PICTURES OF HIJABIS FOR DAWAH- IS IT REALLY NECESSARY?

I’ve noticed a lot of Islamic Dawah pages on Facebook, and MashaAllah, the messages are really good and inspiring. But the thing is, particularly when the topic of Hijab comes up, there are some things that had better be avoided. For one thing, when putting up a message about the correct Hijab, the explanation that’s given, together with Quranic Aayahs and Hadith to back it up are really, really good. And it is something that needs to be addressed. The point is that, the images that accompany the messages aren't so good.

It’s really disappointing to see these pages have images of sisters donning the incorrect Hijab, with tight jeans and the camel hump Hijab style, etc. These have to be corrected - yes- but not by exposing the sins of other sisters. Having cartoonified images may be ok, but how can we put up pictures of sisters without their permission? For one thing, the sister who had donned the incorrect Hijab may have corrected herself and for all we know, she might even be a Niqabi. So how can we expose their sins for the whole world to see? Allah would have forgiven them for their mistake, but would He forgive us for exposing the sins of another?

The other thing is that uploading pictures like that- even though the message you intend to give is good- is certainly not the proper way to give Dawah and it might even push certain sisters away from the Hijab. One thing we really need to remember is to be gentle when giving Dawah and that too particularly where the Hijab is concerned.

I recently saw a post like this together with an image of two sisters wearing the Hijab with tight jeans, and a lot of fans on the page have mentioned that the image should be removed. And it's right too… We should try our best to not be the cause of another person sinning and this calls for special attention online. Remember that if you are posting images of sisters in Hijab/Niqab or even a picture of a brother to use it alongside your Dawah message, be exceptionally careful. Think twice whether an image is actually necessary. And also remember that each time someone sees those images, you’re being the reason for them to not lower their gaze. None of us would want to bear that sin, right? And imagine how many people are going to see, stare or get attracted to those images… and each time they do so, we will have to bear that sin too. And how many more people are going to see it if the post gets shared? Subhanallah.

So this is my message- try as much as you can to avoid putting up pictures of Hijabis/Niqabis or even images of brothers because just as men have to lower their gazes, so should women. You can get your message across even without an image, so why use such pictures? And also, please be gentle and understanding when giving Dawah. It’s not only Muslims who may read it but non-Muslims too, so maintain good Akhlaq and be kind and gentle in your Dawah- just like our beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam was. And trust me, this will not only inspire Muslims but non-Muslims too, In Sha Allah.

Please share this message with other Islamic Dawah pages too.

Jazakallah Khair!