Ali Shariati's Concept of Islamic Humanism

This study critiques beauty pageants through the lens of Ali Shariati’s Islamic humanism, which draws a sharp distinction between the "authentic human" who bears responsibility for their social destiny and the "biological human" trapped in primitive needs and mere consumerism. In Shariati’s view, Western modernity has reduced human beings to objects of consumption and aesthetic spectacle; consequently, beauty pageants with their glorification of the physical body and individualistic competition are seen as a form of modern taghut (idolatrous tyranny) that perpetuates systems of domination and objectification. This research aims to offer a counter-narrative rooted in Islamic humanism emphasizing social justice, liberation, and collective responsibility as a radical critique of the global beauty industry. Employing a qualitative philosophical approach based on a literature review, the study finds that beauty pageants not only degrade women but also serve as instruments for reproducing class injustice and Western cultural hegemony. The research advocates for transforming the meaning of beauty from mere physical appearance to moral character, social sacrifice, and humanitarian struggle, in alignment with the ideal of a society free from oppression.