Strong Heart

Bismillah

Thursday evening. Nothing to do. So I switched on the tv and there was this show called 'Strong Heart' at OneHD, a variety show that invites the guests (Korean stars) to talk about about their painful experiences in their lives, hence the title Strong Heart.

Many of them did share their sad memories, some of them related to their job scope as stars and personalities in the world of entertainment, and some shared their ups and downs before achieving popularity and stardom. So yes, I admit some of the stories are sad and I respect their determination to get up and not giving up their dreams despite the tribulations they had to face at the beginning

                                                                credit

And so there was this guest, a young artist who shared about her 'painful' experience. You may wonder why did I put that (') sign. Ok here's her story, this actress ( I forgot her name) mentioned that she started to do modelling at the age as early as 10. At that time many people wanted to take her as model, thanks to her beautiful face. So she was a hit. As time goes by and she started to reach puberty, she experienced some changes with her physique, (come on, we all do) but much to her dismay, the changes that she experienced was not something that she desired. Her face looks slightly chubby and her jaw looks a bit.. hmm how do I say.. hypertrophic? So it causes her face to look a bit square-ish.


Since then, she hardly got any offers from magazines to be their cover girl, let alone to get a chance to star in films and dramas. And it affected her, a lot. She did not get out from the house for months, it affected her sleep and not to forget, her appetite. And after years living in anxiety and worry of her look, she then decided to do a plastic surgery. To correct her jaw of course.

Now, what is the moral of this story? To get a plastic surgery if there're some parts of your body that you dont like?

If your answer is yes, then it is a MUST for you to read this entry until the end.

You see sisters, many of us are facing the same problem, be it in Malaysia or anywhere else in this world. When people started to make comments of our look, we feel down, and keep thinking about it as if our lives revolve just around these people. The fact that many of us are depressed because of what these people said is rather sad to me. To my sisters in faith, just in case you are facing the same problem, here's a good news Islam wants to tell you.



So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: for ye must gain mastery if ye are true in Faith (Ali-Imran:139)



See? In this beautiful religion, how do we look is not important, but the level of your iman is the one that's counted. Allah (exalted as He is) is fair. He never judge us with something that we and people around us do not have the same capability to achieve. Meaning here, some of us  maybe lucky to have beautiful feature or to be born to a rich family and so you feel sad and starts blaming God (na'udzubillah) because you don't have that same ability to be rich or to be beautiful. But thats the point here. Allah will only reward you based on what everybody can achieve- rich or poor, beautiful or ugly- that is the level of taqwa.

And here's another hadith.


Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) said 'Allah does not look at your appearance or your possessions; but He looks at your HEART and your DEEDS.'  (Narrated by Abu Hurairah and Muslim)



This actress that I'm talking about might be feeling depressed because she does not know what Islam offers ( as she is not Muslim), that is to have redha and be thankful. And yes, even many muslimahs also feel sad and anxious with their appearance because many of us have not made Islam as our way of life. We feel too lazy to understand what this deen teaches and gain knowledge about it, not knowing that the more we understand Islam, the more calm and patient we can be.

When I think about it, it is just disheartening to see how this world can break us. But then again, it only happens when we ALLOW it to break us. I've met many people in my life who's feature might not look cute or beautiful or handsomel to some people, yet when they speak and when you get to know them better, I couldn't stop myself from praising Allah for creating such beautiful creature. It is like their inner beauty have overpowering the beauty that everybody so busy to take care of.

But don't get me wrong sisters. It is not prohibited in Islam to take care of our physical beauty. Besides, Allah Himself is beautiful, and He loves beauty. But once we are too obsessed with it until plastic surgery is a treatment of choice, that is when thing starts to be wrong . So I think I've made my point clear enough. If anybody does not appreaciate you because of how you look, let them be. Because in the end, like what Sr Yasmin Mogahed's once mentioned, it is not the creation that you want to please my dearest, but above all, He- the Creator. So, chill! ^^



'So often that we look into the mirror and feel worry of how we look from other people's sight. But, how often do we put a mirror in front of our heart, and feel worry of how does it look from Allah's sight?'