When we talk about beauty, we are mostly talking about the physical. Islam recognises the importance of both inner and outer beauty – Allah (S.W.A) loves beauty in our appearance, deeds and actions. I have written about the sunnah beauty guide for our physical appearance and I wanted to dedicate a topic to the kind of inner beauty that people can see. This is the ultimate beauty that is easy to attain and no amount of make-up can substitute it – NOOR.
Noor means light or glow. This is something that people will see when they look at you – vibrant, refreshed and radiant. The best example is of pregnant women because sometimes, they have that glow.
So, how do you get the glow?
By nurturing your inner self whether you are pregnant or not. To do this, you will need to understand that pleasing Allah and receiving His Grace purifies your inner-reality.
The glow is simply a reflection of your faith, intentions, thoughts, actions, motives and everything we do for the pleasure of Allah (S.W.A). The noor that appears on your face is actually one of the signs of the righteous – being at peace, with a good attitude and appearing content.
What steps do we need to take?
Salat (prayer) is noor and patience is illumination. Salat is the foundation of Islam, it involves the rememberance of Allah and the recitation of his words (Quran). To be patient is to refrain from evil and to act righteously in obedience to Allah.
This in particular applies to tahajjud (night prayer). Not only does tahajjud bring you closer to Allah and keep you away from sinning, it could also be a sign that you are devout and not neglectful of your duties to Allah.
When it comes to your fard (mandatory) salat, always pray on time and never miss Fajr.
Here are more tips:
- Be honest about yourself to yourself. This is about your thoughts and actions – question your motives to sift out negativity and ill intentions. Whatever you do, make sure you are not intentionally trying to attract or get the attention of men – always be pure in thought about this.
- Don’t backbite. If you are already in the habit of doing so, start your conversations with small talk, increase your knowledge and avoid places and people who engage in gossip. Try this with a group of friends to encourage each other and catch a gossip at the start of a conversation before you delve into it.
- Make sure you avoid eating all unclean (najis) food. If it doesn’t say vegetarian or halal on the label, check the ingredients list. Also, eat in moderation – don’t be greedy.
- It is easier said than done, but try your best to not bear any grudges, malice or envy towards others in your heart. If these kind of negative thoughts start creeping in, read, start a conversation with someone, do dhikr e.t.c. Forgive those who wronged you, try to be kind, generous and patient. Always keep a smile on your face because that can brighten your soul.
- In this day and age, we are surrounded by media but it is haram for us to listen to music. Replace music with Quran, reading, talking to people, starting a hobby, listening to preaches e.t.c. Also, avoid watching un-Islamic movies, particularly those with naked people and sex.
- Try fasting on Mondays and Thursdays or fast for 3 days every month (it is better if it was on the 13th, 14th and 15th of every lunar month). You can do both if you can.
- Seek out the good in people. Avoid being suspicious, spying and always focusing on the wrongdoing of people.
- Be charitable – doing good deeds and helping others brings light and satisfaction to the heart.
So how do we know if we have succeeded?
You will feel it. Inwardly, you should feel grateful, content, satisfied, positive, joyous and fulfilled despite any difficulties in life. This will then show in your outer appearance as that lovely natural glow.
