Shukuru Bilal
Shukuru Bilal | Muslim Community Member (St. Louis, MO & Atlanta, GA)
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty.”
Source: al-Mu’jam al-Awsaṭ 6906, Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani
بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Shukuru Bilal: My name is Shukuru.
I feel that Allah says to wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer because it's a form of reverence and gratitude for our blessings. And considering that people are naturally drawn to beauty, and that when others look at us as Muslim women covering modestly and looking beautiful, that can be very appealing to them as well. That's also daʿwah [inviting someone to learn about and embrace Al-Islam]. I often wonder why we would even want to show up in any other way.
There's so much beauty in nature, in Allah’s creation, and to be asked to partake of that is really an honor. We're actually called to beautify ourselves. That's always been deep to me also. We were asked to cover our bodies and we are still to cover in a beautiful manner, and showing gratitude and reverence for the beauty of Allah’s creation at the same time.
As a fashion designer, I meet lots of women who openly love my fashions but deny themselves to wear them, stating that my fashions are too colorful and too beautiful and would attract unwarranted attention while lots of other sisters partake of them, love them, support me. I appreciate that.
It feels like there are sisters that I still need to reach. They've requested all black or plain and simple garments and are quite disappointed and sometimes judgmental when I don't oblige them. For me it's simple and exciting because I was raised like this. I come from a long line of women who beautified themselves. Yes, some were non-muslim, others they were Muslim, and they beautified themselves at all times. It could be a cultural differences as well.
But they loved to beautify, and I also pass that down to my daughters as well. And they’ve pass it down to their children.
I love being an example of beautifying myself and others while sharing my gifts. I feel it's like showing up as your best self daily at all times.
I even wear colorful cute scarves in salat [prayer], and at least I strive to do so.
And if you do that, it'll become who you naturally are. Too often, men has inserted themselves and have left off covering beautifully at every time in place of prayer. And for what? Why would they leave that part out? It actually feels like an innovation to make women feel they shouldn't have any beauty showing. As if we should, just disappear.
There's debates about this and ignorance too. I love that I can express myself and beautify myself, and that I'm honoring my Lord while doing so, and enjoying the gifts bestowed upon me by Allah.
For this I am truly thankful and grateful.
I am Shakuru, which means thankful and grateful in Swahili/Arabic.
As salaam’alikum [peace be upon you].
Shukuru Bilal is the Founder, Owner, and Lead Designer of Shukuru Couture.
