The Power
of Virtue and Modesty:
By
Audrey Muhammad @virtuemag
As a young teenager, I
loved looking at magazines and seeing the various fashions, but oftentimes did
not see anything that I could actually wear with modesty. Modesty is the behavior, manner or appearance
that avoids indecency. The Al Nisa International Fashion Week that was held
this summer by Carmin Abdullah Muhammad in Chicago was a beautiful display of modest
fashion and unity. Not only did the event allow various designers to display their
garments, but it also gave young girls and women an opportunity to express themselves
in a fashionable righteous manner.
Bro. Sa’ad Muhammad, Student National Secretary, said he was very excited to have his 13-year-old daughter, Sajdah Muhammad, model in the fashion show. He said, “I am glad to have her involved in an activity that develops self-esteem and confidence.” His daughter graced the runway like a pro, displaying elegance, confidence, grace, and beauty. The first night of the AlNisa fashion show featured swimwear, streetwear, and outfits for children. It was beautiful to see children taking pride in modest dress.
Jalilah Muhammad, daughter of fashion designer, Queen Aminah, was proud to have her mother to be a part of a show of this magnitude. “She has worked so hard for so long and has loved clothes all of her life,” said Sister Jalilah, “It was later that she started to design. She was inspired by Mother Tynnetta to become a designer and further her love of fashion. Instead of just selling clothes and buying them, she became a designer.”
If we sew garments or like to model them, we as women, do
need outlets to express our creativity. This society has magazines and now online
platforms that encourage women and girls to show their body, but thanks to Virtue
Today Magazine and Facebook groups Modesty International and Covered Girls
Rock, women are able to express their opinion and have fun showcasing fabulous
fashion. Top Covered Girl and
administrator, Monique Muhammad, who was also a model for Modest Fashion week,
does a wonderful job displaying fashions on the page.
Did you know the word “virtue,”
which comes from the Latin root “vir” for man, at first meant manliness or
valor, but later became known as a term for “moral excellence.” Thus, man/woman should be virtuous. It is
interesting to note that the Bible talks about woman of virtue in Proverbs 31
and the Holy Quran 16:120 describes the prophet Abraham as a “model (of virtue),
obedient to Allah, upright...” According
to Merriam-Webster dictionary, Virtue means, “conformity to a standard of
right; a particular moral excellence.”
Important “virtues” we should develop are principles like patience, kindness,
forbearance, and courage.
We were given the
standard of modesty and moral excellence throughout the Bible and the Holy
Quran with scriptures. In first Timothy
2:8-10 it states, “In like manner also, that woman adorn themselves in modest apparel,
with shamefacedness and sobriety…” The
bible encourages men and women to display virtues like humility, godliness and
good works. The Holy Quran 33:59 reminds
women to “lengthen their garments,” lower the hem of your garment so they will
be recognized [as a righteous woman] and not harassed. Think about it, the more
woman show their bodies, the more they are harassed. It is beautiful that woman are given this
wise word of guidance and protection. You
protect what you value, and value what you protect. May God bless us all to
value modesty and develop the virtuous principles God gave us.
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