A Journey, A Blessing - Hijab

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This is the time (belated) for my favorite topic and newest passion – My hijab. This is not the only thing which I love, possess, or respect but it’s the thing which gives me freedom, sets me carefree, and make me more confident.

These were my words when I wrote the most commented post of my blog Celebrating Six months of Hijab, Alhamdulillah :) It felt great. I could feel the bliss, the pleasure of knowing you are the one chosen to be under hidayah. It was great and so it is today also; I have completed my FULL ONE YEAR OF HIJAB…successfully..Alhamdulillah…

Don’t take me wrong when I say successfully, it’s not said referring any race or any challenge. I feel successful coz I was able to get away with the temptation of being unhijabified every time given how conscious I am about presentations. It was pretty hard to tolerate people making nasty comments on how hijab degraded my looks. Eeks!

I still remember the day I decided to live with hijab, it was sudden, purely unbelievable, I think that’s what you call inspiration. It comes so that you may never know when it has already taken you into its grip. It was amazing and so it is today. It feels so special that it can hardly be expressed in words.

Though the moment was amazing, others dint forget to make hijab a big issue, bigger than Obama winning the peace prize with equally shocked looks on their faces! Is a piece of cloth so disturbing to you people? Can I ask you (these types of people) to simply go and dig a life out for yourselves?


Kher, an eventful journey it was. There was good and bad and some people tried branding it ugly as well, but it was the greatest gift for me from God. In a book called Fundamental of Islam I read Knowledge is the greatest of gifts God has bestowed to humans and I can only go on agreeing more and more with the statement. Hijab has been a source of knowledge, a source to know a lot of thing for me. I can only pray that it continues to be.

So, come join the celebration with me :)

Hijab Woes

It was a well planned, supposed-to-be-surprise, get together of our whole gang-of-girls for a friend cum ex-colleague cum classmate who happened to be in town today. The only thing which ran through my mind the whole day, among the secret murmuring and kiddish surprise planning, was how the person’s reaction is going to be after he sees me. Come on don’t get me wrong, I know that we the fairer-sex are famous for being extra self- conscious when it comes to our presentation and get-ups but this was different.

I was uncertain of his reaction when he will see me in hijab suddenly after full one year. Who can imagine the girl with the flowy open long hairs to be suddenly covered in scarf neatly tucked at her head? I prepared myself for all type of questions and remarks which may follow later in the evening maslan How?? When?? What ?? You looking different..Pakka muslim.. naive.. everything.. and I prepared myself for not feeling uneasy which normally happens when I meet long forgotten friends again, and they see a complete new me with that bewildered look on their face.

But, however, as fate may have it…I was left with mouth wide open and a upset feeling gripping me when my friend suddenly declared.."Ab to tujhe koi pasand nahi karega (Now no one is going to like you).."

I was upset…come on who will be happy if you tell them they look miserable.

I was shocked…like helloo?? I am not doing this so that someone starts liking me..Neither am I gonna remove it just because no one is going to like me..I am doing this for God..and He will look in my best interest…

So did I really tell him all what flashed in my mind that very second?

No. I didn’t. I don’t have to. Honestly speaking, firstly, I am tired of advocating and supporting my decision.. wish I can just wear a scarf with the message:

“It’s my Choice..so no matter what you think…KEEP AWAY”

Can anyone really think that I put on that scarf over my head without looking at myself in the mirror?? I am aware of what I am wearing and with all its practical and social impacts, still I CHOOSE to wear it. It’s a matter of choice. A STRONG ONE. Try respecting it and if you can’t keep your judgments to yourself.

Secondly, I didn’t want to make the happy environment tensed. May be some other time, if I get a chance again.

But the whole thing really did put me off. So much for a magical piece of cloth. Sigh!

Celebrating Six months of Hijab, Alhamdulillah :)

This is the time (belated) for my favorite topic and newest passion – My hijab. This is not the only thing which I love, possess, or respect but it’s the thing which gives me freedom, sets me carefree, and make me more confident. For people new or unaware with the word, “hijab” basically means a barrier or a veil but in today’s world it is often referred as the headscarf which Muslim girls wear. However it’s just not the scarf but the full set of modest clothing which should be counted under hijab –a long discussion postponed for later, InshaAllah.

But before that it’s time to celebrate. Alhamdulillah, by the Grace of Allah, I have successfully completed my six months of donning the hijab (on 1st July, 2009), :) :) :) in public, everywhere I go :) :) :). It has certainly been the toughest ordeal I have been in. How can a simple scarf or let’s say for that matter, wearing modest clothes be a problem with anyone? Certainly, it’s not a problem for the person wearing it, but surprisingly for the people around such person.



I have been wondering and still wonder why others have to be bothered about what you wear. If it was confined till this thinking also, it was well and good. But people go a step ahead when it is concerning other’s personal/religious matters. You ask if you want to know, you question if you have doubts, you advice if you think something is wrong. I am always more than happy to spread the beautiful logic behind it. But for God sake be away and shut your mouth if you are ignorant, media-fed, unrelated to me and still want to shower me with your “oh, dear why you have to wear it” advices.



I am an independent girl, born in a very liberal family, brought up in a mini-India kind of environment. I always enjoyed the freedom of wearing what I want, voicing my likes and dislikes, I have friends whom I like, I study what I want to, and none of the above choices is affected by parental or social pressure, because I was never into them. So telling me what I should and shouldn’t is the worst try you might be making. And so when you see me in hijab all of a sudden (that’s when you haven’t met me after 31st December, 2008) please refrain from any such advices or looks rather simply ask me the reason of me going hijab-ified :).



It seems like yesterday (lol, sounds like those cheesy flashbacks) when I first took hijab. No one inspired me , I am hardly surrounded by people wearing hijab, even not much in my family, back in village they do it more out of customs than logic and/or religion, in city I have seen only strangers in hijab. No one asked me or compelled me to it, I hardly have Muslim friends, and those selective ones are also very liberal when it comes to compulsion in religion (well they are supposed to…there is no compulsion in religion –Qur’an 2:256). I dint read anything, normally I read a lot, but never it have been on religion.

Given all these facts it seems impossible as how I may be into it, not to mention the way I was before. I wasn’t blind about fashion, I was modest then also (modest as in Indian parents sense ;) ), used to dress good, no revealing clothes, no excessive jewelry. But I was in, in all sense. I was certainly into looking good, I always wanted my hair to be open, flowy and combed. Makeup which will make my color of a lighter tone or will let my features enhanced was always welcome. I avoided meetings after day long of work. So much it was there that I was pointed by my childhood friend that I keep a lot of note of presentation.



But suddenly on the morning of 29th December, Monday I woke up early at 8 (ya that’s early for me, even on a working day :D ) and decided that I will wear hijab. I was not sure why, was not sure from when and certainly not about the degree I was going to cover myself. The only thing I can remember is reading the following verses of Qur’an randomly on net a few days back, not exactly sure when:

Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. (Qur’an 24:30)

And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers..(a list of exceptions)..and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss. (Qur’an 24:31)

The feeling of going for hijab was so strong in me that I started searching stuff on hijab online, the logic behind it, the Islamic reason, practicality of it in today’s world, the problem faced, the solutions therein and everything starting and ending on hijab; then and there itself. I was afraid but confident in a way which I can’t explain. I was going under a mix of emotions and my mind and heart were battling on something which I wasn’t so sure of. I even felt that those 3 days (29th December – 31st December, 2008) me was not me at all, it was some super-natural force which was there, an inspiration within.

I was certainly not brainwashed, how I can be by these simple two verses of the Qur’an, given I never mentioned and asked anyone about hijab before. Those 3 days was a test for me, I knew not the path I was going to follow but I was somehow sure it was right because it’s in the BOOK. I am a Muslim, always was (I believe everything on earth is Muslim by nature, again a long discussion), believed in one God, Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him); knew about hijab from birth, knew these verses long back, knew the meaning also, but it never clicked me, it never made me think the way I was thinking those three days.

All I can remember is that I mentioned it to some of my closest friends, happen to be non-Muslim and hid it from my parents, Muslim. I know an unexplainable thing but that what I did. I was afraid that my parent will think that I am under someone’s influence, I was afraid that I won’t be able to explain the strong desire and force in me guiding towards hijab. It’s not like they dint wanted me to do it but for sure it would have been more of a shock than pleasant surprise for them. To my luck and by the Grace of God my friends were with me. They supported and encouraged me towards it. Lian, Jaimy, Sangy, Dhir, Shanu I will be always grateful to you guys and words may not explain it. We shopped for full sleeves dresses, abayas and hijab together and the experiences were unique in themselves. Of course not knowing what you want and asking for the same has to be unique. One such memorable thing is the Nisha Model we saw in hijab, in nearly every shop we went and how it became a joke between us.



The real drama started from 1st when I wore it. I told my parents the night before, surprisingly, dad was more cool and believed me and once again trusted me with my freedom, but mom, like always, was a bit worried though a lot happy and proud. :) I felt for the first time I did something extra-ordinary, unexpected but desired by both of them.



When I was seen with hijab obviously a lot of eyebrows were raised, some had the guts to ask, and the others went overboard by their not-so-welcome comments. I was always more than happy to explain that hijab is not subjection, it’s a modest way of dressing, it is prescribed by Allah for both men and women, it is not cultural, it’s the same all over the world, because its Islamic, it’s to keep away the unwanted attention, my mind conveys better than my body, it’s by my will I am wearing it and I was ignorant all these days not to wear it. This should have answered the unending queries, but Alas! Man is never satisfied.

I was handed over a bunch of advices and comments that just made me laugh or look at the person from tip to toe in order to ensure myself if I was speaking to a sane human being only. Strange it may seem, but educated people handed me advices like,

· You are not getting married, are you? Then why wearing it, enjoy your days.

· Are you leaving your studies?

· Do you know that it has reduced your beauty by 60%

· You will leave it; it’s just so not practical.

· Do you have a boyfriend; did he ask you to wear it?

· You parent’s forced you into this, all Muslim parents do that.

· There are people who appear religious but are corrupt inside.



No, I am not getting married, not leaving my studies and certainly not forced into this. I am still enjoying my days and enjoying them better than before, it all depends upon your definition of enjoying. I still dress good but for myself, not for others. I don’t care how much it has reduced my beauty, I am still beautiful, like every other human being, I am beautiful to my parents, to my friends and this all is what matters. Beauty is of mind, of character, not of face, skin color or for body shape. My beauty in its full sense is not for strangers to enjoy. My boyfriend? Oh crap, do you think I will stick to the guy who won’t let me wear what I want to. And how I am inside has nothing to do with how I appear outside. If I don’t appear religious will it make me less corrupt (if at all I am so).

And in all sense it’s practical, I am studying, working and doing every normal thing from past 6 months and it has been practical WITH THE HIJAB. So in short I am an educated, free, independent, modern muslimah proudly wearing my hijab by my will. That’s the reason for this celebration.



Many things happened in past six months but nothing led me to leave my hijab , Alhamdulilalh, I am very short tempered but the confidence and joy of wearing it let me handle every unpleasant remark (like above) with patience and understanding. Hijab has not been just the head covering for me, it is now my identity, it is what made me spiritual by all means, it is what let me understand Islam in its true sense and also it is the thing which let me differentiate between people and their reason of inclination towards me, I did gain a lot of encouragement and a thumbs up but at the same time I have lost friends too. But I believe that it has happened for the good and InshaAllah will continue to happen so. :)


Talking about celebrations, here is one more thing to celebrate; Mc Donalds have finally opened in Chennai. Hers the first (busy) day pic of it, to eat on time you certainly have to wait for 2 hours in the queue. :D



P.S. All the pics, except for the last one are taken from google images.
P.P.S. I was supposed to post this on 1st july, itself but was unable to do so because of reasons uncountable.
P.P.P.S. I am feeling blue from one week, here publicly i say sorry to those who are hurt because of me, this guilt is not going to leave me, i cant mend things but certainly i am sorry. :( I hope things turn better. :(

Liberating from Right to Personal Choice : Niqab

Pre-Script : The opinion mentioned below are solely mine unless specifically mentioned otherwise. It's clear that I am not happy and personally i don't have a grudge against Sarkozy or French Govt. till they stay away from veil and a girl's modesty.


The infamous husband of Famous Carla Bruni (of naked pic fame) and France President, Nicolas Sarkozy has recently “liberated” the “oppressed” Muslim women who wear Burqa by their will as a submission to GOD.

He has been quoted saying "The issue of the burqa is not a religious issue, it is a question of freedom and of women's dignity.” Perhaps, donning an overall, willingly, which hides your face, just because you feel you can be closer to God is not at all religious. Perhaps, living such an “uncommon” life where every other person throws you a skeptical look is slavery. Perhaps, something which protects a woman from the evil eyes and rude remarks suppresses her dignity. Perhaps, the French government has gone nuts. Perhaps, no perhaps was needed for the previous sentence.

courtesy : Miss France

France, by chance is a “secular” country. So secular, that it has gone to the extent of “not welcoming” the right to practice religion freely (and harmlessly). Which by chance, happens to be one of the most fundamental rights of humans. Sarkozy decided by his will that it throws women under a life of oppression and refrained himself by conducting a survey on how many women actually do it for other’s will. May be he was too busy to act as a hero of captivated Muslim girls. Honestly speaking, Sarkozy should ban clothes at all and stop making one by one sensationalizing comments.

Interestingly, Sarkozy is no new in the list, once a Bishop of Rochester announced that he doesn’t like niqab because there’s something wrong with it, then Dr. John R. and G. Brown, two Scotsmen said they had an issue with niqab too. The former wears a purple robe and a pointed hat and the latter comes from a country where men wear pleated skirts (no harm meant to the sentiments of people of concerning faith/ country), in words of the most courageous and outspoken Muslim woman of today's world - Yvonne Ridley.

A progressive educated Muslim girl in the veil

Many other critics are of the view that it creates hurdles in communication. In the era of ever expanding global village, where communications are done by emails, mobiles, telephones, letters etc., where radios, i-pods are the necessities of life, it can be only absurd to state the importance of face expression for communication. And if face was all that mattered, why the identity cards were invented, which need to be attested by the signature of the person who is of course not the one in the picture on the card. Infact I agree when Yvonne Ridley says that men, including Sarkozy (:D) should try to stay away from our (girl’s) wardrobes.

For some reason, I can’t understand the nature of the state itself. First they run after the turbans now they run after women to remove their modest dressing. France is a state where wearing revealing clothes, which are supposed to be enjoyed by men more than women is considered freedom. It’s a state where hiding chastity and practicing modesty is viewed as subjection to men.

with hijab w/out hijab
an excellent example

Honestly speaking, I don’t think an attire which keeps away the drooling eyes of men is a subjection to them. The subjection here is dressing to show them what they desire to see. I may sound harsh here, but that’s what the truth is. Sarkozy is right when he says it’s subjection. Yes it is subjection, subjection to the will of God. Not to the will of man. And France needs to understand this.

For the kind information of French Government, niqab is not mandatory in Islam, though it is mandatory to protect one’s modesty and there are some ways described to follow the same. Hijab (head covering) comes under it and niqab doesn’t. It is advised though. So if a Muslim women wears a niqab it means she is trying to be closer to God and avoid men and their unnecessary attraction towards her. It by no chance means that she has been tortured to it.

...and they say they need to free us

French Government must be deaf, dumb and blind not to note that no woman will go for a burqa/niqab/face veil and work, study and move in the same society where half naked girls roam around just because they are under subjection and can’t raise their voice. It must be blessed with the least analytical mind to miss the fact that it is done freely and no true Muslim can or will force it unto women. It must be the most sickular state to avoid interpreting the ayah There is no compulsion in religion... (Qur’an 2:256).

It's our choice, our freedom

French government should stop attacking on the personal freedom of people and should keep itself away from adopting such sterile and unethical measures in false name of “granting freedom”. If it really means to do so it should stop passing measurements on how short a dress of a girl needs to be.

And i wish Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy a speedy recovery (from his redesigning-girl's-closet-and-redefining-right-to-personal-choice syndrome). Get Well Soon Sir.

Is my scarf too bright for your eyes??

For some or the other reason I can never figure out what wrong is my scarf doing to you? Why you look at it with those weird eyes?? I bet, if my scarf would have been a living thing, it would have hanged itself or hid its face or left the world to become a sanayasi or would have cried all day, thanks to those strange expression of your wide eyes. Thankfully, it’s just a piece of cloth wrapped around my head, doing harm neither to me nor to you. But still, somehow I always feel you are uncomfortable with my scarf. Why??

Is it too bright for your eyes??

Is it making you feel hot in this climate??

Is it making you feel uneasy??

Is it too stylish and makes you feel out of fashion??

Is it making you feel oppressed??

Is it making you feel knowledge less??

Is it making you feel guilty??

Is it making you feel ugly??

Is it blocking your nose with foul smell?

Is it terrorising you??

Don’t tell me your answer is yes to any of the above questions. :D :D. I can only laugh while I look back at the above questionnaire. :P :P Still I shall try to answer these.

I chose my scarf so that it should go with maximum dresses. So either it will be black or off-white (most of the time) or complementing my dress (depends). I left wearing bright dresses also since I took hijab. So it is clear that my scarf is not giving you any color blindness. No. 1 reason is ruled out.

My scarf, on my head should make me feel hot or you?? C’mon. Those people who tell me they feel hot seeing the scarf on my head really puzzle me up. How can that be? Pls pls be a little sane.

Again, why are you feeling uneasy? It is me who is hooded in this open head crowd. If at all someone is feeling uneasy it should be me but I am here fresh and smiling as always. So why are you uneasy?

Too stylish?? Yay!! If this is the reason then I am more than happy. But wait a sec a scarf hiding your hair, forehead and pretty much every part till shoulder except your face, how can it be stylish?? A world where even Britney is held as a fashion icon, a scarf has little hope but to be considered anything but stylish. *Sigh*

These days oppressed is the word associated proudly by whole world to Muslim girls. So I think I should have not put this question at all in the list. My mistake.

I have already commented in my blog that scarf is the least thing that can make me look knowledge less, leave aside your case. But still if some m#$%^& think that girls in scarf are uneducated and sans knowledge, I will love to have a talk with them.

My hijab which automatically draws line of modesty around me, if it is making you feel guilty of the fact that you are too blind to run in the fashion marathon at stake of your modesty and decency, then I am thankful to god that he chose me to make you realize the fact. * Least possibility though*

:D :D I think I look cute with the scarf (I hardly care what you think) so being around me won’t make you ugly. Rather, may be, you would be looking more beautiful being with me.

I wash, wash, and wash my scarf every day. So even if it’s the same black scarf the second day too, then probably it’s the dustbin in the corner of the room which smells but not my scarf. Mind you x-( x-(

Last and may be the only sane reason in the list, it might be terrorizing you. If it is, please be afraid of the Ram Sene that they probably drag you to your home (if you are a girl) or beat you up for “dating” a Muslim (if you are a guy) than wasting your time thinking what I might be hiding under my scarf. An AK-47? Ya right.

So, I think it’s better you tell me what’s wrong with my scarf and what this innocent pale looking thing has done to you than passing those weird looks filled with disgust, uneasiness, weirdness and God only knows what all. I love my scarf and I feel for it.