Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola, 21, won the World Muslimah 2013 title on Wednesday. Twenty finalists showed off Islamic fashions and worked to demonstrate religious values during the contest. The pageant was held before the upcoming Miss World competition, which has drawn protests from hardline Indonesian Muslim groups.

Finalists in World Muslimah were chosen from more than 500 who took part in an online selection process. One of the rounds involved contenders comparing stories of how they came to wear the hijab (Muslim headscarf) – a requirement for all those taking part.

The finalists hailed from countries including Bangladesh, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria and Brunei. In the run-up to the final, contestants underwent three days of “spiritual training”, waking before dawn to pray together and to study the Koran.

All contestants in Muslimah World must wear the hijab

Ms Ajibola, 21, cried and recited a verse from the Koran when her name was called as the winner. She was awarded 25m rupiah ($2,200, £1,360) and trips to Mecca and India.