True Beauty Is In Covering Not Flaunting, Winner Of Miss World Muslimah Says

Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola is a Nigerian who recently won the Miss World Muslimah crown in Indonesian, Jakarta.

The tall, elegant, soft-spoken but daring young lady is a rare combination of innate beauty, talent, grace and style despite the fact that this queen wore no make-up during her courtesy visit for the interview when she arrived from the contest.

The competition was keenly contested so much so that the juries couldn’t determine the most ideal lady among the numerous contestants fit enough to wear the Miss World Muslimah crown.

So, the committee sought the intervention of 100 orphans in the hope that Almighty Allah would guide them.

The orphans were to choose the lady who wins their heart the most among the top 10 finalists.

Up until now, Aisha is not sure about what the orphans saw in her.

“The orphans were a symbol of purity, trust and objectivity. And only the Almighty knows what they saw in me to have voted in my favour,” she said.

So, with the simple click on the vote lock machine, all decisions about the winner were spontaneous.

And in her mind, she felt it certainly must be Allah’s best plan for her, her family and her country for it to have turned out this way.

But why should a Muslim woman wear hijab? Said Aisha: “A true and discerning Muslim woman must cover herself. The Hijab shows commitment to Almighty Allah (SWT).

“Muslim women wear hijab on the basis of their belief that it is a command from Allah, to protect the Muslim woman, make her character distinct and keep her away from the slippery slope of immorality and error that has become synonymous with life in today’s world, especially among the youths”.

To her, the use of Hijab is noble and confers on the wearer, the highest dignity as the most precious creature in the universe.

Her decision to participate in the contest, she said, was hinged on the fact that the World Muslimah Foundation is a friendly Islamic organisation with a vision to develop the ideal Muslim women and cultivate a new or better generation of Muslims.

“The mission of WMF is to focus on education, empowerment and appreciation, as the three key strategies to develop the true quality of the ideal Muslim women today,” she said.

As the winner of the World Muslimah, Aisha is the face of Miss Muslimah World 2013 in Nigeria and every part of the globe.

And the young lady is poised to change some of the negative perceptions and stereotypes about Islam and Muslim women.

Her present role includes being the spokesperson for all Muslim sisters the world over, as she spreads the message of peace, harmony and love to a conflict- ridden world.

“I want to preach holiness, justice and tolerance, which can spur the global community into action to give more attention to our women.”