Individuals form their identity from their perspectives of the experiences they go through. This interesting write up presents a view we also need to be familiar with. It is the story of a girl with the Hijab. We are glad to share Farheen Sabah’s story, which also appears in her blog.
Growing up, I loved the idea of Hijab but, I was never forced to wear it. I was surrounded by such lovely women my mom, cousins and friends who inspired me each day. It was something I knew I would start someday but, wasn’t sure exactly when. As Hijab doesn’t just mean the headscarf it’s a modest way of life it includes your apparel, behaviour and you basically represent your community.
I started wearing the Hijab in grade 9.
Prior to grade 9 I used to wear a pinafore uniform and wanted to transition to the long maxi uniform so I seized this opportunity to start my Hijab journey.
Going to school adorning the Hijab wasn’t weird at all as many of my classmates were Hijabis, it wasn’t intimating or anything of that sort. However many girls face issues with the initial stage it totally depends on where you stay. I am so thankful that I didn’t have to go through any rough patches and had constant support.
I obviously struggled with the draping part and had a whole weird scarf phase till a friend showed me how she draped it. My face type was drastically different from her so gradually I crawled my way into finding my style from the billion ways you can wear a Hijab.
It was all fun and games till I graduated from high school and flew to India to join university in Bangalore.
On my first day to college we had an orientation and I was fidgety to find that I was the only one in a hall of thousands who wore Hijab. At the end of the session there was a Q&A session and I was called on the stage to speak, I mean it was that easy to spot me in a crowd. Soon I was known as “the girl who wore Hijab”, “the girl from Kuwait” and stuff like that. It didn’t take me long to feel at home in my dorm room. My roomie was very supportive of my beliefs and kept me positive. I got through three years of college smoothly encountering weird and funny queries about my Hijab each day. Some of them being “Don’t the pins prick your skull?”, “How many scarves do you own”, “How does it not slip?” And “Do you have hair beneath?”
With each year of fresher’s I see more people adorning the Hijab and it makes me so happy. I am glad I chose this path, as Hijab is such an indication of purity and dignity. It set me apart from the crowd (in a good way), gave me an identity, did not restrict me from being me and doing what I liked, is a visual reminder of not crossing the line, thought me patience (summer days! it’s not easy), empowered me by the fact that people went past the outer appearance and focused on my intellect. Assessed me for my personality and not just physical traits. Although it is just a physical piece of cloth, it affected me as a person.
However me wearing the Hijab doesn’t mean I am on some kind of at a “higher religious level” but it’s important to remember that Muslim girls who don’t wear Hijab can just be as religious. Islam is not about appearance, it’s a religion based on inner intentions. It was my personal choice to dress modestly, to assert pride in self and embrace my faith openly, with independence and courageous conviction.
It is indeed an article written from the heart by a young woman who knows her mind. As a world, we need to hear every voice, because everyone matters. The Uncommon Box is such a free space where you can have your say through any medium of choice 🙂
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