I live where there are no Hijabbis.
I converted 3 days ago. Absolutely I will have MUCH attention drawn to me when I start wearing Hijab. I am uncomfortable with this because it's the opposite of what Hijab is supposed to do for a women. However I believe I should wear one. In turn I believe I better get used to lots and lots of staring.
. In the past i have been used to a few gazes at me - but its not going to be half of what is to come I'm sure. Today to help me prepare for this I wore some big dangly sparkly earrings and walked into the local supermarket looking somewhat overdressed. Sure enough I got more looks. So that is a little preparation for future 'too much attention on me'.
Hijab isnt the only thing though I know. I continue to attempt sanctification from my days as a Christian with a clearer mindset as a result of being a new Muslim.
Ironic: When living briefly in a Muslim country with my husband I wore the Burqa. (then was a non-Muslim). My husband brought me some pretty shoes and with my skin being very white my feet looked very unique. So even though I was wearing a burqa so many looked at my feet!! Much of the time.
I stoppped wearing the pretty shoes.. it didnt help though.
My Sister don't worry about what the world thinks of you and what it says or how it perceives you because it is not between them and you and it never was. For it is ONLY between you and Allah and your reward is with Allah and it is ONLY his commandments that your fulfilling and ONLY for him that are you wearing it!
Also sister because you’re living in an area where there are not many Muslims then inevitably some people may look at you out of curiosity or because what you are wearing is different from what they are used to seeing. This type of gazing is different from lustful gazes on a woman who is wearing clothes with which her beauty and bodily definitions can be seen by others.
Sometimes a person may come out with silly remarks sometimes but just ignore it and be happy that you are fulfilling the commandments of Allah. Try not to travel to places alone especially dangerous areas.
Let us hold our heads up high and be proud of who we are and our identity so that others can look and be inspired to look into Islam as well so that Allah may open their hearts to the truth! The best dawah (Inviting towards Islam) is good character and manners.
Be proud of your identity as a Muslimah. Be proud to hold the banner of Islam where ever you go.
Those who want you to let go of the banner of Islam let go of them from your life for they are not true friends to you and remember the true friend is the one who will take you towards Paradise and the bad friend is the one who will lead you towards destruction so which friend will you choose?
Disregard these fakes and find true Muslimah's who will take you towards Jannah and make you proud to be a Muslimah with hijaab.
Remember hijaab is not just a cloth for it is internal as well as external modesty. So whenever you’re going out you must not wear flashy colours which go against the very purpose of Hijaab. Also wear very minimal makeup when going out and a women must never 'doll herself up' as this will bring the wrong type of attention to oneself.
So have full hope, trust, faith and reliance upon Allah and always remember that you are doing this for him and be proud of that and show people that your proud to be a Muslimah!
Here is a short poem I found from a new Muslimah who wanted to express how proud she was wearing the hijaab:
As I get ready to go into the outside world
I look in the mirror
What do I see?
My beauty
Then I slip on the hijaab
Why?
I cover my outer beauty
So you take a look at my inner beauty
I step into the cruel and unjust society
Of this
"free" country
I look at avoiding eyes and stares
I hear whispering from every side
I think to myself
"i am not here to please everyone"
I am here to please Allah
Then I hold my head with the hijaab high
Allah has chosen this jihad for me to overcome
Yes this is my jihad
Also sister I just wanted to paste 3 relevant articles which i hope you find very beneficial inshallah:
1. Hijaab is not a fashion Accessory!
My sisters the very purpose of wearing hijaab is to conceal oneself and not to attract unwanted attention upon oneself. But nowadays many of our sisters are making a mockery of hijaab and wearing beaded and such fashionable hijaabs like red and pink and in all the different colours of the rainbow.
Why are sisters wearing hijaabs that really stand out and look attractive and appealing to the eye? They are clearly attracting unwanted attention from men. Is that the purpose of hijaab?
Allah subhaanahu wa ta aala says in His Book:
...and not to reveal their adornments except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful. Suratun-Nur 31
Behavioural psychologists state that a woman who wear red and pink colours are clearly wanting to attract attention upon themselves and are wanting to really make a statement and stand out. Again is this the purpose of hijaab?
On top of that one will see many girls not wearing the hijaab properly. They tuck the hijaab over their ears and reveal their whole neck and wear it in such a fashionable way like a bandana.
They also beautify themselves further by applying lots of make up looking all
'dolled up'. This can be seen everywhere nowadays and is a very sad state of affairs as it goes against the very principles of hijaab which is not to look extra attractive and attract unwanted attention and gazes upon oneself.
The purpose of hijaab is to be inconspicuous not to stand out glowing with make up and various kinds of fashion accessories. Those girls who act like this get more attention from guys than girls who don't wear hijaab at all!
Even scholars have stated that it is not permissible for a girl who wears hijaab to get all
'dolled up' by wearing lots of make up and accessories that further beautify her and make her stand out which clearly attract unwanted attention and gazes from others.
One will also see many girls who wear hijaab wearing the highest of heels which make so much noise when they walk clearly attracting so much attention upon themselves.
Many a time one will see groups of 'hijaabis' walking around the shopping mall or on the high street or university behaving and acting so much more louder than other girls who don't wear hijaab at all. Should one not care how loud one is and attract unwanted attention from guys?
Allah says:
"Be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery, etc.) should be moved with desire" (Sura Al-Azzab Ayat #32)
Also many a time one will see girls with hijaab wearing knee length leather boots, tight combats and jeans as well as full sleeveless tight and low cut tops. Is this to attract more attention upon themselves? Why would they dress like this when they are wearing a hijaab on their heads? How could they mock and disgrace themselves and the hijaab like that? In actual fact they are mocking the command of Allah upon them. The command of Allah is to conceal ones beauty but why wear hijaab to attract extra attention upon oneself?
The worst of all is when a girl with hijaab is seen publicly holding hands and making out with a boy. Many a time have i and many others seen this. These girls have no shame at all and don't even try to hide it. They are an absolute disgrace to the hijaab, to their families and to themselves. They are also the ones who always get hurt and used and then complain about it afterwards. Why go through the torture of getting hurt and scarred from a haraam relationship? These relationships never work and what impression are girls who wear hijaab and have open haraam relationships making to others?
These girls are tarnishing the respect that girls who wear hijaab properly deserve because guys are starting to get the impression that girls who wear hijaab are the same as girls who don't. To be honest nowadays girls who wear hijaab are acting and dressing worse than girls who don't wear hijaab at all. To these girls hijaab is nothing but a fashion accessory and a means of attracting more men.
Hijaab is inner and outer modesty not just a cloth on ones head or a fashion accessory like how many girls nowadays treat the hijaab. Do these girls think it is an excuse to dress and act how they want?
Women are precious jewels and the beauty of those precious jewels should only be admired and appreciated by her marriage partner not anyone else.
A woman can beautify herself as much as she likes in front of her husband but why beautify yourself for the whole world to admire and lust over? Do you think you will not return to Allah and answer for your actions?
Please sisters seriously look at your intentions in your hearts and ask yourselves why dress and act like this? Is this what hijaab is really about? Or is hijaab so much more deep and meaningful than that.
Ask yourselves are you doing justice to the hijaab your wearing on your head? What do you think Allah is thinking of you right now looking at the way your dress and act whilst you have a hijaab on your head?
Remember we can go at any second and if we were to go in this state then what will we answer to Allah? How will we justify our behaviour?
So my sisters whatever has happened in the past has happened now. Let us move on and repent to Allah that he forgives us and let us have a new beginning. Never again wear tight or inappropriate clothes when going out. Only wear the most minimal of makeup if any when you go out so as to not attract unwanted attention and finally wear a dark coloured hijaab that doesn’t stand out and the jilbaab which is far superior that any type of loose clothing which may hug on the hips and curves.
These are the women that have true beauty for they are the most beautiful in the eyes of Allah and the women are make a mockery of hijaab are the most beautiful to shaythan!
May Allah save our brothers and sisters from all the evil that surrounds us and from our inner desires and the whisper of shaythan and may Allah help us to let carry out his commandments properly and let us not let shaythan have a say in how we carry out our commandments. Ameen
2. Here’s the second article:
Muslims today have abandoned the many safeguards and restrictions their beautiful Religion has put upon them, for their own safety and protection. Thus Islam does not permit women to be alone with any non-Mahram man, yet we see most Muslims show scant respect for this.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "A woman who freely mixes with other people and shows off her beauty is without light and virtue." (Tirmidhi)
Similarly, Islam teaches that Muslim women wear modest clothing for the reason that those in whose hearts is disease do not be given wrong signals. But again, today we see even sisters who wear the Hijab fail to understand that Hijab first and foremost means acting modestly and hiding oneself and is not just a piece of cloth on the head.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, forewarned that women would deteriorate morally like this, he said:
"Woman who remain naked even after dressing up (by wearing skin tight clothes or revealing garments), and who allure others and are allured by others, who walk coquettishly, will never enter Paradise nor even get its scent." (Muslim)
Thus the following practices would all be forbidden and must be abandoned as they are against the concept of Hijab:
1, Wearing perfume in front of non-Mahram men 2, Wearing jeans or trousers that are tight fitting 3, Wearing other skin tight clothes that reveal the outline of the body, as according to the Sharia this is also considered as making oneself naked, as the hadith above shows us 4, Wearing colourful headscarves that attract attention 5, Speaking freely with the opposite sex 6, Revealing the arms, chest or neck. Our practicing sisters should do their duty, as Dawah is upon them also, and tell other sisters who do not observe proper Hijab of the sinfulness of this and encourage them to become more observant.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him said: "None of you believes until he loves for his brother (or sister) what he loves for himself," (Muslim).
3. Hijaab is a woman's real beauty
It often occurs to me that many of our sisters in Islam are not properly encouraged once they begin to observe the requirements of Hijaab. It may be that a sister has been obliged to wear the Hijaab without truly pondering over its superiority.
Perhaps she has reached the age of puberty and her parents have instructed her to wear it. Perhaps she has recently accepted Islam and her close companions have told her of its obligation. Alternatively, perhaps her husband has commanded her to wear Hijaab.
A sister who does not truly know the superiority of Hijaab will always remain envious of disbelieving women. Why? Because they observe these misguided disbelievers attempting to look beautiful for all to see. Hence, the Muslim woman then compares herself to that woman which causes her to feel ashamed of her own Hijaab.
Therefore, what follows is a reminder for my sisters in Islam. It is a reminder of the true status of these so-called beautiful women. It is a reminder of the excellence of the women who wear Hijaab.
Excellent Qualities of Those who Wear Hijaab:
It is well known that the Muslim woman is a creature of modesty. Allaah loves for our Muslim women to be shielded by their Hijaab. It is their outer protection from the decadence of this life.
Allaah's Messenger , said: "Allaah is modest and covering. He loves modesty and privacy." [Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa'i Al-Bayhaqi, Ahmad].
Thus, as modesty is a quality that is loved by Allaah, our sisters must take comfort in knowing that they are modest and that they are not like those women who show themselves off to the world. Such women will not be shielded from Allaah's Wrath.
Allaah's Messenger said: "Any woman who takes off her clothes in other than her husband's home, has broken Allaah's shield upon her." [Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi)
Therefore, we see that the Hijaab of the Muslim woman is indeed part of modesty. Modesty accompanies Eemaan (faith).
That is why Allaah's Messenger said: "Modesty is part of Eemaan and Eemaan is in Paradise." [At-Tirmithi]. Also: "Modesty and Eemaan are companions, when one goes away the other one goes away." [Al-Haakim and others]
The Muslim women must know that the disbelieving women who beautify themselves for the world to see possess no modesty, thus, they are void of any Eemaan. Instead of looking to the latest fashion models for guidance, you must look to the wives of the Prophet .
Look at the regard for modesty that our mother, 'Aa'ishah possessed even in the presence of the deceased; she said:
"I used to enter the room where the Messenger of Allaah and my father (Abu Bakr) were later buried in without having my garment on me, saying it is only my husband and my father. But when 'Umar bin al-Khattaab was later buried in (the same place), I did not enter the room except that I had my garment on being shy from 'Umar."
It can be quite difficult for the Muslim woman to go out wearing Hijaab in a society that mocks and torments her. Indeed, she may feel strange and out of place. However, if she knows the status of those who are mocked by the disbelievers, then she would continue to wear her Hijaab with dignity.
Allaah Says in His Book (what means): "Verily! The criminals used to laugh at those who believed. And whenever they passed them, used to wink at one another. And when they returned to their own people, they would return jesting. When they saw them, they said: 'These have indeed gone astray!' But they (disbelievers, sinners) had not been sent as watchers over them (the believers). But on this Day those who believe will laugh at the disbelievers. On (high) thrones, looking (at all things). Are not the disbelievers paid (fully) for what they used to do?"
[Quran 83:29-36]
Allaah's Words should serve as a support for you my dear sister. Also, take comfort in being a stranger among these lewd and sinful women. Allaah's Messenger said (what means):
"Islam began as something strange, and it would revert to its (old position) of being strange, so good news is for the strangers." [Muslim]
The Characteristics of the Exposed Women:
Instead of practicing the Hijaab (covering), the disbelieving women expose themselves, making a dazzling display of themselves for others. Such a display is an attribute of ignorance. Allaah Says in His Book (what means):
"And stay in your houses and do not display yourselves as you used to during the times of ignorance." [Quran 33:33]
Allaah's Messenger said: "The best of your women is the affectionate, the fertile, the comforting, the agreeable -- if they fear Allaah. The most evil of your women are those who expose and display themselves, and those who strut (to show off) and they are the hypocrites. Those who enter al-Jannah (the Paradise) are like the red beaked crow." [Al-Bayhaqi]. The simile of the red-beaked crow is to show that those who enter Paradise will be as rare as this kind crow is rare.
We see from the above Aayah and Hadeeth that displaying oneself is indeed unlawful. Further, it is a quality of the most evil of women! Therefore, do not be envious of the disbelieving women. They only have this life to enjoy, while the believing women will have Paradise. There is nothing in your Hijaab to be ashamed of, as it is the garment of the righteous and pious female worshippers of Allaah.
In order to truly show you how evil those women who expose themselves are, let us ponder over the following statement of Allaah's Messenger :
"Of the people of Hell there are two whom I have never seen, the one possessing whips like the tail of an ox and they flog people with them. The second one, women who would be naked in spite of their being dressed, who are seduced (to wrong paths) and seduce others. Their hair is high like the humps of the camel. These women would not enter Paradise, nor will they smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be sensed from such and such a distance." [Muslim]
These women who expose themselves are common among us today. These are women that even the Prophet did not see! Look around you and you will see those women who are clothed but naked! Look at the hairstyles of the women who expose themselves -- are they not high like the camel's hump?
Perhaps we are the first generation since the time of Aadam(AS) to witness such women. If one ponders over photos taken thirty to fifty years ago, one will see that the disbelieving women did not expose themselves in the manner that their offspring do today! These women are among the people of the Fire! Thus, how can you envy them?
Such lewd women will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise; so our women must avoid their path.
Another lesson from the above hadeeth is that it confirms that what the Prophet (Pbuh), came with is indeed the truth! This is a prophecy that has come to pass in front of our very eyes. Hence, will we continue to envy these evil women, or should we be grateful to our Lord for the Hijaab, which brings modesty, which leads to Paradise?
To sum up, the Muslim woman should abandon all of the ways of the exposed women, and adopt the ways of those who are modest through their love and practice of the proper Islamic Hijaab.
By: Salaah Brooks
[Source: Hudaa Magazine]
I hope inshallah my post was of some benefit. Please remember me in your dua's and never hesitate to share anything you want with us or ask us any questions that you may have for we are here for you and as Muslims we are one!
I'm glad you accepted Islam! May Allah guide you firmly and make it easier for you. Ameen
