Being born and raised as a Muslim, I think that I really took advantage of that privilege by not being the best version of me possible. I did my prayers five times a day, fasted during the month of Ramadaan, and went to Islamic classes to read Quran but wearing hijab never crossed my mind. Personally, I saw it as attire that I would only wear once I was much older, like my mother.

Hence, during my teenage years and into adulthood, it was short dresses, crop tops, wind-swept hair, but my scarf always stayed either in my bag or around my neck. This was so I could put it on before I left home and back on when I got home. Sadly, I adopted that thought that my imaan (faith) was in my heart not on my head to justify not wearing my hijab or dressing modestly.

Up until my mid-20’s, I felt that there was something missing in my life, being very independent I never quite had the time for much. At one stage in my life, I was juggling two jobs and studying full-time whilst planning my wedding. That was just how my life went.

Even once I got married, I still had this void in my soul, I was in great need for inner peace. Even though my physical life was great (work,home,studies), my spiritual life was lacking  and that was where the change needed to happen.

Mind you, the decision was random, at the time I was watching funny Youtbe videos when I just started looking for women’s hijab stories. I was totally mind-blown! Many of the stories were from successful career women, wives, mothers, daughters who all had this glow of peace on their faces.

That evening I told my husband my decision to want to wear the hijab, he told me that he thought I was beautiful either way & was behind me all the way. This spurned me on and that very next day I started wearing hijab. It has been the most inspiring and humbling experience of my life. Working in construction which is a very male dominated field I expected some form of backlash, instead I was being treated with such an enormous amount of respect.

I will be honest & say that sometimes it’s tough, especially summer time in South Africa, however I am going on to almost a year as a hijabi and I don’t regret it for a moment. My life is now the calm in the storm and I have found inner peace.

Wishing all sisters the best in their journey to hijab because it truly is an amazing experience.

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