Question for women who wear hijabs or niqabs?

Question

I am adding a page to my website http://www.pathsofdevotion.com/islam.html which will be all about hijabs and Muslim clothing.

I'd like to include some quotes from actual Muslim ladies who wear hijabs, or niqabs, about how they feel wearing their attire. I won't put down anyone's name or anything. Your quote will be totally anonymous.

Here are the questions I have:

1. Have you always worn a hijab?
2. If not, how did you feel when you started to wear one? What benefits did you notice?
3. Do you wear a niqab? If so, how do you feel wearing a niqab?
4. How do you feel wearing your hijab?
5. Is it your own choice to wear your hijab?
6. Any other comments.

Thanks!

If you'd like me to include your name, please let me know!

Answer 1

Feel free to edit my answers, I am long winded sorry.

1.) I began to wear hijab in my second year of high school in the middle of the year... Yikes you can imagine!

2.) Well, I was most concern with other high schoolers thinking I was bald-headed. But , I felt impowered, confident, and closer to Allah. But at that time, i began to have less in common with my peers and I didn't connect with them anymore. I was in a small southern town where Muslims were rare, and covering Muslim women even more rare.

3.) I don't wear niqab, I am an African-American and very comfortable in my American clothing. I feel the niqab is not Islamic but cultural, but don't feel different about the Muslim women who wear it.

4.) I feel that I am noticed and watched by others because of their curiosity. I do feel under pressure to represent the Muslim faith because of the negative reporting done on Islam by News Reports; I have accepted that responsiblilty. I just feel under scrunity, good and bad.
But overall, the most postive aspect is that my hijab is like the ultimate expression of who I am. Its like the most ultimate right a country can give to a Muslim women. I love America for that.
The right to cover myself tp please Allah is a great blessing and I am thankful everytime I walk out the door in long sleeves,and a head covering.

5. Yes it was my choice, infact I am the youngest of three other sisters, but I began to wear my hijab first. No one told me, I was just reading the Quran when I read the passages, "Draw you head covering over you chest." "Headcovering" spoke to me.
And I knew another Muslim family who covered and I decided to take my devotion to Allah to the next level.

6.) I love America and feel that much of its domestic govenment is close to Islamic Law. But I do not agree with todays international policy and don't feel it is Christian or Islamic, but barbaric and shameless.

-Aisha 21 yrs old

Answer 2

I am an American Muslim woman who wears both hijab and niqab. I started wearing the hijab before I was Muslim. I wanted to know about Islam and if I could fulfill some of the basic requirements of being a Muslim.
How did I feel when I started wearing one? I felt free to be myself. Before I started wearing the hijab I felt very vulnerable whenever I went outside. Afterwards I felt secure and I had the emotional freedom to be myself.
I have been wearing the niqab now for more than twelve years. I feel good about myself. I feel that I am being true to myself- true to my conscience.
The hijab consists of covering all of the body with the exception of the face and hands. The hijab is mandatory for all Muslim women. Any muslim woman who doesn't wear hijab is making a sin everytime she leaves her home. The niqab is not mandatory, but optional. There are some Muslims who think that it is mandatory. There is a clear hadith (saying of Prophet Muhammad) which is sahih which says that women should cover everything except this and this, he showed his hands and pointed to his face. This hadith is indeed, sahih.
Yes it was my choice to wear hijab. I started wearing hijab before I became Muslim ( before I said The Shahadatain). It is also my choice to wear niqab.

Answer 3

Peace be with you.

1. Have you always worn a hijab?
Yes, since I converted (reverted)

2. If not, how did you feel when you started to wear one? What benefits did you notice?
I felt liberated for the first time!

3. Do you wear a niqab? If so, how do you feel wearing a niqab?
No

4. How do you feel wearing your hijab?
Liberated for the first time and so happy GOD knows I am doing it for his sake to protect my self.

5. Is it your own choice to wear your hijab?
Yes, it has to be. GOD gives us all rules but it is always our own choice to follow through as he gave us free choice in order to judge us on our own actions.

6. Any other comments.
A nun is considered a religious woman wearing a veil and full clothing, but why is a Muslimah considered oppressed for wearing the same thing? We both have the same intentions for wearing it to keep men away from looking at us sexual. We should only be sexy for our Husbands. Good men don't go for looks only the bad boys.

Answer 4

I am muslim, and do not wear the hijab. I give you lots of credit, becuase I did try to wear the hijab I do not have a very thick skin. I went to the grocery store, no problem, no one was looking staring commenting, okay this may not be as hard as I thought. I went to the pharmacy, still no problem. I went to visit my family, this is where the problem came in. the very first thing said to me was not hello, it was "what the F*%$ is on your head"! This dropped my self esteam to damn near nothing. It was amazing to me that strangers would be so kind, and my family the ones who shun. I am very modest in the way I dress and speak. But I don't think I am ready to deal with other peoples reaction to the hijab. I give you lots of credit, and just because you don't call yourself a muslim, dosn't mean that you heart is not muslim. By the sound of all the thoughts and dreams your having, you don't have to choose Islam, it sounds like it has already chosen you!.

Answer 5

I shouldn't answer, because I'm not Muslim, nor am I a woman. I'm an atheist male.

But anyway, I clicked on the link, and just wanted to compliment you on your website. Good stuff, and I mean that!

Well done Heron.

Answer 6

Neat stuff

Neat special little religious stuff Heron

Hope it all works out in your neat little islamic world

what a fun and neat little subject...hijabs

neat stuff

good luck little fella

Answer 7

if anyone feels shameful from any part of his religion then he will be shamfull from all his religion. why they wouldn't say even if they are forced to it.

Answer 8

if it wasn't their choice, then they will probably not tell you here, it is too easy to find out who someone is.