It’s been over 20 years since I started wearing the hijab, Alhamdulillah, and I can tell you that the hijab is a highly misunderstood mode of dressing. From my parents to strangers on the streets, I have received loads of questions and comments that reflect a lack of knowledge when it comes to the hijab in particular and Muslim women in general. In this article, I’ll discuss 10 of these misconceptions, InshāAllāh.

1. “Muslim men oppress their women, making them don the hijab by coercion, whereas there’s no hijab for men.”

This is one of the most common misconceptions. While Muslim parents and male figures are responsible for ensuring proper dressing for everyone under their care, they don’t have the power to force it. They only encourage us to observe the proper hijab, but we wear it to obey Allah, not them. For your information, there is a “hijab” for Muslim men too! See Qur’an 24:30. According to authentic narrations, it is recommended to cover the area between men’s navel and knees as a sign of modesty and decency, and the more they cover, the better. Narrated by Bahr ibn Hakeem, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: “I said, ‘O’ Prophet of Allah, with regard to our ‘awrah (nakedness), what must we cover of it and what may we uncover?’ He said, ‘Cover your ‘awrah except for your wife and those whom your right hand possesses.’ I said, O’ Messenger of Allah, what if the people are staying close together?’ He said, ‘If you can make sure that no one sees it, then do not let anyone see it.’” [Hasan; At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah]

2. “Hijabis are not fashionable.”

While the hijab is not a fashion statement and hijabis are not obsessed with fashion trends, we still make a conscious effort to look good. We wear nice dresses under our hijab and use beautiful accessories according to our means. Someone once asked if I wear earrings and necklaces. Haha! I wear them, but they’re not up for public display! 

3. “The hijab is an unnecessary layer of clothing.”

As hijabi women, our dress is incomplete without our hijab. It’s not just a piece of clothing; it’s a lifestyle. We would rather stay in our rooms than go out without our hijabs!

4. “The hijab is meant for married women only.”

That’s not true! The hijab becomes obligatory as soon as a girl attains puberty. To make the transition easier, we sometimes prefer to catch them younger. So you may see a little girl wearing a cute hijab, which is perfectly acceptable! As I mentioned earlier, the hijab is a lifestyle, and we only marry men whose lifestyle aligns with ours. What if a prospective suitor wants to have a look at a lady before marriage? That’s not a problem; we can always arrange a meet-up in the presence of her guardian.

5. “The hijab limits our education and job opportunities”

You may be right to some extent, though. I mean, as hijabis, we can’t be found doing some undignified jobs, like pole dancing. We’re way too classy for that! But we can be found excelling in science, technology, medicine, art, law, education, accounting, and other prestigious fields of human endeavour that have nothing to do with one’s dressing.

6. “Hijabis keep dirty hair.”

Covering the hair does not mean we have a defect to hide. Broken, unkempt, or lice-infested hair? Nah! We honour our hair by keeping it clean and well-managed because we believe it’s a gift from Allah (SWT). Some people even ask if we shower with the hijab on. Of course we don’t. 

7. “The hijab feels uncomfortable during the summer months.”

Thankfully, there’s a thermostat in the brain, known as the hypothalamus, which helps us adapt to temperature changes. If one has been wearing the hijab for a while, the hypothalamus is reset to a higher temperature than the average person. So, we’re good! Then there’s the perk of feeling warmer during the winter. Alhamdulillah!

8. “The hijab is worn indoors too.”

We have a list of male relatives (mahram) who can see us without the hijab. You can find this list in Qur’an 24:31. When we’re among our male relatives and any other females, we can remove our hijabs. At home with our husbands, we might even wear sexy lingerie.

9. “The hijab is just a part of Arab culture.” 

Go check out the history of the Arabs. Women’s nudity used to be displayed for entertainment before the advent of Islam. Hijab is a sense of religious duty or  a spiritual calling, not just a part of cultural attire.

10. “Hijab is a choice. You may or may not wear it.”

The hijab is a divine injunction. It’s clearly stated in the Qur’an and further explained by learned scholars; see Quran 24:31 and 33:59. We wear it to seek the pleasure of Allah ALONE. It helps us to stand out, be easily identified as Muslim women, and be protected from molestation. 

Do you have any questions or doubts about the hijab? Feel free to ask us, and we’re always happy to clear up your misconceptions. 

About the Author:

Khadijah Tijani is a Nigerian medical doctor, a creative blogger and a published author. She grew up in Ibadan, Oyo State and graduated from the College of Medicine at the University of Ibadan in 2009. After five years of practice in Nigeria, she relocated to Saudi Arabia where she worked as a resident physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Known as “Doctor KT,” Tijani is a women’s health advocate. She provides breastfeeding support for mothers. She is currently based in Canada. Writing is her second career, and she is embracing it fully.

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @askdoctorkt

Blog: www.askdoctorkt.com

Or, @askdoctorkt@gmail.com

The post 10 COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE HIJAB appeared first on World Hijab Day.

To better understand these polls, we will provide some backgrounds on our followers.  At the time of taking the polls, our Instagram had 40,000 followers and 790,000 followers on Facebook fan page. Top five countries of our followers on Instagram were from Pakistan, Malaysia, India, Nigeria, and Indonesia.  And top five cities were Karachi, Lahore, Kuala Lumpur, Dhaka, and Cairo.

Top 10 countries on Facebook fan page were Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Egypt, Bangladesh, Philippines, USA, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.  And top 10 cities were: Karachi, Dhaka, Cairo, Lahore, Kuala Lumpur, Islamabad, Dubai, Riyadh, Singapore, and Alexandria.

Misconception #1: Hijab is a symbol of oppression.

We took this misconception directly to those women who wear the hijab and asked: “Do you feel oppressed in your hijab?” On Instagram, 94% answered No and 6% answered Yes.  On Facebook, 81% answered No and 19% answered yes.

When we asked how women in hijab feel about such remarks, one of the Facebook fans expressed: “It’s a bit offensive to be honest…because a person who asks the question has already made up their mind that you must be oppressed because you wear a hijab.” [Shabnam Sharin]

Next we asked: “Do you feel confident in your hijab?” 93% answered Yes and 7% answered No on Instagram. Same results showed on Facebook.

We also wanted to know if women in hijab felt empowered by their hijab. So we asked: “Do you feel empowered by your hijab?” 94% answered Yes and 6% answered No on Instagram. On Facebook, 87% answered Yes and 13% answered No.

Misconception #2: Women are forced to wear the hijab.

To clear this misconception, we asked women the following question on our poll: “Were you forced to wear the hijab?” 93% answered NO and 7% answered YES on Instagram. 87% said NO and 13% said YES on our Facebook poll.

When we asked sisters to share their thoughts on such stereotype, one fan shared:

 “How is it oppression if I am choosing to wear it? Don’t you think it’s oppression for girls to go on all sorts of diets and have eating disorders in order to “fit” a certain body image that is portrayed by media?” [Shabnam Sharin]

Disclaimer: We strongly condemn forceful implementation of the hijab. The choice should be left to the women.

Misconception #3:  Women are forced to wear the hijab by their fathers, brothers, or husbands.

In the poll, we asked the following question: “Did your father, brother or husband force you to wear the hijab?”  94% answered NO and 6% YES on Instagram. 86% answered NO and 14% answered Yes on Facebook.

When we asked women to share their thoughts on such misconception, one fan on Facebook shared the following: “Incredibly insulting as I speak for myself and managed my own thoughts before I married so he has nothing to do with my decision…Unfortunately, if I asked him, he may not want me to wear it because of how he feels I may be treated, but it’s not about him either.” [Rachel Carol Madeleine Fex]

Misconception #4: Women in hijab do not really face any discrimination.

Many people undermine the numbers of women face discrimination due to their hijab. So, we asked sisters worldwide the following question: “Have you ever experienced discrimination due to your hijab?” 58% answered Yes and 42% answered No on Instagram. However, on Facebook, 60% answered Yes and 40% answered No.

We were curious to know the numbers in Europe, Australia and USA. So we asked the following question: “Sisters in Europe, Australia and USA ONLY. Did you face discrimination due to your hijab?” On Instagram, 71% answered Yes and 29% answered No.  63% answered Yes and 37% answered No on Facebook.  

Misconception #5: Hijab shackles and imprisons women.

To clear this misconception, we asked sisters the following question: “Do you feel free in hijab?” 98% answered Yes and 2% answered No on Instagram. 93% answered Yes and 7% answered no on Facebook.

We would like to conclude by adding the following statement from a sister in Pakistan: “Hijab is not a barrier to my ambitions, neither do I feel oppressed in it. Rather, hijab is a choice, a feeling, an identity. I feel free in hijab, empowered, protected, stronger in faith and more passionate to become a better being overall. Everyone travels through their own spiritual journey & mine just feels more wholesome ever since I embraced my hijab.” [Zara]

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I was born in a Muslim family but if you knew how I lived my life as a teenager and as a young professional, I would probably be the last person you could ever imagine wearing the hijab. With that, I meant I used to join beauty pageants and fashion shows. I used to value the trends more than modesty in dressing.

When I was blessed with a child, I wanted to start life over. I suddenly wanted to wear the hijab! Ultimately, I knew I wanted to raise my son as a practicing Muslim. My wearing the hijab came as a shock to everyone, even to my own mother but she supported my decision anyway. My husband would proudly tell people that nobody forced me to wear the hijab and that it was out of my own free will.

Wearing the hijab brought me peace of mind, contentment, and self appreciation like I never felt before. I no longer feel like I have to follow the trends to be appreciated. After all, the only appreciation I must seek is from the Almighty and Merciful Creator.

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I was born in a Catholic family and had no idea about Muslim religion and beliefs. To be honest, I thought hijab was a way of repression against the women but this last year, I spent a lot of time with many Muslim people. Finally, I realized the true meaning of hijab. I love it and also wear it frequently. Be proud of who you are!!!

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I have always had so much respect for the women that wore hijab and had been slightly jealous of their beautiful coverings. When I was a young child I thought you had to be a “special” type of person to wear them. Now that I am an adult I know how special those women truly are. It takes so much strength and courage to cover yourself in places that aren’t quite as loving and open to faith.

When I heard about World Hijab Day I was so excited to put one on. And when I did it felt like I was a completely different person, in a good way. I saw myself in a different light and won’t soon forget the feeling. I got so many positive reactions from friends and family, who are mostly Christian, it was almost overwhelming.

To all of the beautiful women who wear hijab with pride, you have my utmost respect and admiration.
Although I am happy with my current faith, I have gained so much respect for Islam and am applying bits of it to my life because of the experience.
Much love!

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