What does it mean when we say that Allaah loves beauty?

 

What is the meaning of the hadeeth which
says that Allaah is beautiful and loves beauty? What is meant here by beauty? –
especially since some people use this hadeeth as evidence that it is permissible to look
at beautiful women and to enjoy every beautiful thing. Can you clarify this?

Praise be to Allaah.

The hadeeth mentioned in the question was narrated by
Muslim in his Saheeh, no. 131, from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood, who narrated
that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one will
enter Paradise who has an atom’s-weight of pride in his heart.” A man said,
“What if a man likes his clothes to look good and his shoes to look good?” He
said, “Allaah is beautiful and loves beauty. Pride means denying the truth and
looking down on people.”

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, commenting on this
hadeeth: the phrase “Allaah is beautiful and loves beauty” includes the
beautiful clothing which was asked about in the same hadeeth. It is included by way of
generalization, i.e., that beauty in all things is what is meant here. In Saheeh Muslim
no. 1686 it says: “Allaah is good and only accepts that which is good.” In Sunan
al-Tirmidhi it says: “Allaah loves to see the effects of His blessing on His
slave.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2963; he said it is hasan saheeh). It was reported that Abu’l-Ahwas al-Jashami said: The Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw me wearing old, tattered clothes, and asked me,
“Do you have any wealth?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “What kind of
wealth?” I said, “All that Allaah has given me of camels and sheep.” He
said, “Then show the generous blessings that He has given you.” (Narrated
by Ahmad, no. 15323; al-Tirmidhi, 1929; al-Nisaa’i, 5128). Allaah, may
He be glorified, loves the effects of His blessings to His slave to be made manifest, for
this is part of the beauty that He loves, and that is part of the gratitude for His
blessings which forms an inner beauty (beauty of character). Allaah loves to see the
external beauty of His slaves which reflects His blessings on them, and the inner beauty
of their gratitude to Him for those blessings. Because He loves beauty, He sends down on
His slaves clothes and adornments with which they may make their outward appearance
beautiful and He gives them Taqwaa which makes their inner characters beautiful. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover
yourselves (screen your private parts, etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of
righteousness, that is better.”

[al-A’raaf 7:26]

And He says, speaking of the people of Paradise (interpretation of the
meaning):

“… and [Allaah] gave them Nadratan (a light of beauty) and
joy. And their recompense shall be Paradise and silken garments, because they were
patient.” [al-Insaan 76:11-12]

Their faces will be made beautiful with the Nadrah (light of
beauty), their innermost being with joy and their bodies with silken garments.

Just as Allaah loves beauty in words, deeds, garments and outward
appearance, so He hates ugliness in words, deeds, garments and outward appearance. He
hates ugliness and its people, and loves beauty and its people. But two groups are
misguided with regard to this issue: a group who say that everything that He has created
is beautiful, so He loves all that He has created and we should love all that He has
created and not hate anything. They say: whoever realizes that all that exists comes from
Him will see that it is beautiful… these people have no sense of jealousy for the
sake of Allaah or hatred and enmity for the sake of Allaah, or denouncing what is evil
(munkar), or jihaad for the sake of Allaah, or adhering His limits. They regard the beauty
of images, male or female, as being part of the beauty that Allaah loves, and seek to
worship Allaah through immoral acts. Some of them may even go so far as to claim that the
One Whom they worship is manifested or incarnated in those images.

The second group, on the other hand, say that Allaah condemns the
beauty of images, forms and outward appearances. Allaah says about the Munaafiqoon
(hypocrites) (interpretation of the meaning):

“And when you look at them, their bodies please you…”
[al-Munaafiqoon 63:4]

“And how many a generation have We destroyed before them. Who were
better in wealth, goods and outward appearance?” [Maryam 19:54]

In Saheeh Muslim it is reported that the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah does not look at your outward
appearance and your wealth, rather He looks at your hearts and deeds.” (Saheeh
Muslim, no. 4651).

According to another hadeeth: “Shabbiness is part
of faith.” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 4108; Abu Dawood, 3630; classed as saheeh
by al-Albaani, may Allaah have mercy on him). Allaah condemns those who are
extravagant, which applies to extravagance in clothing as well as in food and drink.

In order to settle this dispute, we may say that beauty in clothing and
outward appearance is of three types, one of which is commendable, one is blameworthy and
one of which is neither. The kind of beauty which is to be commended is that which is done
for the sake of Allaah, to help one to obey Allaah and fulfil His commands, such as when
the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made himself look beautiful (i.e.
handsome) when meeting the delegations that came to him. This is like wearing armour or
battle-dress when fighting, or wearing silk and showing off (in front of the enemy). This
is commendable because it is done to make the word of Allaah supreme and to support His
religion and annoy His enemies. The blameworthy kind of beauty is that which is done for
the sake of this world, for reasons of power, false pride and showing off, or to fulfil
some (selfish) desires. This also includes cases where beauty is an end in itself for a
person and is all he cares about. Many people have no other concern in life. As for the
kind of beauty which is neither commendable nor blameworthy, it is that which has nothing
to do with either of the two purposes mentioned above (i.e., it is neither for the sake of
Allaah nor for the sake of worldly purposes).

The hadeeth under discussion refers to two important principles,
knowledge and behaviour. Allaah is to be acknowledged for beauty that bears no resemblance
to anything else, and He is to be worshipped by means of the beauty which He loves in
words, deeds and attitudes. He loves His slaves to beautify their tongues with the truth,
to beautify their hearts with sincere devotion (Ikhlaas), love, repentance and
trust in Him, to beautify their faculties with obedience, and to beautify their bodies by
showing His blessings upon them in their clothing and by keeping them pure and free of any
filth, dirt or impurity, by removing the hairs which should be removed, by circumcision,
and by clipping the nails. Thus they recognize Allaah through these qualities of beauty
and seek to draw close to Him through beautiful words, deeds and attitudes. They
acknowledge Him for the beauty which is His attribute and they worship Him through the
beauty which He has prescribed and His religion. The hadeeth combines these two principles
of knowledge and behaviour.

Al-Fawaa’id, 1/185

Where are these deep meanings of this hadeeth, as
explained by Ibn al-Qayyim, in the misguided interpretations of those who follow their
whims and desires, who want to follow deviant interpretations in order to justify their
evil aims and goals? We ask Allaah to protect us. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.