WHY ARE MUSLIMS AGAINST MY NIQAB?

I can take any amount of insult from a non-Muslim towards my Niqab because they don't understand how beautiful it truly is. But when it's a Muslim who does it, that's a totally different story. I really don't get it. When they should in fact be backing us up for wearing the Niqab (okay, no need encouragement, remaining silent about it would do), they go about looking down on the Niqab, calling it 'cultural' and 'not necessary' in Islam. Personally, I believe that wearing the Niqab is obligatory as do many Scholars in Islam, so why don't them leave me to do what I want?

I've had Muslims call me a 'ninja' for my Niqab and I've seen many Muslims laugh at it. It really hurts to see your own Muslim brother or sister ridiculing something that is encouraged in Islam. Just one word here: If you call me a Ninja or whatever other names you do for my Niqab, you're in fact saying nearly the same thing to the wives of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wasallam), his daughters and other Sahabi women. So, weigh your words (insults in this case) before throwing them at Niqabis.

You may not like the Niqab- leave it at that. Don't go about discouraging, insulting or hurting a Niqabi for wearing it. If Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) saw it right for his wives and daughters to wear the Niqab, so do I and so should every true follower of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wasallam). And remember that whether I wear the Niqab or not, I'm still your sister in Islam. Don't change Islam to support your opinion; change your opinions so that it doesn't contradict Islam.

I'm not saying this just for myself- I'm talking here on behalf of all the Niqabis who have to put up with insults from their very own Muslim brothers and sisters.

Underneath the Niqab, is a woman, and that woman is a human being, and every human being has a heart, and every heart has feelings. Please respect that.

THE WISDOM BEHIND THE NIQAB AND HIJAB

''O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their veils all over their bodies. That is most convenient that they should be known and not molested." (Surah Al-Ahzab: 59)

Subhanallah, I couldn't agree any better! But what else can we expect? It's the words of Allah, and the words of Allah are always true. 

I know that lots of non-Muslims have a hundred insults up their sleeves for Hijabis and Niqabis, but it's very clear that even under all their insults, they have some respect for Muslim women who are covered as Allah has asked them to. You may wonder why? Well, it's for the simple reason that when you see a woman who respects herself and her body, people are naturally inclined to respect her. 

Let's face it. With nudity and semi-nudity becoming ever so apparent and ordinary now, it's a rare sight to see a modest woman. So these women stand out. They demand respect for their modesty. And although a few people may insult them, they are not molested. See, this is exactly what Allah has said in the Quran. These women will be known, not molested. And being insulted is certainly different from being molested. According to the online dictionary, this is what "insulted" and "molested" means:

Insulted:   To treat with gross insensitivity, insolence, or contemptuous rudeness. 

        To affront or demean.

Molested:   To disturb, interfere with, or annoy.

         To subject to unwanted or improper sexual activity.

Notice the difference?

I recently read a very interesting story about a sister, who wore the Hijab, but spent about an hour in front of the mirror, accessorizing and beautifying their Hijab. Well, one day, she set outside and was approached by an old man, who tried to engage this sister in some shameful behaviour. It was then that she realized that something of her Hijab, the way she was dressed and the way she carried herself had attracted this man. She realized that her Hijab needed correction. MashaAllah, this sister decided to wear the Jilbab, and Alhamdulillah, she never had any such experiences afterwards. She realized then what Allah meant by the verse "That is most convenient that they should be known and not molested."

Have you ever seen a proper Hijabi being "checked out" by a random man, being invited for a drink and lead on and on? Well, I certainly have not. And why is that? Because men admire and respect Hijabis and Niqabis. They know that their flattering, "checking out" and invitations won't work with such women. They understand that these women are special and they won't for fall for random flings and relationships. 

And sisters, if any of you'll have been approached as such by any men, know that you're Hijab needs to be corrected. You believe in the words of Allah right? Then you ought to know that if you wear the Hijab, you will NOT be molested in any way. 

Being a Hijabi is such a blessing! It's really a huge gift from Allah. Subhanallah, if only everyone else realized!

WHAT TYPE OF HIJABI ARE YOU?

Hijab has sadly become a largely distorted order of Allah, and it's really, nothing but worrying to see what the Hijab has become in the recent past. 

I know everything undergoes some kind of evolution with time, but the commands in Islam are timeless, and it's meant to be upheld and not distorted over time. So what evolution has the Hijab undergone? For a start, Google "Hijab fashion show" and "Hijab styles". 
Done? 
So now you can see for yourself what the Hijab has been reduced to. From everything starting from "Summer Hijab Fashion" to "Hijab trends 2012", they have it all. And what's more than sad to see is that our women are falling headlong into the trap of these Hijab trends and fashion.

So basically, Hijabis can be narrowed down to 5 categories. Choose for yourself which category you fall into:

1- HALF/INCOMPLETE HIJABI

How has the Hijab been ordered by Allah? 

"O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks ("Jalabib") veils all over their bodies that is most convenient that they should be known (as such) and not molested: and Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful." [Surah Al-Ahzab: 59].

So you see, this Hijab ordered by Allah in the Quran is the complete Hijab. Any Hijab that falls short of this definition is an incomplete Hijab. 

Which brings us to the Hijab of the present. Somehow, most people, Muslims included, perceive the Hijab to be merely a headcover, but this verse above clearly says that we should "draw our cloaks over all their bodies". Doesn't this simply refer to the Jilbab or the Abaya? 

Ask yourself if wearing the Hijab headcover with tight-fitting skinny jeans, short T-shirts and transparent clothing is ok. How can this type of Hijab be complete if you have not met the purpose of the Hijab- which is to conceal your adornments.

And what is the correct Hijab? I'll come to that.

2- GLITZY HIJABI

Ever come across pages online that give advice on how to 'glam up your Hijab'? Well, that's exactly what I'm talking here. Accessorizing the Hijab is simply unacceptable. Why? Because it has not been allowed in Islam. See this verse here:

“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; That they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what is apparent of it and that they should draw their veils over their bosoms.” (Surah Noor 24:31) 

So, do you think that 5 layers of make-up, fancy brooches and Hijab pins and whatever other accessories that Hijabis put up nowadays is allowed? It has clearly been stated in the Quran "Not display their beauty and adornments" and we still find it acceptable to glam up our Hijabs?

3- PART-TIME HIJABI

Islam isn't a seasonal or part-time commitment.  If we call ourselves Muslims, we should practice Islam every moment of our lives at any place, anywhere. 

“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear therof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, or their brothers' sons or their sisters' sons, or their women or the servants whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex, and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you Believers, turn you all together towards Allah, that you may attain Bliss.” (Quran 24:31).

So, taking off your Hijab in the presence of men who are not mentioned in this verse also falls into the category of part-time Hijabis.

So what about these part-time Hijabis? Wearing the Hijab only when they are in the company of 'religious' people and taking it off when they feel ashamed of wearing the Hijab in front of their friends or in certain places. This is not something that is even marginally acceptable. How can you fulfil a command of Allah only when you feel like it and walk away from it when you don't feel like it?

4- RELUCTANT HIJABI

As I've said countless times before, the Hijab is an order from Allah and if you know anyone who doesn't wear the Hijab, you should try your best and advice them to wear it. 

So, reluctant Hijabis are as you might have guessed already, those Muslimahs who are not ready for the Hijab yet, but are forced to wear it because their parents want them to. You see sisters, you should wear the Hijab with love and pride. It's a beautiful blessing from Allah to us, and we should be able to wear the Hijab with our heads held high. What's the point of wearing the Hijab when you don't want to? 

5- A COMPLETE HIJABI

This is the best, most beautiful, most honourable, most respectful and most amazing Hijab ever! And although only a few women are ready to put on the complete Hijab, those who do so are undoubtedly earning numerous rewards from Allah!

So what's a complete Hijabi? Well, it's the Hijab worn by the wives and daughters of Prophet Muhammad sallalahu alaihi wasallam and the Sahaba women. How was their Hijab? Refer to this Hadith below:

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: “The riders used to pass by us when we were with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in ihraam.When they came near, each of us would lower her jilbaab from her head over her face, and when they passed by we would uncover (our faces).” [Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1833; Ahmad, 24067]

They wore the Jilbab and the Niqab and this, my dear sisters in Islam, is the Hijab worn at the time of Prophet Muhammad sallalahu alaihi wasallam and this fact alone makes it the complete Hijab.

So, which category do you fall into? If it's anything but the last, I suggest that you correct your Hijab and your intentions. You may not want to wear the Niqab, but even if you do wear your Hijab with an Abaya or loose fitting clothes, that's good MashaAllah. But wouldn't you want to take that one step forward and wear the kind of Hijab worn by the Sahaba women and the wives and daughters of Prophet Muhammad sallalahu alaihi wasallam?

Choose for yourself which kind of Hijabi you'd want to be. And choose wisely.

WHAT STOPS YOU FROM WEARING THE HIJAB?

10 years ago, you’d find almost every Muslim woman with the Hijab, but now, most women make excuses for not wearing the Hijab. Fast forward another 10 years and who knows if we’d find as many Hijabis as we find now, may Allah save us!

So here are a few excuses people make for not wearing the Hijab, and the solutions for it in case you find yourself in a position where you have to convince a non-Hijabi on the stern obligation of the Hijab.

HIJAB ISN’T NECESSARY 

Lately, I’ve come across quite a lot of pages online saying the Hijab isn’t obligatory in Islam. I don’t know how they can even manage to say something like that when the Hijab is ordered explicitly in the Quran in Surah Al-Ahzab and Surah Noor.

“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; That they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what is apparent of it and that they should draw their veils over their bosoms.” (Surah Noor 24:31)
‘O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks ("Jalabib") veils all over their bodies that is most convenient that they should be known (as such) and not molested: and Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful." (Surah Al-Ahzaab: 59) 

If a woman calls herself a Muslim, it means that she’s convinced that Islam is the truth. If she is convinced that Islam is the truth, how can she not be convinced of the orders and laws in Islam? Now, seeing as the Hijab is an order in Islam ordained by Allah and revealed in the Quran, how can she not follow an order of Allah? A true Muslim woman will be in her Hijab wherever she is and she’ll never make excuses for not wearing it.

MY PARENTS DON’T ALLOW ME TO WEAR THE HIJAB 

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said “There is no obedience to the creation in the disobedience of Allah”. [Ahmed]

How can you obey your parents while disobeying Allah, who created your parents in the first place? You have to obey your parents-yes- but you can disobey them when they make you disobey Allah. Allah has said in the Quran : “But if they strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not.” [Sura Luqmaan 31:15]

I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO FIND A JOB WITH MY HIJAB/ MY JOB DOESN’T ALLOW ME TO WORK WITH THE HIJAB

If you go out, you have to be in your Hijab. There are no “but”s, there are no “if”s. If you think that wearing the Hijab is going to stop you from finding work, remember this is nothing but the whispers of Shaytan. There are some companies that do not allow the Hijab, but even if there are 10 such companies there surely should be at least 1 company that allow you to wear the Hijab, right?

If your workplace doesn’t permit the Hijab, find another job. Remember that you sacrificed your job for Allah so He will look into helping you. Allah says in the Quran “And whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty) and He will provide him from sources he never could imagine” [Sura At-Talaaq 65:2-3].
Subhanallah, isn’t this not a big enough guarantee for you? What do you think is bigger: this excuse for not wearing the Hijab or Allah’s promise in the Quran? Think for yourself.

I’M TOO YOUNG FOR THE HIJAB!

When Angel of death comes, he doesn’t send a postcard. You never know if you’ll be alive tomorrow, so how can you say you’ll wear the Hijab when you’re older? Sisters, don’t wait for your funeral shroud to be the first time you wear the Hijab. Wear the Hijab now- you know it an obligation- and every moment you’re out without it, you’re earning for yourself the wrath of Allah. Is it worth it?

IT’S SOOO HOT UNDER THE HIJAB!

Yes it is- maybe sometimes, but certainly not always. And remember, Hell is way hotter.
“Say: The Fire of Hell is more intense in heat if they only understand” [Sura At-Taubah 9:81]

The heat of this world is nothing in comparison to the heat of the Fire. Are you ready to face the heat of this world or the heat of Jahannam? The Sahaba women managed to cover themselves completely, from head to toe, and that was in the desert. Subhanallah! How hot can the desert sun be? And here we are, making excuses for not wearing the Hijab just because we’d have to endure a little bit of heat for a short time. Is it even justifiable?

I CAN’T HIDE MY BEAUTY WITH THE HIJAB! 

Firstly, the Hijab doesn’t hide your beauty. It only makes you a lot more beautiful. You know who the most beautiful woman is? She’s the one who covers herself for the sake of Allah and when you cover for the sake of Allah, that in itself, makes you a thousand times more beautiful!

Secondly, who gave you your beauty? Isn’t it a blessing from Allah? And what kind of gratitude are you showing to Allah for having blessed you with beauty when you disobey His order of the Hijab? If Allah has given you beauty, the best way of thanking Him for it is by doing what He has asked you to. 

I’LL WEAR THE HIJAB WHEN I’M READY 

Sisters, there’s absolutely nothing to be ‘ready’ for. Hijab is ordered in the Quran, and if you’re waiting until you’re ready to wear it, that time might never come. And is this the excuse you’re going to give Allah on the Day of Judgement when He asks you what stopped you from wearing the Hijab? Think about it.

NO ONE WILL MARRY ME IF I WEAR THE HIJAB 

If a man is unwilling to marry you for the simple reason that you wear the Hijab, know that that man isn’t worth marrying in the first place. Are you willing to marry a man who doesn’t want to follow the commands of Allah? A real man and a real husband would obviously want his wife to be covered in the Hijab. Don’t sacrifice your Deen for a man. And just a small note: there are plenty of men out there who are more than willing to marry a girl with the Hijab. Don’t take your hijab off just because the one you’re going to marry doesn’t want you to wear it. Again, there is absolutely no obedience to the creation in the disobedience of Allah.

I’D FEEL WEIRD WITH THE HIJAB

Why should you feel weird by obeying Allah? You should only feel weird when you disobey Allah!

"Islam started as something strange and it would revert to its (old position) of being strange. So good tidings for the strangers.
(Sahih Muslim, Book 1 : Hadith 270)

Sisters, there’s nothing to feel weird about with the Hijab. Remember that the Hijab is a beautiful gift for you from Allah. It helps you guard your modesty, your chastity, upholds your dignity, defines your femininity, demands respect for your womanhood and gives you a sense of liberation and security no other piece of clothing can offer. How can you feel weird when you’re wearing the most amazing dress?

PEOPLE WILL CALL ME A TERRORIST IF I WEAR THE HIJAB

So be it. Let people call you whatever they want. Remember that you’re doing this for Allah, not for people so don’t make the opinions of people matter. Only the opinion of Allah does. Hold tight to the rope of Allah and obey His commands- and don’t worry a bit about what people say! Let them say all they want. You’re doing what Allah has asked you to do, so stand tall and strong! You’re a Muslim woman!!!

*           *          * 

Dear sisters, remember that no excuse comes even close to justifying your reasons for not wearing the Hijab. As a Muslimah, you're way too precious to be on display for every single man to see. All the fashionable dresses, all the glamourous make-up and jewelry and all the flashy hairstyles will please people- not Allah. And do you think it’s worth pleasing people at the cost of displeasing Allah, your Creator?

Finally, remember that the Hijab is a lot more than just a headscarf. Hijab is a way of life and it should be with you wherever you go. Wear the perfect Hijab, please Allah and give us all Muslims a reason to hold our heads high! Now go show the world that you are a Hijabi!