By Zubia Malik
The first step seemed somewhat simple for me: wear the ‘hijab’ (veil) and that would be making a statement to me and to others that I am a true ‘Muslim woman.' Modest and dignified. I know for a lot of women embracing Islam that this is fundamental to their journey because either their understanding from the Hadith and Sunna (what is understood to be the practices of the Prophet Muhammad) leads them to this conclusion or they are told by others in their local Muslim community that this is a requirement upon all women entering Islam.
My initial wearing of the hijab was at university and upon examination the real reason behind this was to discourage any male intrusion, a form of protecting myself from unwanted attention. Little did I realise that by adorning this veil I would be entering some form of ‘groupie.’ That wearing this cloth over my head gave me a ticket straight to God’s Kingdom. I am in no way against those women who wear the hijab as part of the modest dress code but I am concerned about those who are teaching others about Islam and promote the hijab as the only modest way for a Muslim woman to dress.
I soon realised that my reasons behind wearing the hijab became questionable. Was I sending out a message to others that this is the way for Muslim women to dress? Was the hijab the only way? Or was I adhering to some culture that was practised centuries ago in the time of Prophet Mohammad. Read more ...
The first step seemed somewhat simple for me: wear the ‘hijab’ (veil) and that would be making a statement to me and to others that I am a true ‘Muslim woman.' Modest and dignified. I know for a lot of women embracing Islam that this is fundamental to their journey because either their understanding from the Hadith and Sunna (what is understood to be the practices of the Prophet Muhammad) leads them to this conclusion or they are told by others in their local Muslim community that this is a requirement upon all women entering Islam.
My initial wearing of the hijab was at university and upon examination the real reason behind this was to discourage any male intrusion, a form of protecting myself from unwanted attention. Little did I realise that by adorning this veil I would be entering some form of ‘groupie.’ That wearing this cloth over my head gave me a ticket straight to God’s Kingdom. I am in no way against those women who wear the hijab as part of the modest dress code but I am concerned about those who are teaching others about Islam and promote the hijab as the only modest way for a Muslim woman to dress.
I soon realised that my reasons behind wearing the hijab became questionable. Was I sending out a message to others that this is the way for Muslim women to dress? Was the hijab the only way? Or was I adhering to some culture that was practised centuries ago in the time of Prophet Mohammad. Read more ...
Source: New Statesman
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