The Beauty in the Black Veil
Over 1,300 years ago, a seemingly ordinary event in the Gulf of Arabia sparked a legend that would influence Arab culture for generations. It all began with a poem—The Beauty in the Black Veil—written by the poet Rabia bin Amer Al Tamimi. A man who once lived a life of praise and music, Al Tamimi had turned to a life of devotion and worship. Little did he know, a random encounter with a struggling merchant would lead him to write a poem that would forever change how we perceive beauty and modesty.
A local merchant was selling his colorful fabrics to the local women. His vibrant fabrics were quickly sold, but there was one problem: no one wanted to buy the black fabric. Stuck with all this unwanted black cloth, the merchant’s frustration was evident. As fate would have it, Rabia bin Amer Al Tamimi happened to cross paths with the merchant. The merchant, desperate for help, explained his predicament to the poet.
Seeing an opportunity, Al Tamimi decided to assist in a way only a poet could. He composed a beautiful poem that began with the now-famous line:
”قل للمليحة في الخمار الأسود ماذا فعلت بناسك متعبد”
“Tell the beauty in the black veil, what have you done to the pious worshiper?”
قل للمليحة في الخمار الأسود ماذا فعلت بناسك متعبد
قد كان شمر للصلاة ثيابه حتى وقفت له بباب المسجد
الله أكبر الله أكبر
يا داعيا لله مرفوع اليد متوسلا متضرعا للمنجد
يا طالبا منه الشفاعة في غد قل للمليحة في الخمار الأسود
فسلبت منه دينه ويقينه وتركته في حيرة لا يهتدي
ردي عليه صلاته وصيامه لا تقتليه بحق دين محمد
ردي عليه صلاته وصيامه لا تقتليه بحق عيسى وأحمد
…. الله لا اله الا الله
Translation:
Tell the beauty in the black veil
What have you done to the pious worshipper?
He was rolling up his sleeves, getting ready for his prayers
when you stopped him at the door of the mosque
God is Greater! God is Greater!
O you who call to God with upraised hands
beseeching and begging for aid
If you seek his intercession tomorrow (on the Day of Judgement)
Tell the beauty in the black veil
For she has stolen from him his religion and certainty
and left him bewildered, without guidance
His prayers and fasts will return to you
Don’t kill him for the sake of the religion of Muhammad
His prayers and fasts will return to you
Don’t kill him, for the sake of Jesus and Ahmad
God, there is no god but God…
He sang it through the streets and word spread like wildfire. The idea of a mysterious, enchanting woman hidden behind a black veil captivated the imaginations of the women in the city. Suddenly, black fabric became desirable. Every woman wanted to be seen as that mysterious beauty, and the merchant sold all his stock of black fabric almost immediately.
But here’s the catch: there was no actual “beauty in the black veil.” She was a creation of Al Tamimi’s imagination, a fictional character born from the poet’s creative solution to help a struggling merchant. Yet, that clever myth didn’t just sell fabric—it sparked a cultural trend.
Reclaiming the Black Veil in Modern Times
Fast forward to today, and the legacy of The Beauty in the Black Veil is still alive, but it’s also being redefined. For modern Arab women, especially in the Gulf, the black veil carries layers of meaning. It’s not just about tradition—it’s also about personal choice, identity, and sometimes, defiance.
For many, wearing black can feel like honoring a long-standing cultural tradition, but for others, it may feel like conforming to a stereotype.
In today’s world, many women are finding the strength to challenge cultural norms, especially those rooted in myths like the black veil’s association with religion. It's important to recognize that The Beauty in the Black Veil was never about religious obligation. It was a poetic invention—a creative solution to a mundane problem. The idea that wearing black is required by religion is simply a misunderstanding of the poem’s origin.
For Arab women today, empowerment means reclaiming the narrative. Choosing color, or even choosing black, should be a personal decision, not a mandate imposed by cultural expectations. True modesty and faith are not tied to a specific fabric or color, but rather to individual values and choices.
