10+1 REAL questions/statements about the hijab I have encountered the past month:-

1) You are too young!

So if I wear the hijab at 22 years old, I am considered ‘too young’ to understand what I am doing, but if I murder someone, I am considered ‘old enough’ to be trialed?

2) Now you cannot wear all the normal clothes people wear!

On the contrary, wearing the hijab has given me more freedom in the way I dress. For the past years in my life, I have always felt very subconcious to what I wear as I felt that people were judging me from it. Now, I feel like I don’t have to conform to society’s expectations of how I look, and I only have to please one - Allah - and that is much easier for me, Alhamdulillah.

3) Why would you want your freedom taken away from you?

I am wearing the hijab today out of my own free will… which contradicts that my freedom has been taken away from me :) At least, that’s my opinion.

In any case if that is out of point, I still am doing every single thing that I have been doing Alhamdulillah. It only stops me from doing bad things (bad, even by a normal person’s standard) and I think that kind of freedom being taken away is actually a good thing!

4) So you mean this is permanent? You cannot take it off forever and ever?

Yes, this is a command from Allah, and InsyaAllah, I hope I remain steadfast in wearing it till I die.

5) So how come XX has now taken it off?

With regards to XX, let me make a comparison - By right, a married man is supposed to stay loyal to his wife. But how many men stray today? It’s all about making our own choices and having to face the consequences, good or bad.

6) So did you have to do some ritual over the weekend before you wear this?

Oh yes! The rituals are the best. We had to run circles around a bonfire while reciting some prayers and then provide an offering of 10 chickens (halal of course) to God. Hehe… No, darling, no rituals. It was just a simple act of waking up one morning and deciding to be a better Muslim, for Allah, InsyaAllah.

7) Oh.. Erm did you just perform the Hajj? Are you getting married soon? Are you pregnant?

No, I have not performed the hajj. No, I am not getting married soon. And no, nauzubillah, I am not pregnant. But I do hope I will get to experience all three in the future, InsyaAllah :)

8) So if you’re not any of the above, why does your head have a wrapping?

First of all, I am not a lollipop that I have a ‘wrapping’ around my head. It is called a hijab, and I wear it as it is a command by Allah on all Muslim women once they have reached puberty.

9) But YY is older than you and she’s not wearing it?

Again, like I said, Allah has given us the option to make choices. Some people choose to wear, some don’t. Maybe she will wear it one day, InsyaAllah.

10) Ok… so how come you wear it flat around your head, while ZZ wears it with the top pointed?

Oh… it’s for ranking. Once I have worn the hijab for 5 years, then I can change to wear it the way she wears it. So the longer you wear it, the higher the pointed top is!

11) REALLY?!

Nope hahahaha! It’s all just different styles of wearing it, honey :)