Hijabi TikTokers Turn to Cosmetic Surgery: A Shift from the Legacy of Substantive Women in Islam

• Islam has a rich history of women of substance and wisdom who understood their self-worth.

• Muslims come from a long lineage of outstanding women, yet today we focus on noise rather than substance.

Women underwent 92% of all cosmetic procedures in 2019 in the UK. Furthermore, the number of surgeries remains stable amid calls for greater regulation of quick fix solutions. In addition to surgical procedures, there has also been an alarming trend of non-surgical cosmetic procedures (which are evidenced to be evidenced to be increasingly dangerous).

Today, cosmetic procedures are easily accessible on the open market. Unquestionably, social media and the culture of vanity metrics that permeates our society have increased women’s (and men’s) self-consciousness and sense of insecurity about their appearance. Worryingly, many of these beliefs and practises (much like feminism) have crept into our Ummah, placing a paramount importance on appearance.

Flirting with secularism has inevitably landed our communities in turmoil. For instance, many young Muslim girls do not have sound role models and consequently begin to look up to and emulate the likes of the Kardashian-Jenner clan. These women are clearly terrible role models who have nothing to offer society but degradation. From extensive cosmetic surgery, illicit relations, objectifying themselves, and a severe lack of Haya/(shyness). Having such “role models” has clearly made women and young girls lose their sense of self-worth and play prime importance to their looks. Consequently, it has become the social norm to ‘fake it to make it’- from photo-shopped lives on social media and posting ‘meaningful’ quotes about life that they themselves do not live by.

Some Muslim women may say, “We cannot take the examples of great women from our past as role models, as we will never be as good as these women”, or “This is just the climate that we live in today—you need to have conformed to society’s ever-changing beauty standards to ‘get ahead in life’, as we are living in an age where swiping left or right is the social norm”. However, as Muslim women, there is so much more to us than our looks. And aesthetic beauty manifests in many different forms- not merely what fashion pundits or the trends of popular culture dictate. For instance, in late Imperial China, bound feet were considered a status symbol and a mark of feminine beauty. The custom of breaking and tightly binding the feet of very young girls, in order to alter the shape and size, was barbaric. This is no longer practised today Alhumdulillah.

Sadly, we are seeing a trend of Muslim-hijabi female influencers/TikTok stars with lip fillers and ‘nose jobs’; some even unashamedly openly admitting to it. This isn’t to say that as women we shouldn’t look after ourselves or beautify ourselves in front of our mahram (men in the family home). However, cosmetic surgery for beautification purposes is essentially altering the creation of Allah. We are also seeing very recently how Leg-lengthening surgery gains popularity among men seeking to be taller. Evidently, men are also turning to cosmetic procedures to alter their appearance.

“Allah has cursed the women who make tattoos and the women who have this done, the women who pluck facial(eyebrow) hair and the women who have this done, and women who widen the gap between their own or others teeth for the sake of beauty, changing what Allah has created.” (Sahih Muslim, 3966)

Muslim women have historically understood their self-worth, what with Islam’s rich history of women who have left behind true legacies.

Here is who Prophet Mohammed (saw) said were the best women in Islam:

“Sufficient for you among the women of mankind are Mariam bint ‘Imran, Khadijah bint Kuwalid, Fatima bint Muhammad and Asiya the wife Fir’awn” (Al Tirmidhi)

All of these women in our Islamic lineage were women of substance, amazing wisdom, and beautiful souls.

Let’s take a look at some of the amazing women in our history:

Imam al-Bukhari’s mother

The mother of Imam al Bukhari was a widowed-single mother, described as a righteous woman of impeccable character who prayed continuously to Allah for the restoration of her blind son’s sight. Imam al-Bukhari had memorised 500,000 hadiths because his mother would read them to him when he was blind. Later on, her prayers were answered.

Nusaybah Bint Ka’ab

Nusaybah (RA) was a wife, a mother, a diplomat but was remembered for being a paragon of bravery- defending Prophet Mohammed (saw) with her husband and two sons during the battle of Uhud. Nusaybah (RA) demonstrated amazing swordsmanship and was praised by Prophet Mohammed (saw). It’s important to note that she was the exception and not the rule (regarding being a woman on the battlefield). However, her passion to sacrifice her life for Prophet Mohammed (saw) illustrates such tawwakul in Allah (reliance on Allah), love for the final messenger (saw) and beauty in her character.

Fatima al Fihri

The University of Al Qarawiynn was the first University to be established in Morocco by Fatima al Fihri. She had used her father’s inheritance to create it. This demonstrates such selflessness, to use her money towards the greater good and truly leave behind a legacy.

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With materialism and capitalism on the rise, an emphasis on instant gratification, mixed with ever-changing beauty standards, it is no wonder that women have forgotten what they ought to focus on. It is therefore essential not to drown in the tide and hold firm to the rope of Allah by uplifting one another in our ummah. Furthermore, we must be cognisant of the fact that confidence is shaped in children from a very early age within the family home. May Allah guide us all…Ameen