The Islamic Ethic of Modesty & the Collapse of the Gaze Economy
Introduction: The Age of Manufactured Desire
The late 20th century marked a significant transformation in capitalism, with a shift from producing necessities to manufacturing desires. Post-World War II, consumerism became the core driver of social organization. The prevailing culture encouraged indulgence over frugality, urging individuals to seek fleeting satisfaction through constantly renewing commodities. This new economy thrived on continuous dissatisfaction rather than fulfillment, transforming commodities from mere utility into symbols of happiness and identity.
In this landscape, the language surrounding women’s liberation was often recast in terms of ‘choice,’ which frequently mirrored consumer sovereignty. While this appeared empowering, many choices for women ultimately reinforced capitalist logic. This article posits that the Islamic practice of modesty serves as a countermeasure to objectification, the economy of the gaze, and the broader capitalist project of reification.
Desire and Economic Structures
Traditional economics assumes that individuals behave as rational agents capable of discerning their needs. However, in reality, capitalism blurs the lines between needs and desires, treating both as mere demands. This conflation legitimizes an economic system that manufactures desires, presenting them as authentic expressions of identity.
The female body plays a central role in this dynamic. Capitalism commodifies the female form, transforming it into an object of visibility, attention, and profit. Industries like fashion and cosmetics illustrate this point, where women’s desirability is linked to consumption. For instance, the global beauty industry was projected to exceed $650 billion by 2025, showcasing the commercial power of the commodified female body. Additionally, with the pornography industry generating $97 billion annually, it is evident that what is framed as liberation diminishes when it reinforces the capitalist system.
This capitalist framework dictates that liberty is intrinsically tied to capital gain, pushing forms of ‘choice feminism’ that demand women to embrace the male gaze as a tool for empowerment. However, this inversion rarely escapes the economy of desire; rather, it redirects the same gaze toward profit rather than genuine critique.
The Female Body as Commodity
In consumer society, the female body becomes saturated with exchange value. Beauty, youth, and desirability are exploited to sell products and sustain entire sectors of the economy. With nearly half of advertisements featuring women’s bodies—often sexualized—marketing reflects the belief that “sex sells.” The trends of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok further underline the problem, as visibility itself becomes capital.
The slogan “my body, my choice” embodies an important sentiment, yet operates within a framework where awareness of the body risks being commodified. Visibility does not equate to genuine autonomy; it often serves as raw material for the system, reinforcing the need for continuous exposure and attention.
Modesty as Economic Resistance
The capitalist drive towards reification—the transformation of human beings and experiences into commodities—creates a dangerous ethos where everything, especially the female body, becomes marketable. This environment encourages women to see themselves through the lens of commodification, where participation in the spectacle of visibility perpetuates the cycle of desire and consumption.
In contrast, the Islamic ethic of modesty actively disrupts this cycle. By withdrawing the female body from cycles of public display, modesty effectively challenges industries built on visibility. It serves as an act of economic resistance, destabilizing an economy reliant on women as spectacles. In an age where visibility is currency, modesty deflates this value and reclaims agency.
Moreover, modesty signifies liberation from reification, affirming that women are not mere commodities to be consumed. By prioritizing discretion, modesty emphasizes a woman’s identity beyond objectification. This acknowledgment—that the female body holds more than what is visible—creates a framework of true autonomy.
The Qur’anic Ethics of the Gaze
In Islam, the body is not an object of seduction but rather a sanctuary and a trust from God. The Qur’an emphasizes modesty within a universal ethical framework. Interestingly, the commands regarding gaze first target men: “Say to the believing men that they restrain their eyes…” (Qur’an 24:30), followed by instructions for women to also lower their gaze and guard their chastity.
This approach fundamentally undermines the capitalist commodification of desire. By regulating both looking and being looked at, the Qur’an anticipates the mechanisms that transform bodies into commodities. Modesty, therefore, is not merely a burden but a practice of dignity and responsibility regarding one’s body.
The Qur’an presents a balanced view—restraining the gaze is not only a directive for women but also men. This moral symmetry highlights that the economy of the gaze corrupts both parties: women become products, and men become conditioned consumers. By governing desire and gaze, Islam cultivates respect, thereby reorienting it toward reverence rather than possession.
The Transformative Power of Modesty
Contrary to secular interpretations that equate modesty with shame, Islamic modesty enhances intimacy in a culture obsessed with visibility. It guards the sacred essence of the body, reinforcing the idea that not everything should be public. To veil is not to hide in disgrace but to identify dignity—a recognition that not all value is inherently visible.
By challenging the capitalist logic that equates womanhood with visibility and market value, modesty articulates a notion of freedom founded on self-sovereignty. It emphasizes that true empowerment emerges from autonomy over one’s body, dignity, and identity, rather than from mere exposure.
Conclusion: Spiritual Feminism as a Form of Capitalist Resistance
The Islamic concept of modesty represents a dual act of resistance. Economically, it drains life from industries dependent on the commodification of the gaze, dismantling sectors that thrive on female visibility. Ontologically, it liberates individuals from reification, rejecting objectification and championing a self-identity beyond mere marketable form.
Within this framework, modesty can be viewed as a form of spiritual feminism—one that does not imitate masculine norms or conform to capitalist logic but rather rejects your objectification entirely. Far from being a stance of submission, veiling signifies true sovereignty and a profound act of faith against the capitalist mandate that everything must be commodified.
In this way, the Islamic ethic of modesty not only challenges the economy of the gaze but also opens a space for true liberation anchored in sacred selfhood, crafting an alternative narrative to women’s empowerment that transcends consumerism.
