RSS Feed

Ugly Duckling

This isn't mine, I read it somewhere on the internet.
___________________________________________

Growing up, you read the Ugly Duckling. And for years I believed that was me. For so long you taught me I was nothing more than a bad copy of the standard.

I couldn't run as fast or lift as much. I didn't make the same money and I cried too often. I grew up in a man's world where I didn't belong.

And when I couldn't be him, I wanted only to please him. I put on your make-up and wore your short skirts. I gave my life, my body, my dignity, for the cause of being pretty. I knew that no matter what I did, I was worthy only to the degree that I could please and be beautiful for my master. And so I spent my life on the cover of Cosmo and gave my body for you to sell.

I was a slave, but you taught me I was free. I was your object but you swore it was success. You taught me that my purpose in life was to be on display, to attract and be beautiful for men. You had me believe that my body was created to market your cars. And you raised me to think I was an ugly duckling.

But you lied.

Islam tells me I'm a swan. I'm different - it's meant to be that way. And my body, my soul, was created for something more.

Allah says in the Quran: "O mankind, We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another (not that you may despise each other). Verily, the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is most righteous." (49:13)

So I am honoured. But it is not by my relationship to men. My value as a woman is not measured by the size of my waist or by the number of men who like me. My worth as a human being is measured on a higher scale : a scale of righteousness and piety. And my purpose in life, despite what the fashion magazines say, is something more sublime than just looking good for men.

And so Allah tells me to cover myself, to hide my beauty and to tell the world that I'm not here to please men with my body; I'm here to please Allah. Allah elevates the dignity of a woman's body by commanding that it be respected and covered, shown only to the deserving - only to the man I marry.

So those who wish to 'liberate' me, I have only one thing to say:
Thanks, but no thanks.

I'm not here to be on display. And my body is not for public consumption. I will not be reduced to an object, or a pair of legs to sell shoes. I'm a soul, a mind, a servant of Allah. My worth is defined by the beauty of my soul, my heart, my moral character. So, I won't worship your beauty standards, and I don't submit to your fashion sense. My submission is to something higher.

With my veil, I put my faith on display - rather than my beauty. My value as a human is defined by my relationship with Allah, not by my looks. So I cover the irrelevant. And when you look at me, you don't see a body. You view me only for what I am : a servant of my Creator.

So you see, as a Muslim woman, I've been liberated from a silent kind of bondage. I don't answer to the slaves of Allah on earth. I answer to their King.

0 comments:

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Popular Posts

Labels

love random Mein aur merey awesome log blog food friends pakistan celebrities rant hum tv Allah crazy happiness sad sun internship sisterly love about me amreeka beautiful facebook happy harry potter money sylar work me shiny usa visa zachary quinto Muslim amazing an hero beauty boss change chocolate college funny funny pic hair health heroes hnmun ideas jaag mere talib ilm johnny depp karachi ma peace photograph saira siddiqi tribune 2011 Angelina Jolie CARMA NYC SS Talat Hussain animals anon awesome back behaviour bilal khan birthday bkjcqwicgkq bored brother cellphone chammak challo council cravings dangerous doll dumb eid exhausted express tribune false fat future give away glee global humanity image intense inter islamabad lady gaga lahore loyalty magnificant mehsen munazza saeed music office pakistani pathetic pms powers pretend purple quiz red result scary shahid afridi shizz stalk stalk stalk studies tagged theory thoughts tv twilight warmth whiny winter woman world 25 4chan ASA Daniel Pearl ET FML Flotilla Gaza Israel Joey LMAO LUMS Mr. Burger Musharraf NSFW Naskee OMG Palistine SITS SIUT WebMD abdullah adventure akon alarm amna android angry annelida anniversary anorexia apologize apples architecture armenia article astrology astronomy avari award baby bank barbie bikini black hole body bomb boston boycott boys break dance bree tanner bribe britney bucket list buildings bulimia bullshit bunnies calm cartoons cheetara childhood cinderella clouds coffee cold colour comment compromise conscience conspiracy cotton candy cricket cricket world cup cruelty cyanide and happiness dates daw death december desi destruction dieting dikhaway baaz diplomacy e-book earthworm eating disorders ego eid-ul-adha enemies evil expense facepalm failing fake fast fiction first fitness five gay girls goldfish gown gratitude green greetings grudge harvard hayastan hectic hijab hope hot hunger hypocrisy ice cream imagination imran khan india islam issue jack sparrow jared leto jason castro junk katy perry kayy lambada library lolwut lonely low self esteem magazine maliha ali mama parsi mark salling mausam mdd mind mindeff models morals morning movies myself nail polish nature nihari online panch rupay parody party pepsi perfect version personality photoshoot pious pissed please? poem porn prayers price proud purple flashers qoute rain raspberry rebellion relationships resolutions respect ryan seacrest salad salvation sania saeed school science self esteem issues self help senses shit brix shoes shopping sick again sky skype sleep slush smells social sorry spiderman sponsors star starbucks status stephanie meyer streaming stupid stupidity summer sunlight superhuman superman supermarket supress sweatshirt sychh test things thundercats time titanic towers toxic travel trolling is a art true tumblr tweet twitter uff universal video volunteering vote wake up want water weather weight well being when I was a kid win window wings wish women world cup world domination plans writing youth against express tribune youtube