I always struggled with the idea of hijab and although nearly all the females in my family had started wearing it from a fairly young age, my parents never had any expectations of me embracing it before I was truly ready to do so. My late 20’s and 30’s saw me progress in my career as a teacher and eventually, take on a role in the private sector where not only was I the only Asian female, but also the only Muslim. Despite being on a personal journey to reconnect with my faith at that time in my life, I still didn’t have the inner strength to wear the hijab in a very non-Muslim and at times, ignorant environment. So, I decided to change my environment.

In 2012, I was offered a teaching job in Abu Dhabi. I thought being immersed in an Islamic environment would give me the much-needed nudge to go ahead and start wearing hijab. But again, my nafs (Arabic for “soul”) was blocking me from making that change. A year later, my marriage was being arranged. I still remember my fiancé coming to the door of my flat after Friday prayers to Skype with my family. I had just performed my zuhr prayers when the doorbell rang. Not wanting him to wait outside, I quickly let him in, whilst still wearing my hijab, then proceeded to remove it and fix my hair; after all, I wanted him to see me at my best and my hair was my best feature!

After the Skype chat, I was walking him out when he very casually said, “You looked pretty with the hijab.” I was stunned. I had always thought my hair and having a full face of makeup was what made me attractive. I wasn’t about to give that up! My (modern independent woman) knee-jerk reaction was to tell him right there and then that not even my father had forced me to wear the hijab so I hoped he wasn’t getting any funny ideas about telling me what to do; but, I stopped myself.

I still remember consciously and deliberately pausing and reflecting on my intentions and desire to wear hijab. After being in Abu Dhabi for a year, it still hadn’t happened. I realized it was about me and when I truly felt ready for it. It had never been about the environment.  And was it really a bad thing if the man I was planning on spending the rest of my life with, was the catalyst for my making that change in my life? Surely, as spouses, we should help and guide each other to be better Muslims?

The following week, again during my scheduled family Skype session, hijab came up in conversation. This time, however, I was talking to my expert veteran hijabi sisters and mentioned how I was meeting some of my future in-laws for the first time on Eid, which was a few days away and had decided I was going to wear the hijab. But, to my despair, I didn’t have the faintest idea how to wear it properly and it was really stressing me out. My fiancé, although he spoke English well, would always comment that he found it hard to catch what I was saying when I would be speaking at a hundred miles an hour to friends and family in my strong Northern, Lancashire accent. However, on this occasion, he had picked up enough to take action.

To my surprise, in the days leading up to Eid, my fiancé had taken it upon himself to watch hours of hijab tutorials on YouTube and sent me the best links. He had gifted me with under caps, pins, clips and hijabs! He then, very patiently listened to me talk about how to position, reposition, position, pull, straighten, tuck, flip over, pin, pleat, straighten, position, reposition, and all the other little tweaks that go into setting your hijab just right!

Eid was a blessed affair and marked the day I started my hijab journey. After the Eid break, when I was back at work and during morning assembly, my principal made an announcement in Arabic. Hundreds of students’ and staff members’ eyes turned in my direction. The girls clapped, smiled and cheered as they proceeded to perform the traditional ululation to show their happiness that I had chosen to wear the hijab. The whole day, teachers and students, young and old, stopped by my class to bless me, hug me and showered me with so many traditional kisses! It was truly overwhelming!

Eight years on, my husband is still my hijab helper and checker, and ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ‎, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

About author 

Samina H-Bakhsh is a UK based teacher with over 18 years’ of experience, including having taught in the UAE and Brunei. An avid reader and writer, Samina is set to release her hijab-themed children’s picture book in early 2022.  Her creativity also includes recently becoming a Guinness World Record henna artist, based on speed and is currently in the process of setting up henna workshops. Connect with Samina on Instagram @thehennateacher

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By Fatima Irfan

I am a Ju-Jitsu player. I have recently begun wearing proper hijab even during my training and in competitions as well and it’s been an amazing experience. I have discovered that Hijab is more than a scarf.  I often thought that it was just a Muslim woman’s obligation to Allah (SWT), not realizing the true thought behind it. I soon came to understand that hijab is the perfect outlet for women to seek liberation, respect, and ultimate freedom.

I discovered who I wanted to be and how I wanted people to see me. The hijab itself doesn’t make me religious or make me do specific things while limiting me from others. To me, it’s a reminder to be a good person and it gives me self-confidence as a young Muslim woman. I realized that hijab made me focus on my inner self more.

I can relate with the following description of hijab:

“Hijab to me is more than the cloth on my head; it’s making sure my speech, my movements, my thoughts and most importantly what’s in my heart is as pure as possible. It reminds me to maintain my faith and modesty in both appearance and behaviour. My Hijab is my right, my choice, my identity, my pride and my dignity.”

Now, I can honestly tell you that I have never felt freer or more at peace with myself and the world around me. I feel proud of myself being a real version of myself as Fatima Irfan.

About author

Fatima Irfan is a National Ju-Jitsu athlete from Pakistan. She is a  Gold and Silver medalist, Ju-Jitsu, World Cup 19. Also a Bronze Medalist, Open World Ranking 18.

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On my last early morning in Prince Edward Island, I visited a beach that was completely empty. I looked in every direction and there was not a person in sight.

No people around meant I could take my hijab off. So I did. The Atlantic Ocean breeze blew through my hair.

I didn’t know I would, but I cried big, hot tears. Because it felt wonderful. I was spending time with the ocean and some birds, none of whom looked at me or cared that I was there. And I wondered, “Is this how it feels to not wear hijab?”

I walked, and walked, with my orange hijab balled up in my fist. I looked into the vast body of water, and at the sky, and at my feet, and everything in between. I thanked God for bringing me here, to a place I have wanted to visit since I was a child.

And then it was time to go. I looked at my hijab and then in the direction of the parking lot. From far away I could see tiny figures and I knew a few people were starting to arrive.

I could’ve walked to my car without my hijab. No one here knows me. I could’ve pretended I was someone else for a moment. I could’ve felt the breeze for a bit longer.

But I didn’t. I said goodbye to the sticky salt wind, and I put my hijab on. My hijab blew in the wind, but it didn’t feel the same. Then I walked back to my car, re-entering the world as a Muslim woman.

A woman who is looked at, judged, and always held to a higher level of scrutiny. A woman who just wants to live her life, but is seen as a flag bearer for this faith. A woman who is imperfect, but has to hold up an image of perfection so as to honour others like her. And it’s so, so tiring. No man can understand this heaviness.

But as I walked back, I said to Allah: I do this for You and no one else. And though it’s hard, I will hold onto it. Tightly. Fiercely. With vigour and patience.

There is no other path I would choose, because He chose this for me. And I love and obey Him.

In Jannah, I’ll feel this breeze in my hair again. Cool and gentle and kind, carrying a scent that is better than that of a thousand oceans.

I will wait for that day. I think I can be patient for a while longer.

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After a decade of planning to take this step, three months ago, I very spontaneously took the leap! It seemed like I was always waiting for a milestone to occur and used it as an excuse to delay taking this step. It started with “let me finish high school and do it when I have a fresh start,” and said the same thing again in university, and then I had to have my hair out for my wedding, and then I said I will wait until I am a mother.

At the end of 2019, I said I can’t wait anymore! I wrote down three target “first day” dates to make myself feel more accountable and said New Years will be the latest I can push this. And with a bit of fear and nervousness (which was so short lived) – I did it! I am blessed to have a husband and family who support my decision. I acknowledge that many people don’t have this freedom of choice. My husband treated me to a little hijab shopping spree, and  is constantly taking my photos and filling me with compliments.

When choosing to marry Ahmad, I had to make sure this was something he’d support eventually. It was definitely something we were on the same page about. And the most exciting news – my best friend and mother began her hijab journey to support me during this transition – which I am so beyond proud of!

My biggest hesitation throughout my life was sadly, that it would impact my ability to build a career. But I am grateful to be working apart of an organization who actually stand by their values of diversity and inclusion, making me feel so comfortable walking in with an entirely different and unapologetic identity. KPMG has a culture that I can’t say my previous employers had, where they encourage you to bring your whole self to work and nothing but; truly championing an inclusive workforce.

After such a short period of time, hijab has become a part of me. Truthfully, I was mentally prepared for much more struggles and triumphs, but I was wrong. The only difficult part about it was starting. I feel the most comfortable and confident than I’ve ever felt.

Before putting on the hijab, people wondered why my Muslim last name didn’t match my appearance. Now, I can proudly be a flag bearer of my faith, causing no confusion that I AM MUSLIM.

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I don’t want to say you that hijab is “my crown” or my beauty, femininity, humility whatever.  However, I have to say that the hijab is my right. Quite real, enshrined in Art. 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine, which guarantees me freedom of religion.

I also want to say that my hijab is my choice, not my husband’s or my father’s or my brother’s or the imam’s of the local mosque. It was my decision.  And I don’t care what the far-right or far-left or atheists or agnostics or anyone thinks about this. I decided for myself how and how much of my body will be shown in public space, and how much – no.  And I don’t want to hear other “secular” fighters who want to “undress” everyone for the sake of dubious equality (considering the hijab a symbol of oppression) or religious extremists who successfully disguise themselves as “brothers” and “sisters” and wish me  (and other Muslim women) to burn in Hell for an open millimeter of my chin.  My hijab is only between me and Allah.

For some sisters, the hijab is not just about religion, but also about self-identification, family, ethnic tradition, or about comfort.  Therefore, you should not label the woman you see in a headscarf; you have no idea what is in her head and what her life is like.

I can’t complain about the harassment given my appearance. I even have the right to make a passport where I will be pictured in a headscarf, but for the last three years having my hijab on, I have been harassed and insulted just on the street, sent to the “homeland”; hundreds of times was asked why “married an Arab” and threatened several times. However, I was not denied a job, I was not denied medical or educational services, my child is not treated in the wrong way in kindergarten or clinic. But not everyone is so lucky.  And it should not be so.

And now I want to remind Ukrainian Muslim women that we should look for what we have in common, not what is different.

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Like many, I always waited for an “aha” moment before wearing the scarf. Until I realized that the moment I had been waiting for was simply the realization that I didn’t need one. So, despite living in a small Kentucky town and being the only Muslim in my school at the time, I began wearing the hijab on a seemingly random day at the start of 10th grade. Although it led me to stand out among those in my area, I got used to it, and that experience shaped me into the unapologetic person I am today. Alhamdulillah.

Today, my life looks quite different. It’s no secret that I love modest fashion and wearing the scarf is a large part of that. However, I want to stress that above everything, our priority is to wear the hijab because it is an obligation from Allah. Politics, fashion, etc.—all these matters have trends, yet if you prioritize wearing the hijab for the sake of Allah and use that as your reason to wear it with confidence, then when these trends change, they won’t cause your feelings toward your hijab to change along with them. Wear your hijab for the sake of God alone and it will act as your shield and be a blessing for you.

So to those who may feel isolated in their hijab journey as I once did—I get it and you are not alone. And regardless of what is trendy, what others may say to you, or how isolated you may feel, remember that with every hateful comment you can reaffirm your intention and get rewarded for that in shaa’ Allah and NO ONE can take that away from you.

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My own hijab story started at a very young age. I was 10 when I decided to wear it. My parents were reluctant at first, they thought that I should be older in order to be certain of my decision. But I was certain. And I have worn the hijab in its various styles for 22 years now. It hasn’t always been easy. To be the only one in the room. To stand out. To explain and defend. To make the right choices. There have been times when I’ve forgotten why I wore the hijab, but just wore it for the sake of it anyway. ⠀
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But there are times when I’ve understood exactly why I wear it. When I’ve realized my worth. When I’ve connected to something Higher. When I’m proud of my hijab.
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It takes a lot of courage to say that deen matters to you more than dunya. It takes a lot of soul searching to understand. It takes a lot of strength to say no. It takes a lot of confidence to be the only one in the room. Having to prove yourself to others at school or work; that you have a brain and can be funny. That you’re a person. It can be a tiring struggle.⠀
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I haven’t always succeeded. There are so many times that I’ve went for dunya over deen. And that’s why us sisters need each other to remind ourselves and support us on this journey. People who don’t wear it will never understand it. That it gives more than it takes. It’s an endless power source. ⠀
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I pray that I leave this world carrying my hijab-crown high. I may not always be able to live up to its worth, but I’m grateful for all that it has given me. Reminded me that there is more to this world than meets the eye. There is more to my worth than what I allow myself to realize. ⠀
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Inshallah to the next 22+ years of wearing the hijab. God only knows how this journey continues and where it will lead. But I want, I truly want, to choose deen over dunya. Give us strength and wisdom to succeed.

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My decision as a Muslim to fulfill my obligation towards God was longstanding. I cannot even name it a decision, rather, a long wait for the moment I would complete my obligation properly. However, it was my inner self that was waiting for the final moment to fulfill itself, since God is not in need of our actions, we are the ones who need the mercy and forgiveness of our Lord.

It was a time when I had 3 weeks before the birth of my first child. I was getting my maternity leave from the job that I loved very much and I did not know how my new journey was going to go. But, I did not want in any way not to have my hijab when the time for birth would come. Since as good as a process it was, unexpected things could happen, too. I did not want to come out in front of God without my hijab since God does not burden anyone with more than one can bear, and I was not prepared to give any excuse why I did not cover.

After giving birth to my first child, during a time when I needed the help of many of my closest family members, physically and spiritually, they decided to walk away from me because of my choice to wear the hijab. I never gave up because of my reliance on Allah, which would always open the doors of goodness for me.

I returned at work wearing my hijab, in a place highly frequented by people, some of them highly prejudicial towards me. I decided to break that prejudice with my work and dedication, my closeness towards patients, my pieces of advice and kindness towards them. Only this way I broke those engraved opinions of the people that a hijabi woman cannot be successful, that she must stay only inside her house, that she has no right to serve others with her knowledge and work, etc.

We should not see hijab as a barrier for our work and activities, because hijab is a part of our soul. We should not have preconceived ideas for our hijab, thinking that it might cause problems in our lives. We should be a good example in our society giving our contribution with love, motivation, and determination through the good things God gave us.
Therefore, when I am asked how I, as a hijabi, get by in a society like ours, I answer that knowledge breaks ignorance, and that our work, contribution, love and commitment for our country break those barriers built between us.

I advice all hijab wearing women to never give up on their goals, to never conform to the life they are served by the society, to never blame their hijab and see it as a reason for their failures, but to try hard continuously towards the path of knowledge and commitment, and the most important of all, to never stop their prayers towards the One who promised us “Call upon Me, I will answer you.”

Today, I work for “Bora Pharmacy” (located in Kosovo) as an Accountable Pharmacist with amazing people who respect and appraise me highly, not because of the way I look, but because of who I am. I continue volunteering in the group “Familja dhe Shendeti” on Facebook together with hundreds of physicians and professionals from different fields of medicine, which deals with everything that has to do with health and family.

As a wife and a mother of two children, plus two others waiting to be born, I try to find a balance between my family, professional, and humanitarian life.

God gave us 24 hours a day, and we are the ones who have the choice to fill those hours, minutes, and seconds of our life properly or not!

May God make us useful! Ameen!

By Laureta Berisha Kosumi

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About 4 years ago, I met the kindest and warmhearted woman and her Muslim family so that was my introduction into what World Hijab Day (WHD) is.  Ever since then, I have felt strongly about supporting and honoring her and her fellow sisters for their freedom of choice.  Ever since, I have been educating myself about Islam and realized I was as ignorant as the news media had programed us to be when we saw hijab wearing women and thought they were suppressed and submissive.  We take their acts that appear to be submissive when in fact they are a peaceful people and feel it is not their right to antagonize or incite conflict.  Anyway, I forever wish peace for my friend Fatima and her family.

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I was born in a mixed-religious family (my father is Jewish and my mom is a Christian). I was a Christian in the eyes of the Jews and a Jew in the eyes of the Christians…So I decided not to label myself and just started to tell people that I believed in God and I didn’t need a religion to prove it. Back in high school, I had to do a research on the topic of women in Islam, though at that moment the only image I had was of a woman getting beaten up by her husband thanks to my neighbor who used to do that. I later found out that I was wrong, women do have rights in Islam, perhaps a lot more than in any other religion and that there are bad men everywhere regardless of their faith.

4 months later, I woke up one day wondering what would happen if I became a Muslim. So I decided to go to a mosque. When I was there, I heard the most beautiful thing I had ever heard in my life. I asked the Imam’s wife what that was and she told me it was her husband reciting the Quran. That day, I came back home as a Muslim, Alhamdulillah. I thought converting was the hardest part, but it wasn’t.

I tried to follow Islam correctly, but no matter how covered I was or how much I studied, it seemed it wasn’t enough for some people. After a year, I got tired and took off my hijab. I started to walk away from my faith. Somehow the hijab was a constant reminder of who I was now and kept me closer to my faith. I tried to wear it again but my parents won over this and I failed.

Last year I met this wonderful guy who was so religious, generous, and wise…I felt I had to try harder. I thought that if he could do it then I could do it too. I started to pray and study again. And most importantly, I now feel the same way as I did when I first listened to the Quran. He is now my husband, and I could never thank him enough for being so supportive and for making a better Muslim. Alhamdulillah (All praise to Allah) for him and for many other things. Thank you for reading this. May Allah SWT (All-Praised and Exalted) bless you.

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