My Hijab Story by Fatima Khan

I still remember the day that I finally decided to [wear hijab]. It was in late September of 2009 

on a particular Monday afternoon, as I was coming out of our regular Dars [Islamic group class]. 

I always admired women who were able to cover themselves and wear hijab, especially after September 11^th, 2001, as it declared you a Muslim woman (though it also subjected one to discrimination and violence). But somehow I had kept on delaying it.

I asked a [specific] sister to pray for me – I was going to be going to Hajj that year and wanted to come back and wear hijab full-time. The woman I asked to make the du’a for me was someone I knew (who I took a class with) and who wore a hijab herself, and I had great admiration for her because of her mannerism. 

To my utter surprise, she asked me, “What have you been waiting for? It is Ramadan – if you want to make that change, just do it now and don’t wait.” 

I did not expect that response, and I was quite taken [back] by her response…I was not happy to hear her say that. As I was driving back home, I kept on thinking if what she said had made sense. 

Two days were left before Eid; my mother-in-law brought this very fashionable outfit, which I was looking forward to wearing. On the last day of Ramadan, the night before Eid, I [spontaneously] decided that I will start wearing the hijab and so I wore it on Eid. Since I was new to it and because I did not plan it in advance, it was not the very best look – I have the pictures to prove it, haha! 

Alhamdulillah, I still was able to wear the hijab. 

I thought my whole life would change dramatically. I took exercise classes at a local YMCA but it did not discourage me from wearing hijab. In fact, I even introduced some local ladies in our YMCA to [modest] swimwear and made it a point to educate my instructor and fellow classmates of the reasons behind modest swimwear. 

In short, I can say wearing hijab gives me the identity of the proud Muslim woman I wanted and was inspired to be. It has made me more morally conscious because now I feel I am representing not only myself but also an Ummah. 

I would encourage all the ladies who have been thinking about wearing the hijab to just do it and seek Allah SWT to help guide you through it. Any deed done for purely His pleasure is never wasted. May Allah SWT accept it as a good dead and make it as a means of getting the best in Akhirah, Ameen!