Is It Sinful to Hate Your Skin Colour?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
Is it sinful to hate your skin color?
Answer
Thank you for your question. I pray that you reconcile with feelings of inferiority and realize that Allah made no mistakes when He created us.
The Whole World
It is potentially sinful to be ever ungrateful for what Allah has given one. Instead of looking at what you are unhappy with, start your day with this hadith. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Whoever among you wakes up physically healthy, feeling safe and secure within himself, with food for the day, it is as if he acquired the whole world.” [Ibn Maja]
Confidence
Although you may think that only one type of skin color is beautiful, it is not true, and you must remember that Allah is the best of creators and makes no mistakes. Don’t measure yourself against what you see in the onslaught of images in the media, but value yourself for who you are and for your beliefs, intentions, and actions. A woman’s appearance is never just about how she looks, it’s about how she carries herself, her character, her generosity, her piety, and her cheerfulness. Learn to be satisfied with what you have and use this life to focus on beautifying your inward, not your outward.
Learn this beautiful dua for looking in the mirror and you will find your perception will change, by the grace of Allah:
اَللَّهُمَّ كَمَا أَحْسَنْتَ خَلْقِي, فَحَسِّنْ خُلُقِي
“O Allah You have beautified my outward, so beautify my inward character also.” [Ahmad]
Beautify Yourself
There are many things that you can do to improve your appearance if you want to feel more beautiful. You should exercise to get in shape, eat healthily so that your skin glows, you can dress elegantly and be color-coordinated, and at home, beautify your hair and make-up. You can refine your manners, learn to recite the Quran beautifully, be generous to others, smile, be creative, be active and loving to children, and learn your religion. All of this is attractive.
True beauty appears when one regularly prays tahajjud, as light comes to shine from the face. I urge you to cut down on your screen time as well, as everyone needs a break from the ridiculous and upside-down standards of the media. “Nothing is difficult if you seek it through your Lord; nothing is easy if you seek it through yourself.” [Aphorism of Ibn ‘Ata‘illah]
Please see these tips as well:
16-Beautify the Inner and Outer- Shaykh Sadullah Khan- Shaykh Sadullah Khan
How Do I Deal With Being Put Down and Being Compared to My Beautiful and Fair-Skinned Relatives?
How Do I Deal With Racist Attitudes at Gatherings?
Blackness, Racism And How The Arabic Language Rises Above It All
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
