For so many Muslim women, the hijab is more than just a piece of cloth—it’s a deeply personal, multifaceted decision tied to identity, faith, and empowerment. My hijab story is marked by discovery, struggle, and conviction. Today, I want to share my journey with you in hopes that it inspires reflection, resilience, and perhaps even connection.

How It All Began
I first put on the hijab at 13 years old. Nobody in my family wore it at the time, making me the first to take the leap. My best friend had just returned from Umrah, deeply moved by the experience, and had started wearing the hijab herself. Watching her make this commitment sparked something within me.

For me, the hijab made sense. I didn’t like drawing the attention of men and felt that wearing it would make my life easier. It gave me a sense of comfort and control over how I presented myself to the world. Still, being the first in my family to wear it wasn’t always easy. Questions and awkward stares acted like small roadblocks, but they didn’t shake the deeper meaning the hijab gave me.

The Crisis
Like many journeys, though, mine wasn’t without challenges.

Growing up Muslim while facing Islamophobia exposed me to subtle and overt forms of exclusion, judgment, and fear. Over time, the weight of these encounters began to build, eventually leading me to question how I wanted to be seen in the world—how I could be seen and understood. At one point, I felt compelled to take off my hijab.

For four long months, I walked away from something that had been such a vital part of my identity. I longed for relief, for a sense of anonymity, but instead, I felt like I had lost myself. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t recognize the person staring back. Something fundamental was missing. I didn’t realize until then just how much the hijab was intertwined with my self-perception and gratitude toward my faith.

How It Ended
Healing my discomfort with my identity wasn’t an overnight process—it required patience, reflection, and a lot of faith. But as I started addressing my anxieties and reconciling my relationship with the world around me, the hijab became a natural next step. This time, it felt entirely mine.

When I donned it again, I did so with stronger conviction. It was no longer about what anyone else thought—it was my choice, reinforced by a love and gratitude for my Creator. Now, the hijab feels empowering. It’s not just something I wear; it’s an extension of my faith and an expression of my love for Allah.

My Advice
To anyone considering wearing the hijab, whether you’re young or older, here’s what I’d like to share:

• • Wear it for the right reason. The hijab isn’t just about covering your head; it’s an act of devotion. Wear it to please Allah, not for societal expectations.
  • Focus on the spiritual beauty. Rather than thinking of the hijab as a restriction, see it as an opportunity to strengthen your bond with your Creator.
  • Make it your decision. The hijab is a personal choice—one that should feel empowering, not forced. Take your time to introspect and decide what feels right for you.

For me, the hijab is a reflection of my deep gratitude and love toward Allah. It helps me walk through the world in alignment with my values of modesty, faith, and authenticity.
Final Thoughts

The hijab symbolizes so much more than an outward expression of modesty. It’s a profound reminder of who I am, where I’ve been, and the principles guiding my life. Every person’s hijab story is unique, and our collective experience strengthens the beautiful tapestry of our Muslim community.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Asma is a leadership expert and renowned professional coach, who integrates Islamic spirituality and strategic coaching to empower leaders in personal and professional growth.

The post Embracing Identity: The Story of My Hijab appeared first on World Hijab Day.

Gratitude is life’s water. It is as essential to life as water.

Water that runs deep into the veins, bones and human breath is sometimes forgotten and fades from our awareness, even though our subconscious knows it is always present. Gratitude is a common sentiment. Many of us feel thankful for the life we lead, the family we have, the food on our tables, the comfort of hot water at home, and the satisfaction of settled bills. Yet, in the chaos of life, we sometimes fail to recognize the barakah (blessing) that each moment inherently carries.

Living is a miraculous process and our souls witness it every second they spend inside our bodies, which serve as their homes. We must acknowledge that living isn’t easy. People face a myriad of challenges, and everyone’s struggles are at different levels, zones, and dimensions, depending on their  unique circumstances. The design of our brains is wired and learns through comparison, which is both a blessing and a burden. We can relate with others by comparing, empathizing, and understanding, but we can also feel anxious, insecure, jealous, and judge others when we don’t understand or relate to other people’s lives. We might get consumed in the negative thought process and begin spiraling down.

Allah (SWT) said in the Quran :

4:79 “…. Whatever good, (Oh man!) happens to thee is from Allah, but whatever evil happens to thee, is from thy (own) soul…”

And He also mentioned that

31:12 “…Any who is grateful does so to the profit of his own soul…”

Gratitude, a strong tool, can help us escape the problems we create for ourselves.

We should practice being grateful not because we expect rewards in the afterlife, but because it benefits our soul and it’s the right thing to do. Living with gratitude is really the best way to live. Everything else corrodes our spirits and hearts.

Gratitude helps us to re-adjust our attention to the good things in daily life and add perspectives to see the bigger, better picture of our lives by acknowledging the small details and moments that enrich our lives. It is a rewiring tool that assists our brain in shifting towards a positive outlook and keeping negative thoughts in check.

But there is a catch: many people jump on the bandwagon and wield their gratitude like a sword, judging everyone along the way who does not appear grateful in their eyes. It is impossible to achieve gratitude by wearing it as a badge on one’s shoulder. We will forget, we will fall, we will tumble, and we will return to it; it is a lifelong practice. It is a continuous process in this life’s journey, and it has stages.

We may initially complain, whine, moan, and grieve, and after we have done so, we arrive at acceptance of life’s hard hits and blows, or misses or gains that never happened. Only during our acceptance phase does the emotional cloud lift and we see things for what they are: less or more complicated than we imagined; we begin to devise an action plan and set small goals to address it.

Allah (SWT) is patient with his subjects because he knows where we are in that stage; unfortunately, we are not patient with one another.

Some are complaining and crying because it hurts, and everyone’s pain and tolerance threshold is different. Instead of judging them and telling them they are complaining too much and are not being grateful enough in their lives, pray for them, be there for them, and make dua that they do not get stuck and that they reach acceptance, which is the doorway to deep gratitude. Only after we have passed through that stage can we be grateful to Allah for the pain and trials as well as the gift of life.

Another practice to cultivate a life centered on gratitude is to keep a daily journal of our blessings or simply make a mental note of them each day. Even on the rainiest, darkest days, we can be thankful that we’re dry, warm in our homes, well- fed, and that we are safe.

As time goes by, we learn to understand that even rainy and dark days are necessary for the earth and everything living on it. It’s a process that takes time, but we eventually gain that patience. We realize, after many cold winters, that they are crucial to experience the joy of the Sun.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sana Khan is a Motivational Speaker, Writer and a Coach. She has done her Engineering from Shobhit Institute of Engineering and Technology (now a Deemed University), Dr. APJ Abdul Kamal University (former UPTU) India and has a Masters in International Business from EAE Business School, Barcelona Spain and UPC Catalunya, Spain. She has recently written a motivational EBook. She has also co-authored 6 anthologies. When she is not reading or writing, she prefers to go walking in nature or sipping a coffee with her husband. She lives in Belgium with her son and husband. You can find her on her website TalkwithSana.com and on her YouTube channel  and FB page ‘TalkwithSana’ IG handle : Sanakrblogs

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