By Sofia Partzsch (Singapore)
“It all started during a family holiday to Italy. After stepping out of St Peters’ Basicila, I somewhat heard a whisper “how lucky I am to be a Muslim.” I thought it was weird. A few days later, I was walking alone at Lake Lugano around Maghrib(sunset prayer time) and suddenly I had the thought how beautiful Allah’s creations are. And then, I realized how blessed I am to be able to experience the beauty of His creations and how ungrateful I have been. A day after I returned home in Singapore, I pulled a scarf and wrapped it around my head and went to my mother’s house. My parents were pleasantly surprised.
However, my husband was not. He is a convert and his knowledge is limited. He associated the hijab with an Arabic tradition of oppressing women. It was not an easy beginning, and my resolute was tested. I prayed to Allah that my hijab is for my creator, whom I have neglected for so long. If I have to choose between my marriage and my faith, I choose my faith.
Allah is the greatest, most forgiving, most loving. My initial struggles were met with a much stronger marriage today. My husband respected my hijab and so are his non-Muslim family and friends. Alhamdullilah.”