The Islamic Light: Hijab

Weather you're planning on wearing the Hijab in the future, or already wear one but need a little motivation to continue to do so, I hope that this post helps you with your Hijab journey. If you currently wear a Hijab and are as comfortable and motivated as can be, Mash’Allah, you’re very blessed to be at that level!

With the negativity in the world regarding Muslims, it can be a little overwhelming to continue to feel as motivated to wear the Hijab. Don’t feel bad. It takes a lot of strength to continue with as much confidence when the world is constantly throwing negative views your way. But, you must not forget to open your eyes to those who embrace Hijab and find it beautiful.

I hope that the following tips can help you gain back your confidence or give you the confidence to embrace it one day, Insha’Allah.

1. Rethink Your Intentions
Why did you start wearing the Hijab? Why do you want to start wearing the Hijab? Is it to please your parents? To please another person? If you're wearing the Hijab to please anyone other than Allah, it will become a lot more difficult for you to continue wearing it. On the other hand, if you're wearing it for Allah and only Allah, you can remind yourself of this. Remind yourself that your purpose for wearing the Hijab is solely to please your Creator. With this in mind, it will become a lot easier for you to keep it on, since you know full well that as a Muslim, your goal in life is to please your Creator. However, if you try to wear it for someone else, you will be more inclined to take it off when your views regarding that person change. So the first step is to rethink your reasoning behind wearing the Hijab, and Insha'Allah it's only to please Allah.

2. Pray for Guidance
It can be overwhelming living in a country, going to a school, or working in a place where your peers don't embrace Hijab with open arms. Remember, whatever strength we have to overcome any obstacle in our lives, is only through prayer. So pray to Allah to give you the strength to continue wearing the Hijab. Pray for courage to face those who are against Hijab with confidence. Insha'Allah your prayers will bring you peace of mind and all the strength you need to wear the Hijab.

3. Experiment with Patterns/Colours

Wearing the Hijab doesn't have to be boring. Experiment with different patterns and colours to find what you like best. Having a few favourite Hijabs, that you know you can count on when you're having a 'Bad Hijab Day' is a total life saver! So experiment until you find something you love! Trust me, sometimes wearing a certain Hijab can make you feel 10x more confident.

4. Inspiring Women

Look in the media, there's so many amazing women who have accomplished so much while wearing the Hijab. Look to them for inspiration. Ibtihaj Muhammad, a Muslim-American fencer in the Rio 2016 Olympics, has recently become an inspiration, along with many others.

Remind yourself, that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, and a Hijab won't put a limit on it.

Insha'Allah, these little tips can help you regain your motivation and confidence while wearing the Hijab.

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Hijab Series: The Hijab Series is a series of blog posts answering all the who, what, when, where and why's of wearing the Hijab. Instead of putting everything you need to know about wearing the Hijab into one post, I decide to divide it up into a bunch of much shorter blog posts. I have tried my best to answer everything that I wish I had known before wearing the Hijab, but if there's anything else you want me to add, be sure to comment it below!

The Hijab is often misunderstood as a sign of oppression Oftentimes, the media does all it can to show the negative and extreme sides of wearing the Hijab - when in reality, there are extremists for everything, in every culture and for every group of people. It is our duty as Muslim women to prove that these allegations inaccurately portray the true essence of Hijab. We must prove to the world that the Hijab does not hinder us from attaining and achieving what we wish to achieve. We must make the world understand that this a part of Islam and a commandment from Allah. It's there to protect our chastity and allow us to be respected for our character rather than our physical appearance.

I'm going to start by stating the words of our beloved Khalifa (may Allah strengthen his hands), that I mentioned in a previous post. Huzur (may Allah strengthen his hands, stated in the Concluding Address delivered to the Lajna Annual Ijtema UK:

“With reference to women, the attacks that are being levied against Islam these days relate to the issue of ‘Purdah’, or wearing of the veil or a scarf. Men can present countless explanations and justifications in support of the institution of ‘Purdah’ in Islam. However, if anyone can answer this attack, it is a practicing and a God fearing Ahmadi woman who can demonstrate the proper answer. Therefore, instead of becoming the victim of any complex, like a brave Ahmadi Muslim woman, with your practice and with your arguments, convey this message to your friends and in your society that this Quranic teaching is to safeguard your chastity. It is there to restore your lost honor. It is not an imprisonment.” [November 19, 2006]

The only way we can change this false stereotypical view of Hijab is by changing ourselves to understand the purpose of Hijab and have the strength to explain it to people who ask. Our character and personality can influence the mindset of those who are quick to judge the Hijab.

WE ARE NOT FORCED TO WEAR THE HIJAB

Sadly, the wearing of Hijab is often linked to force by those in the media. We are seen as women who are forced to wear the Hijab by the male relations in our lives. However, we know that this is not the case for the majority of Hijab wearers, especially in the West. We must remind these people that we are not wearing the Hijab for anyone, except Allah. We must remind them that Allah knows our intentions full well, and if we wore the Hijab our entire life only to please others, Allah would know. We Muslims know that before we wear the Hijab, we have to make the correct intention. So it would make little to no sense if we, the women of Allah, were wearing the Hijab to please others.

EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THE HIJAB

As I've stated above, the main source of the stereotypes that are prevalent today, is the media. It has a way of making people believe and see what they wish for others to believe and see. Many times, people are quick to judge (Muslims) by what they are told of them through the media - this is a result of ignorance Before we educate others, we must educate ourselves so that we can use the knowledge that we have to educate others. This will let people know of the true purpose of Hijab.

REMIND PEOPLE,THAT WE ARE FREE TO WEAR WHAT WE CHOOSE

Oftentimes, people just need to be reminded and given something to think about. Remind others that just as people of other faiths are free to wear what they choose, so are we as Muslim women. Christians wear the cross, many nuns also wear robes and cover their heads; Sikhs wear turbans; Jews wear kippas; and so on. Why is it that these pieces of clothing do not symbolize oppression when in reality they are all symbols of different faiths? You don't even have to think about religion, to know that no one should judge what you wear. If girls and guys can wake up every morning and choose what they wear, then why can't Muslim women do the same?

Someone that I look up to, by the name of Amena Khan has said the following words:

"Apparently I'm not free because a womans' freedom is only granted when her hair shows and her body is flaunted. Since when did freedom inharantly require me to show my body, which I don't want others to see? My freedom is in the way that I choose to look! Does it bother you that I have control over what I choose to show? How ironic, when the people who are 'pro-freedom' insist that you take off your hijab, themselves dictating what we shall wear. So apparently to you, freedom means to conform to your criteria about what I should wear, right? The hijab symbolizes my faith, and you want to ban it? Then why don't you ban charity, selflessness, equality etc. too? Because those are also requirements of a believer. But of course it's not about freedom, is it? I make you uneasy because my Hijab reminds you that I am trying to obey God and not you, and that bugs you. See if headscarves entered mainstream fashion, you would never protest. You wouldn't assert that I'm not free. But since modesty equals faith, you unabashedly bash me, claiming to want to free me. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to modern chivarly, a hidden form of bigotry. I depend on God not on your latest analysis of me because you see, through you too, He(Allah) is testing me."

There will always be stereotypes, no matter how hard we try. But it is our job as Muslim women to show the world the true essence of Hijab. May Allah enable us to do so, Ameen!

More Posts in the Hijab Series -

Hijab Series: The Commandment of Hijab

Hijab Series: How To Rebut Stereotypes About Hijab

Hijab Series: My Hijab Story

2 comments

Hijab Series: The Hijab Series is a series of blog posts answering all the who, what, when, where and why's of wearing the Hijab. Instead of putting everything you need to know about wearing the Hijab into one post, I decided to divide it up into a few shorter blog posts. I have tried my best to answer everything that I wish I had known before wearing the Hijab, but if there's anything else you want me to add, be sure to comment it below!

The purpose of our existence, as stated in the Qur'an by Allah is: "And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me" [51:57]. Worshipping Allah includes obeying all of His commands, one of which is for men and women to be modest in the way they dress, act, speak etc.

QUR'AN

Allah states in the Holy Qur'an in Chapter 24: Al-Nur Verse 32:

"And say to the believing women that they restrain their eyes and guard their private parts, and that they disclose not their natural and artificial beauty except that which is apparent thereof, and that they draw their head-coverings over their bosoms, and that they disclose not their beauty save to their husbands..."

In this verse, the 'head-covering' refers to a veil that covers the lower part of the face leaving only the eyes and nose exposed, as well as the chest being covered. One of the purposes of this covering is that "...it is most likely that they will thus be distinguished and not molested" [33:60]. Basically, what this means is that our outer garment (the veil) is intended to let others know that we are Muslim women, and to spare us the mental anguish of being stared at by the eyes of people who have questionable character.

HADHRAT KHALIFATUL MASIH IV
Huzur (may Allah strengthen his hands) has defined the 'minimum Islamic purdah' as wearing a loose fitting outer garment and a headscarf. The face can be left uncovered, if no makeup is worn. However, this purdah requirement is more adequate for sisters new to Islam (who are unable to wear the complete burqa). He has also advised women born and raised in Pakistan (who have moved to Western countries) to maintain the form of purdah that they practised there (in Pakistan).

Huzur (may Allah strengthen his hands), stated in the Concluding Address delivered to Lajna at the Annual Ijtema UK:
“With reference to women, the attacks that are being levied against Islam these days relate to the issue of ‘Purdah’, or wearing of the veil or a scarf. Men can present countless explanations and justifications in support of the institution of ‘Purdah’ in Islam. However, if anyone can answer this attack, it is a practicing and a God fearing Ahmadi woman who can demonstrate the proper answer. Therefore, instead of becoming the victim of any complex, like a brave Ahmadi Muslim woman, with your practice and with your arguments, convey this message to your friends and in your society that this Quranic teaching is to safeguard your chastity. It is there to restore your lost honor. It is not an imprisonment.” He went on to say that: "Purdah is an Islamic injunction and a distinctive mark of an Ahmadi woman. It bestows honor to an Ahmadi woman. Remember that along with the scarf, the remainder of dress should be loose fitting. Allah’s commandment is that your beauty should not be revealed. Some non-Ahmadi girls can be seen wearing a scarf in reaction to this prohibition on the wearing of a scarf, but they are wearing tight jeans and blouses. Such ‘Purdah’ is of no value. It is total hypocrisy. ‘Purdah’ should be such that is truly ‘Purdah’ and is befitting your honorable status.” [November 19, 2006]

MODESTY IN OTHER RELIGIONS

Purdah and modesty has been taught by all religions, but over time, people have made up their own guidelines. In the Holy Qur'an there is an incident from the time of Moses about two women who were standing to one side and not watering their herd. They were doing so, due to modesty. They wished to wait for the men to leave before they watered them. Modesty is part of every faith. In the early days, Christian women used to observe Purdah as well. Many places in the Bible contain this teaching about Purdah. We can't be influenced by people of other faiths who choose not to observe Purdah in this day and age, as they have abandoned their religion. All religions are made to be followed correctly. The following are a few verses from the Bible that will show you the similarity in the command of modesty:

“Any man who prays or prophesizes with something on his head disgraces his head but if any woman who prays or prophesizes with her head unveiled disgraces her head. It is one and the same thing as having her head shaved. For if a woman will not veil herself then she should cut off her hair. But, if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or to be shaved, she should wear a veil. For a man ought not to have his head veiled since he is the image and reflection of God but the woman is a reflection of man” (1 Corinthians 11:4-7)
“Women must not wear men’s clothing nor a man wear women’s clothing for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this” (Deuteronomy 22:5)

Allah knows what is best for us, so placing this commandment in the Holy Qur'an must have been for our own good. Just remember the words of our Khalifa (may Allah strengthen his hands),

"The secret to our success is in following the instructions of the Holy Qur'an"
[January 30th, 2004 - Friday Sermon].

I pray that every Ahmadi woman reevaluate herself if she has even the slightest doubt in Allah's commands. And I pray each of us become "resigned, believing, obedient, always turning to God, devout in worship" [Holy Qur'an 66:6]. May Allah enable all of us to fully understand the reason for observing Purdah, and then try to follow this command, Insha'Allah Ameen!

Take Care!

Stay Tuned For More Posts in the Hijab Series -
Hijab Series: How To Start Wearing the Hijab
Hijab Series: How To Rebut Stereotypes About Hijab
Hijab Series: My Hijab Story

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