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Beauty Fee Sabililah
This book takes readers on a journey to understand what it means to be beautiful. True Beauty is to be felt with all of our senses and incites us towards growth and self-actualization. This beauty can be found within the Divine teachings of the Quran and Prophetic traditions, which present alternatives to dominant beauty narratives, by emphasizing on our inner wellbeing as a tool to improve our outer appearances. Within the Islamic tradition, beauty blooms in the same garden as justice, health and love and acts as a repellent to the wasps of decadence, immorality and mental enslavement. With God's Permission, this work will aid readers in the cultivation of beauty in all actions whether it is in spending, consuming, grooming and loving. To exercise our agency in defining and creating beauty for ourselves liberates us from our self imposed enslavement. That is why we say be beautiful (Fee Sabililah) for the sake of God because it is only under His Guidance that we can truly experience beauty in all of its splendor, health and glory.
- GenresIslamSpirituality
114 pages, Paperback
Published January 17, 2017
17 people are currently reading
518 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 11, 2021
hearing about this book on the digital sisterhood podcast felt like a divine occurrence, it’s a topic that i so deeply needed insight and advice on. my heart feels so very whole finishing this one. may Allah bless this sister!!!
March 30, 2025
Short and sweet. Loved the way it immediately got to the point. One of my very first self help (?) reads and it was a good one :)
November 21, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. However, I did feel as though there were some points that didn’t align with the main points made by the author. At times it felt like some of the wording or explanations just did not match the main topic of the chapter. I did enjoy the last few pages of the book especially the section about loving yourself. I think this book should’ve been a bit longer because the topics that were discussed definitely deserves a bit more attention.
June 8, 2022
Definitely a book that every Woman, no matter what background she is from, needs to read. it’ll give you a completely new perspective on loving yourself and how to do so for the sake of Allah and yourself. You will not regret spending £10 on this book.
February 2, 2024
”to know Allah is to Love Him and to Love Him is to live”
An uplifting book of reminders about reframing our standards of beauty for the sake of Allah. I found some of the hadith shared to be just what I needed to hear as I go through my own journey of trials.
Although, regarding the “western” standards of beauty the author mentioned about having long nails, getting our hair done by other profressionals, etc, I don’t see anything wrong with liking the feminine desires of beautifying these things a specific way. It’s halal to enjoy them as long as we use them for halal means. Even when I agree with her main point about how the sunnah is to trim nails/ hairs, etc, one can do both and still “live their best halal life” a phrase Sheikh Saalim Al Azhari often uses.
If you’re looking for a little spiritual boost in your life, this is an easy yet spiritually motivating book to read. It inspired me to do my own little self care routine right after I finished reading it and it felt good!
December 17, 2024
This book is filled with great reminders and provides an opportunity to self reflect. The continued reference to quran and sunnah was also very pleasing to see. The author emphasises the importance of introspection in order to cultivate inner beauty through ‘Taqwa’(consciousness of Allah).
There are also mentions of the flawed beauty industry and the negative implications of the commodification of beauty. The author highlights how far this idealistic view of beauty is from Islamic teachings whereby the focus first is always internal.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read however, I did find some chapters hard to follow. I struggled to see how some points related to the subject matter and found them disorderly. I would love to see a longer version of this book where some of the points made can be explained more thoroughly.
May Allah reward the author for her efforts!
There are also mentions of the flawed beauty industry and the negative implications of the commodification of beauty. The author highlights how far this idealistic view of beauty is from Islamic teachings whereby the focus first is always internal.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read however, I did find some chapters hard to follow. I struggled to see how some points related to the subject matter and found them disorderly. I would love to see a longer version of this book where some of the points made can be explained more thoroughly.
May Allah reward the author for her efforts!
July 4, 2022
Beautiful beautiful book! I have been wanting to dress more modestly, especially more skirts and dresses, and this book just beautified that intention/ desire to do so more for me. Barak Allah feeki ❤️
October 11, 2023
A well written book reminding you the importance of inner beauty and the effects of the damaging societal standards of outer beauty.
December 13, 2024
the thought was there and there were some really beneficial ideas about beauty. but there were a lot of grammar mistakes and typos. also each paragraph jumped around on a bunch of different ideas.
January 11, 2023
The book was a truly enlightening experience for me, with a simple and succinct writing style that made it easy to consume. While I enjoyed its brevity, I couldn't help but wish that it was longer and delved deeper into the topics discussed. The author expertly delves into themes of self-love and how current societal beauty standards fall short of what truly defines beauty. The author's research on the Islamic perspective on beauty is evident throughout the book and provides a unique lens through which to view the subject matter. The author skillfully highlights how the Islamic teachings align with their ideas on beauty, making the book particularly impactful for readers. It is a must-read for any woman seeking to expand and shift their understanding of beauty, it had a profound effect on me, and I believe it has the power to do the same for others.
March 25, 2023
3.5/5
Good book. It was a refresher on how true beauty goes beyond your physical looks. However, I do wish that the book was a bit longer & writing style to use slightly less difficult words so I could understand the pony’s more clearly lol.
Good book. It was a refresher on how true beauty goes beyond your physical looks. However, I do wish that the book was a bit longer & writing style to use slightly less difficult words so I could understand the pony’s more clearly lol.
June 9, 2025
4.5/5
short and sweet, definitely has lots of points to reflect on
short and sweet, definitely has lots of points to reflect on
March 12, 2026
Courte et efficace réflexion sur la définition de la beauté d’un point de vue islamique. L’autrice nous invite à cultiver la beauté en améliorant son caractère et son comportement pour rayonner de l’intérieur sans oublier de prendre soin de son corps.
L’objectif est de délaisser l’idée que la beauté est un état : être ou ne pas être doté de beauté. Elle nous propose une vision qui nous libère du regard des autres et du regard réprobateur à notre encontre. L’idée est de pratiquer la beauté sous toutes ses formes pour plaire à Allah et apprendre à nous aimer de manière authentique sans se conformer aux diktats des standards de beauté actuels, racistes et colonialistes. Elle explique comment Allah nous guide pour nous libérer des pressions sociales, des complexes, des faux-semblants, et des jugements de valeur basés sur l’apparence.
Lecture très très utile mais malheureusement un peu trop courte. J’aurais aimé plus d’approfondissement dans de nombreux chapitres et parfois je ne comprenais pas l’emplacement de certains passages.
Citations préférées :
« From the sky, we learn that Beauty is not a state, it is a practice. Practicing beauty, is not as easy as adorning our appearances rather inner beauty manifests itself in our thoughts, opinions, judgments, speech and conduct. Like the sky, our essence should be beautiful in that we are so internally filled with beauty that what seeps through us beautifies our outer world. »
« Beauty narratives that are reduced to visual perceptions limit our understanding of beauty, when in fact true beauty is to be felt with all senses. Beauty is to be seen, tasted, smelled, heard and felt. »
« We usually do not address the root causes of our inner shortcomings and neglect our spiritual wellbeing. While we focus on our lips, faces, bodies and hair, we should equally focus on our minds, hearts and souls. These are the tools in which we enter a space where beauty becomes an experience instead of just a visual presentation. Using our minds we can elevate ourselves from the pernicious habits and behaviors that keep us anchored in our ugliness. »
« Taqwa leads to self-love because taqwa exercises self-awareness Allah wants us to move away from reactionary anger, from becoming slaves to our temper and from being easy to provoke.[…] That is inner beauty, to rise above being slaves to our emotions. To make peace internally when there is war externally. »
« Arrogance is another state of mental victimhood because we allow the perceived weakness in someone else’s character influence how we view ourselves.[…] Your self esteem is based on if you are doing better than others.[…] This kind of victimhood often creates pretentious attitudes and an egotistical sense of self worth. It is victimhood because your self-esteem is still derived from external factors. »
« The phenomenon of social media illustrates that we are in an age of extravagance by creating and projecting images for the visual consumption of others. Essentially, we are living for others within the box of success that they have constructed. »
« We exist to know Allah through ourselves, the Quran, His Miracles even through other people. For some of us, it is through the imperfection of others, that we come to realize the Perfection of our Lord. »
« We are at a proximal distance to both self destruction and self actualization, illustrating the ease in which we oscillate between fulfillment and emptiness. The key that facilitates our growth is our capacity of endurance. »
« The present moment allows for the fluidity of self development and expression. It does not hold us in the past nor preoccupy us with the future. To love Allah means that we focus on the present so much so that we will feel like we live for a day everyday. »
« When we are conscious we do not mis-label love and we love rationally in a balanced way. Loving for the Sake of God respects autonomy and codependency because it reminds us that while we are in a loving relationship we are still separate beings. This autonomy within our relationships encourages us to not mask our true selves to impress others and it does not encourage us to remain in the shadow of our beloved by absorbing their dreams, values and hopes as our own and sacrificing ours simply because we love them. »
L’objectif est de délaisser l’idée que la beauté est un état : être ou ne pas être doté de beauté. Elle nous propose une vision qui nous libère du regard des autres et du regard réprobateur à notre encontre. L’idée est de pratiquer la beauté sous toutes ses formes pour plaire à Allah et apprendre à nous aimer de manière authentique sans se conformer aux diktats des standards de beauté actuels, racistes et colonialistes. Elle explique comment Allah nous guide pour nous libérer des pressions sociales, des complexes, des faux-semblants, et des jugements de valeur basés sur l’apparence.
Lecture très très utile mais malheureusement un peu trop courte. J’aurais aimé plus d’approfondissement dans de nombreux chapitres et parfois je ne comprenais pas l’emplacement de certains passages.
Citations préférées :
« From the sky, we learn that Beauty is not a state, it is a practice. Practicing beauty, is not as easy as adorning our appearances rather inner beauty manifests itself in our thoughts, opinions, judgments, speech and conduct. Like the sky, our essence should be beautiful in that we are so internally filled with beauty that what seeps through us beautifies our outer world. »
« Beauty narratives that are reduced to visual perceptions limit our understanding of beauty, when in fact true beauty is to be felt with all senses. Beauty is to be seen, tasted, smelled, heard and felt. »
« We usually do not address the root causes of our inner shortcomings and neglect our spiritual wellbeing. While we focus on our lips, faces, bodies and hair, we should equally focus on our minds, hearts and souls. These are the tools in which we enter a space where beauty becomes an experience instead of just a visual presentation. Using our minds we can elevate ourselves from the pernicious habits and behaviors that keep us anchored in our ugliness. »
« Taqwa leads to self-love because taqwa exercises self-awareness Allah wants us to move away from reactionary anger, from becoming slaves to our temper and from being easy to provoke.[…] That is inner beauty, to rise above being slaves to our emotions. To make peace internally when there is war externally. »
« Arrogance is another state of mental victimhood because we allow the perceived weakness in someone else’s character influence how we view ourselves.[…] Your self esteem is based on if you are doing better than others.[…] This kind of victimhood often creates pretentious attitudes and an egotistical sense of self worth. It is victimhood because your self-esteem is still derived from external factors. »
« The phenomenon of social media illustrates that we are in an age of extravagance by creating and projecting images for the visual consumption of others. Essentially, we are living for others within the box of success that they have constructed. »
« We exist to know Allah through ourselves, the Quran, His Miracles even through other people. For some of us, it is through the imperfection of others, that we come to realize the Perfection of our Lord. »
« We are at a proximal distance to both self destruction and self actualization, illustrating the ease in which we oscillate between fulfillment and emptiness. The key that facilitates our growth is our capacity of endurance. »
« The present moment allows for the fluidity of self development and expression. It does not hold us in the past nor preoccupy us with the future. To love Allah means that we focus on the present so much so that we will feel like we live for a day everyday. »
« When we are conscious we do not mis-label love and we love rationally in a balanced way. Loving for the Sake of God respects autonomy and codependency because it reminds us that while we are in a loving relationship we are still separate beings. This autonomy within our relationships encourages us to not mask our true selves to impress others and it does not encourage us to remain in the shadow of our beloved by absorbing their dreams, values and hopes as our own and sacrificing ours simply because we love them. »
July 16, 2023
Loved it!!
July 3, 2024
4.5 stars - Very insightful mashaAllah!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews