why she won't wear a hijjab? uh?

"I'm so tired."

"Tired of what?"

"Of all these people judging me."

"Who judged you?"

"Like that woman, every time I sit with

her, she tells me to wear hijab."

"Oh, hijab and music! The mother of all

topics!"

"Yeah! I listen to music without hijab…

haha!"

"Maybe she was just giving you advice."

"I don't need her advice. I know my

religion. Can`t she mind her own

business?"

"Maybe you misunderstood. She was just

being nice."

"Keeping out of my business, that would

be nice..."

"But it's her duty to encourage you do to

good."

"Trust me. That was no encouragement.

And what do you mean `good` ?"

"Well, wearing hijab, that would be a

good thing to do."

"Says who?"

"It's in the Qur'an, isn't it?"

"Yes. She did quote me something."

"She said Surah Nur, and other places of

the Qur'an."

"Yes, but it's not a big sin anyway.

Helping people and praying is more

important."

"True. But big things start with small

things."

"That's a good point, but what you wear

is not important. What's important

is to have a good healthy heart."

"What you wear is not important?"

"That's what I said."

"Then why do you spend an hour every

morning fixing up?"

"What do you mean?"

"You spend money on cosmetics, not to

mention all the time you spend on

fixing your hair and low-carb dieting."

"So?"

"So, your appearance IS important."

"No. I said wearing hijab is not an

important thing in religion."

"If it's not an important thing in religion,

why is it mentioned in the Holy

Qur'an?"

"You know I can't follow all that's in

Qur'an."

"You mean God tells you something to

do, you disobey and then it's OK?"

"Yes. God is forgiving."

"God is forgiving to those who repent and

do not repeat their mistakes."

"Says who?"

"Says the same book that tells you to

cover."

"But I don't like hijab, it limits my

freedom."

"But the lotions, lipsticks, mascara and

other cosmetics set you free?!

What`s your definition of freedom

anyway?"

"Freedom is in doing whatever you like to

do."

"No. Freedom is in doing the right thing,

not in doing whatever we wish to do."

"Look! I've seen so many people who

don't wear hijab and are nice people,

and so many who wear hijab and are bad

people."

"So what? There are people who are

nice to you but are alcoholic. Should we

all be alcoholics? You made a stupid

point."

"I don't want to be an extremist or a

fanatic. I'm OK the way I am without

hijab."

"Then you are a secular fanatic. An

extremist in disobeying God."

"You don't get it, if I wear hijab, who

would marry me?!"

"So all these people with hijab never get

married?!"

"Okay! What if I get married and my

husband doesn't like it? And wants me to

remove it?"

"What if your husband wants you to go

out with him on a bank robbery?!"

"That's irrelevant, bank robbery is a

crime."

"Disobeying your Creator is not a crime?"

"But then who would hire me?"

"A company that respects people for who

they are."

"Not after 9-11"

"Yes. After 9-11. Don't you know about

Hanan who just got into med school?

And the other one, what was her name,

the girl who always wore a white hijab…

ummm…"

"Yasmeen?"

"Yes. Yasmeen. She just finished her

MBA and is now interning for GE."

"Why do you reduce religion to a piece of

cloth anyway?"

"Why do you reduce womanhood to high

heals and lipstick colors?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"In fact, I did. Hijab is not just a piece of

cloth. It is obeying God in a difficult

environment. It is courage, faith in

action, and true womanhood.

But your short sleeves, tight pants…"

"That's called `fashion`, you live in a

cave or

something? First of all, hijab was

founded by men who wanted to control

women."

"Really? I did not know men could

control women by hijab."

"Yes. That's what it is."

"What about the women who fight their

husbands to wear hijab? And women in

France who are forced to remove their

hijab by men? What do you say about

that?"

"Well, that's different."

"What difference? The woman who asked

you to wear hijab…she was a woman,

right?"

"Right, but…"

"But fashions that are designed and

promoted by male-dominated

corporations, set you free? Men have no

control on exposing women and using

them as a commodity?! Give me a break!"

"Wait, let me finish, I was saying…"

"Saying what? You think that men control

women by hijab?"

"Yes."

"Specifically how?"

"By telling women how and what to wear,

dummy!"

"Doesn't TV, magazines and movies tell

you what to wear, and how to be

`attractive'?"

"Of course, it's fashion."

"Isn't that control? Pressuring you to wear

what they want you to wear?"

[Silence]

"Not just controlling you, but also

controlling the market."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you are told to look skinny and

anorexic like that woman on the cover of

the magazine, by men who design those

magazines and sell those products."

"I don't get it. What does hijab have to do

with products."

"It has everything to do with that. Don't

you see? Hijab is a threat to

consumerism, women who spend billions

of dollars to look skinny and live by

standards of fashion designed by men…

and then here is Islam, saying trash all

that nonsense and focus on your soul, not

on your looks, and do not worry what men

think of your looks."

"Like I don't have to buy hijab? Isn't hijab

a product?"

"Yes, it is. It is a product that sets you free

from male-dominated consumerism."

"Stop lecturing me! I WILL NOT WEAR

HIJAB!

It is awkward, outdated, and totally not

suitable for this society ... Moreover, I am

only 20 and too young to wear hijab!"

"Fine. Say that to your Lord, when you

face Him on Judgment Day."

"Fine."

"Fine."

[Silence]

"Shut up and I don't want to hear more

about hijab niqab schmijab Punjab!"

[Silence]

She stared at the mirror, tired of arguing

with herself all this time.

Successful enough, she managed to shut

the voices in her head, with her own

opinions triumphant in victory on the

matter, and a final modern decision

accepted by the society - but rejected by

the Faith:

"Yes!" - to curls on the hair - "No!" - to

hijab!

"And he (/she) is indeed a failure who

corrupts it [the soul]!"

[Holy Quran 91:10]

Subhana'Allah!!!

"Nay! You prefer the life of this world;

While the hereafter is better and more

lasting."

[Holy Quran: 87:16-17]

"You are the best community (Ummah)

raised up for (the benefit of) humanity;

enjoining what is right and forbidding

what is wrong and believing in Allah."

[Holy Quran: 3:110]

wallahu 'alam hu warsuluhu :)