Islam is the religion of morals. It keeps woman’s honor and dignity, raises her status and preserves her chastity. It obligates a woman to wear the hijab as a protection against weak souls. It never makes her a good to be bought or sold. Islam intends to safeguard Muslim women from all attempts to render them into mere beauty objects.
It is widely-known that in beauty contests women expose their bodies for everyone to see, and one of the basic criterion in choosing a certain girl for a beauty pageant is the physical appearance and the ability of the girl to make the best use of her body language, and this is forbidden for a Muslim woman as all Muslim jurists have unanimously agreed upon the impermissibility of uncovering woman’s `awrah (parts of the body which should not be exposed in front of others) before non-mahrams or marriageable persons.
In this regard, the eminent Muslim scholar and the former Mufti of Egypt, Dr. Nasr Farid Wasil, states the following: There is no doubt that the beauty contests in which women’s `awrah is uncovered and they are encouraged not to abide by the right Islamic morals is haram (unlawful). This matter (uncovering woman’s `awrah before non-mahrams) cannot be approved by the Islamic Shari`ah or the morals of the right fitrah or pure nature. That is because the halal (lawful) is clear and the haram (prohibited) is clear. And this matter is absolutely haram. All those who participate in these contests should pay attention to the general rule of Shari`ah that: Whatever is conducive to the haram is itself haram.
Moreover, the late Sheikh Jadul-Haq `Ali Jadul-Haq, former Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, adds:
How grievous are these beauty contests. I wonder: are these contests an invitation to slavery? We urge all officials to interfere in order to dissociate from these contests and to stop them in their Muslim countries. May Allah guide us all to the straight path.
It is mandatory on all those in authority to guard the Muslim countries against causes of Allah’s displeasure and to be away from what may lead their boys and girls to the Hellfire, may Allah forbid.
Moreover, the eminent Muslim scholar and renowned Da`iyah, Sheikh `Abdel Khaliq Hasan Ash-Shareef, states:
As a matter of fact, the Islamic Shari`ah obligates covering the `awrah and protecting honors. In these contests, the contestants are demanded to display their God-given architecture for the whole world to review and this is absolutely haram. Neither Muslim individuals or the Islamic states are allowed to organize or participate in these contests.