The Perfectly Flawed

Isn’t it magical how a union between a male and a female results in the formation of a Human being? I was in awe reading about the Quranic verse that Allah has mentioned how He places a foetus inside a women’s belly. 

Allah described it so clearly in Surah Al-Mu’minun, Ayah 11,12,13:

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسٰنَ مِنْ سُلٰلَةٍ مِّنْ طِيْنٍ 

And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay.
ثُمَّ جَعَلْنٰهُ نُطْفَةً فِى قَرَارٍ مَّكِيْنٍ

Then We placed him as a sperm-drop in a firm lodging.
ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظٰمًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظٰمَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنْشَأْنٰهُ خَلْقًا ءَاخَرَۚ فَتَبَارَكَ اللّٰهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخٰلِقِيْنَ 

Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a lump [of flesh], and We made [from] the lump, bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allah, the best of creators.

One of His name is Al Musawwir, the shaper of beauty. Indeed how diligently He shapes a little creature inside a female’s womb. How carefully has He placed every parts of our body at the right place! SubhanAllah all glory is to Him and Him alone.

Surely these verses strengthen one’s faith.

This brings me to my point of today’s blog. Few days ago, I was sitting with a group of aunties who were discussing about a girl’s proposal, barely interested in their talks I kept checking my phone every five seconds to kill time but then something gained my attention, the girl had vitiligo and after alot of struggle she was finally asked by someone for marriage. One lady suggested that the girl’s mother should agree quickly because she has a sick disease and no one prefers to marry people with white spots; others agreed too. Apparently I found out that the guy was not a good suitor for her but since she has white patches, she has to agree to the proposal sidelining her desires and choices.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement, I was devastated! I couldn’t believe our society still look down on people who are “blessed” by Allah. And in no way the term blessed here is used as a sarcasm. Truly these people are blessed. Allah tests us all in several ways, to some with hunger, to some with illness and wealth but living with a test all your life is the biggest of the tests. Surely, the Prophet (saws) mentioned, “Allah tests the one whom He loves”, so are they not blessed? Are they not among the favourites of Allah?

We can’t even assume what someone with vitiligo goes through each day. I read few posts about girls facing marriage issue, job issue and mostly societal issue just because their skin has transformed it’s colour due to Allah’s order.

We don’t even think for a single second before stamping them as ‘mis-fit’ in society. The reason I quoted the Quranic verse at the beginning was because I wanted to let everyone know that Allah is perfect. He has made us with special care, He looked after us even before we had our existence in this world. He doesn’t create flaws. If Allah has ordained someone to be in a certain way that is different from the rest, then it is only because He has planned something better for that person that our little brain could even fathom.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Surah Baqarah, Ayah 216:

وَعَسَىٰٓ أَنْ تَكْرَهُوْا شَيْئًا وَّهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَنْ تُحِبُّوْا شَيْئًا وَّهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْۗ وَاللّٰهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ 

But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.

Truly, we know nothing of His Hikmah (wisdom).
If skin disease was a curse, Allah wouldn’t have afflicted His Prophet Ayub a.s. with it. Ayub a.s. suffered through his illness for 18 long years but SubhanAllah, when you read about his patience, it will leave you spellbound. Such are the blessed people of Allah! And we look down upon it as a curse, Allahu Akbar!

Not just vitiligo, I want to point out one more issue that prevails in our society. Living in a brown nation, one thing that we obsess over the most is white skin. Like everyone here wants to have their colour as white as milk. (White spots are looked down whereas white skin tone is the beauty of the town, ironic! Isn’t it??)

Whenever a girl is approached for marriage, the first thing people look at, is her skin colour. No matter what good character she may possess but she is most likely to be declined because she doesn’t fit in the society’s beauty standard. How often do we forget that colour has no place in Islam? It really doesn’t. Our Prophet (saws), the most honourable man to walk on this planet, married a black women Sawda bint Zam’a. 
Allah created Adam a.s. from different varieties of clay on earth, hence some are black, some brown, some white and likewise.
Allah mentions in Surah Ar-Rum, Ayah 22:

وَمِنْ ءَايٰتِهٖ خَلْقُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلٰفُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوٰنِكُمْۚ إِنَّ فِى ذٰلِكَ لَءَايٰتٍ لِّلْعٰلِمِيْنَ 

And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge.

So to all my beautiful sisters, who feel less beautiful just because your skin tone does not match with your societal norms or have any discoloration of skin, you are beautiful in the eyes of Allah. Trust me! He created you with the best of His knowledge and in no way He Al Wadud creates flaws. He’s perfect 🙂