Can I Ask Allah To Change My Appearance?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
It is being mentioned that it is not okay to ask Allah for anything logically impossible. I am asking Allah to give me a chubby and youthful face. I am still young, but my facial structure is such that it looks really weak, and my cheeks are sunken. No matter how much I eat, they don’t change much. So logically, this is just how my face was made. Is it wrong that I am asking Allah’s help to get better health and a face that doesn’t look sick and instead to ask for a healthy, pretty, youthful face?
Answer
Thank you for your question. It is permissible for you to ask what you want from Allah, but if I were you, I would ask that He beautify your inward.
Beauty
Beauty is skin-deep, and you must remember that everyone has a different concept of beauty. It may be that your future spouse finds you attractive or that what he marvels at most is your good character. Remember that good character makes a person more beautiful and that tahajjud brings light to one’s face. Smiling is sunna, be cheerful, loving, helpful, and be confident! Instead of focusing on what you see in the media, focus on character, gratitude to Allah, sincerity, knowledge, and humility. Do this, and I promise you won’t have a problem when you look in the mirror because your deeds will take the bulk of your concern, not your looks.
Please learn this dua for looking in the mirror, which was taught to us by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace):
“.اللّهُمّ أنْتَ حَسَّنتَ خَلْقي فَحَسِّنْ خُلُقي”
It was reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said when he looked in the mirror, “O Allah, just as You made my external form beautiful, make my character beautiful as well.“ [Ahmad]
The above supplication means that man is obliged to ask Allah, the Exalted, just as He has perfected his outward appearance and beautified it, to also perfect his inner character by granting him noble manners that complete his humanity and cleanse his inner self. I remind you and myself that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) told us, “The heaviest thing which will be put on the believer’s scale (on the Day of Resurrection) will be good character.” [Abu Dawud; Tirmidhi]
Please see these answers as well:
Changing One’s Appearance
Skin Color Modification
How Do I Deal With Jealousy and Feeling Ugly?
Tahajjud Prayer: How To Pray It, When to Pray It, and Its Merits
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 aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s 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.
