Sabtu, 23 November 2013

Reasons for Wearing Hijab

So why do we wear ḥijāb and how do we answer the “Why do you wear that?” question in a manner that not only explains why, but also seizes a beautiful, golden opportunity to open a da'wah discussion with someone.

Questioner: “Why do you wear that?”

Muslim Sister: (smiles) “Well, I'm a Muslim, and as a Muslim, the most important thing to me is to believe that God is One and to worship Him alone (tawḥīd mentioned, check). That also includes following the guidelines that God asked of us. The reason I wear this is because it's something God asked me to do. So that's the REASON I wear this, however, after choosing to wear it, you realize there are countless benefits that come with it, among them are:

(The following points are ones I've found hit home the most with people. At this point, you can gauge what you think will resonate most with the person, and based on the amount of time you have, you can choose to mention some or all of these points)

1. Blessing of modesty: (If the questioner is a woman, going on a modesty rant will usually hit home hard.) This point can go something along the lines of: “When I dress like this, I'm forcing men to look at me for who I am, for my personality, and for what I say, rather than how cute I look that day.”

2. Identifies you as a Muslim: “Wearing ḥijāb identifies me as a Muslim, so anywhere I go, anyone who sees me immediately knows what I believe and what I stand for.”

3. Something found in all Abrahamic religious tradition: “A lot of people are confused by what I wear and find it to be something weird and strange. It's interesting because if you look at righteous women throughout history, they were always covered in a similar way. Even today, nuns and Orthodox Jews cover their hair.” Many times it's effective to ask: “Have you ever seen a picture of Mary, the mother of Prophet Jesus?” (Note: This also shows that Muslims believe in Prophet Jesus) “What is she wearing in the picture?” Their jaw drops when they realize she is wearing ḥijāb.

4. Dress code for both genders: “Allāh gave both women and men a dress code. The reason it's different is because of physical differences and differences in the way each gender thinks.”

At the end of the day, although it's very important to know why we wear ḥijāb and know how to explain it to others, having the answer down is not enough. We know that da'wah by actions is ALWAYS more. The fact is, when you look the way we do, people are always watching you and what you do. You could act in a certain way or do something good that sticks in someone's mind and eventually brings them to Islam, or vice versa. This doesn't mean that we should wait until we get to a “high enough level” before beginning to wear ḥijāb, but it's merely a reminder for us to remain conscious of our behavior and our actions.

Interestingly enough, even the way we choose to wear ḥijāb is da'wah. I've had countless non-Muslim women approach me and ask me why some Muslim women wear skin tight clothing or full faces of make-up while wearing a scarf on their head. We would never expect non-Muslims to notice anything like this, but interestingly enough, they do.

Lastly, as Muslim women, having confidence and being well spoken and firm in our beliefs and actions has a huge impression on non Muslims. It makes them respect you and want to know more, rather than pity you and feel sorry for you.

At the end of the day, it's all about our actions while wearing ḥijāb, the level of confidence in our demeanor when we explain our religion, the manner in which we choose to wear ḥijāb, and lastly (and least importantly) how we answer why we wear ḥijāb.

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