Critical Muslim 27: Beauty

How do we identify and judge beauty? Does it distract us from more pressing questions? Is beauty the handmaiden of privilege? Or can it be found in everyday, ordinary things? Do Muslims have an inkling of what beauty is and why it is significant? This issue of Critical Muslim looks at beauty from a number of perspectives --from beauty in the Qur'an and the Beautiful Divine Names to racism and the beauty industry, politics of fashion, calligraphy, plastic surgery, female wrestling, Muslim beauty contests and the male and female gaze.


About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

Ziauddin Sardar is a renowned writer, broadcaster and cultural critic. A former columnist on the New Statesman, he has also served as a Commissioner on the Equality and Human Rights Commission. He is professor of Law and society at Middlesex University, and the author of numerous books, the most recent being Reading the Qur'an (OUP); Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Sceptical Muslim; What Do Muslims Believe?, and Balti Britain: A Provocative Journey Through Asian Britain.