We have created all things according to a measure.” (54:49), Islam offers relief
from certain pressure on women to conform to specific definition of beauty and address the
difficulties that often arise from this form of definition. Despite this relief, the expectation to
exert oneself to the best of one’s individual ability in good, both in the spiritual and
temporal spheres, remains the same for everyone.
Having examined the import of the Islamic positions vis-à-vis the social issues related
to varying non-Islamic interpretations on beauty, it is discovered that the emphasis in
Islam is on experiential-based and judgemental-based types of beauty. This is because
there are a lot of proclamations on the pleasures and wonders that environment/earth
and individual beauty brings. It is to this that the Qur’an seems to devote more time and
space, and for whom it reserves its most ardent call for action. Therefore, humans are
expected to react with aesthetic sense and to reflect upon the marvellous beauties of not
just human beings but also nature. Secondly, as regards the beauty of life in this world,
wealth and children are part of it. They are to be appreciated as beautiful gifts from God.
In addition, in Islam, one is urged to move beyond the sights and objects of nature in
order to appreciate beauty. This moving beyond sight and object can be regarded as
moral beauty in things in nature. Moreover, there is a salient connection between beauty
and good in Islam. One who is bestowed with beauty should also be concern with good as
a way of cautioning against narcissistic vanity which normative-based beauty might
represent. Conversely, there is also divine beauty which is flawless and sublime and
which cannot be compared with anything. The beauties that human being sees in this
world are only a glimpse of the divine and real beauty.
The Qur’an does not mention specific details of what constitute bodily beauty in terms
of youthfulness, natural impeccable skin, fairness, shapely figure, etc. There is, however,
no reason to believe that the Qur’anic view is limited to this list. Instead, this list serves
a myopic representation of beauty. That this kind of understanding or definition of
beauty can be, and indeed need to be, expanded to cover larger physical and social forms
of beauties seen in the environment and “deep” in individuals should go without saying.
 JOURNAL OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION RESEARCH 223

This view is based on enormous physiological, psychological, and biological pressure on

women in our contemporary time.
In general, this study finds that the concept of beauty, in the conventional sense, is not
found in the Qur’an. Rather, the Qur’an concentrates on the notion of virtue, divine,
nature, order, and proportion forms of beauty. Since this study is largely based on
religious texts, it is not surprising that the idea of beauty tends towards constant
exhortation to Muslims to better person and to support prosocial behaviour.

Conclusion
This paper investigates the disposition and position of Islam towards beauty. It shows
that from the available information, there are substantial differences on how beauty is
defined and characterized between Islam and Western culture in contemporary times.
The study conceives beauty as embodying human virtue, which contributes to becoming
a better person and supporting prosocial behaviour.
The paper also explains how the Qur’an and Hadith discuss beauty and its underlining
values. Moreover, the paper demonstrates how Islamic teaching requires one to look
beyond physical attractions in order to appreciate beauty and further reflects on God’s
love for beauty as well as how He perceives His own true eternal beauty. The study also
encompasses different interpretations of the underlying meanings of beauty by utilizing
excerpts from the Holy Qur’an and Hadiths as well as of theologians’, philosophers’, and
scholars’ worldviews, beliefs, and perspectives, therefore, encapsulating different angles
of the notion of beauty throughout multiple definitions.
Owing to the nature of religious texts (especially the Qur’an which the author is familiar
with), it would be audacious to claim that we have reached the fullest extent of the meaning
of beauty. It is, however, safe to conclude that the Islamic view encompasses physical and
non-physical aspects; asserts that the focus needs to be on people’s clean, pure, and good
attitudes as well as seeing the world as a beautiful creature of God; expects personal
responsibility and personal development; proclaims the idea of balance and proportion;
and affirms the responsibility and duty of society towards all that is good and fair.
Finally, the study using a combination of critical, content, and discourse analysis suggests an
alternative approach for assessing beauty from an Islamic perspective in order to achieve
a holistic outlook. The findings of this paper have implications for assessing what makes a truly
beautiful thing or person and open the way for further research in the area.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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