By Aatika Choudry
They say if these walls could speak, oh the tales they’d tell.
I say if only you could hear my hijab speak, oh how your eyes would open…
Listen with your eyes, and your heart, and through its dynamic connection
A narrative emerges, juxtaposed with ironies and sprinkled with miracles.
Speaking volumes, imparting tales as old as the beginning of time,
Of the nature of an insignificant minute creation and of its Glorious Creator,
A tale of willful submission despite having complete free will,
A tale of bold confidence, gaining strength somehow, in the face of increasing ridicule.
Without so much as letting out a whisper, you would hear my hijab declare that
I carry the heaviest of banners, displaying the grandest of messages, directly from the Ultimate of Kings, and so
I display it proudly, and without fear,
I adorn it beautifully, but with elegant simplicity,
I wrap it mindfully, and fulfill its purpose,
I am enveloped in the warmth of a sisterhood, never feeling alone.
The silent resolve within my soul becomes my loud proclamation to the universe
To show you how from within our confines and our shroud,
We claim absolute freedom,
Not just of body, but of our soul.
That how mesmerizing it is, like peaceful snowflakes adorning the blank, dark sky, despite the name being the same,
Every woman walking expresses her touch of uniqueness to her blessed hijab,
Yet somehow each is distinctly remarkable.
That not even the heaviest of irons can chain me,
For it breaks me free of any simulated oppressions,
As I do not answer to your artificial norms, but directly to the Master of you and I.
Listen with your eyes and heart and my hijab would proclaim to you that the wearer,
Just as all those before, with, and after her,
Across seas and across times,
Who is smaller than a speck of rubble in the grand design,
Has discovered her ticket from the dust on the ground to a seat on a throne.
About the Author:
Aatika is a second generation Muslim American who strives to make her local and global community a better place, break stigmas that hold us back and engage in civic duty to unify. She holds a M.Sc. in Adolescent Psychology and has been working in the field of education administration for over 15 years in Islamic Schools. She remains involved in Islamic work through volunteering in various projects, relief work and writing, and is a continuous student of Islam. She is raising three children in NJ.
Instagram: @aatikach