As-Salamu ‘Alaikum sister,

Alhamdulilah, may Allah (swt) continue to guide you on the straight path and bring you all the knowledge and strength to practise the deen as it has been prescribed to us.

Wearing the hijab publicly has been an issue discussed a lot, especially in recent time, and will inevitably raise concern for us all as Muslims due to the attacks that have occurred on people as a result. Where a Muslim man’s identity as a Muslim is not so obvious, as sisters, wearing hijab is obviously a lot more covert and openly identifies us a Muslim. The hijab is an obligation on us as women and, therefore, is a must that we wear it, even in situations where we may fear persecution. It can certainly feel very daunting when we hear all the negative stories in the media about it; however, there a number of things we must always keep in mind to remain strong in our desire to wear it.

Firstly, Allah (swt) said we should wear it, and there is a very good reason for this. It serves as a protection to us. Remembering that we wear it to obey the command of Allah (swt), for His sake, and that we are not doing it for anyone but Him (swt). Therefore, the judgements of others are irrelevant. Ultimately Allah (swt) is the One who will be judging our life on this earth and not anyone else. Therefore, it is more important for us to strive to please Him (swt) even if it meant that everyone else on the planet was displeased.

This can be easier said than done when your spouse does not agree that you fulfill this obligation of wearing the hijab and you fear the consequences of disobeying him. However, whilst in most cases, you should respect what your husband says, when a husband tells the wife to do something that is haram or outside of the fold of Islam, then they cannot obey such a command. Understandably, he is worried for your safety and this is a sign of his love for you, so you might reassure him that it is an obligation on you to wear it and that your fear of Allah (swt) is worth more than the fear of persecution from others. In sha’ Allah, if he loves you for the sake of Allah (swt) and wants what is best for you in the Hereafter, then he will begin to support you with this. Perhaps at the start, he could accompany you out to see for himself the kind of reaction that you get from others around you. In sha’ Allah, he will come to realise that even though people may stare, the reaction probably wont be half as bad as he expects.

Whilst we hear many stories of people being persecuted for wearing it, there are just as many (often unreported) stories of people actually desiring to ask questions about Islam and find out more. In many cases, they have even reverted to Islam as a result. We can use it as an indirect form of making dawah. People see the hijab and automatically know we are Muslims and will make judgements about Islam based on our behaviour. Therefore, having this constant reminder on our head will always encourage us to act the best of ways to show the beauty of Islam and that Muslims are not all as bad as is portrayed in the media. Use it as a chance to challenge the stereotypes that exist for Muslims right now. Being in the minority, wearing the hijab provides the perfect opportunity to do this. So, yes, maybe as a Muslim you don’t “fit in” as much as you would in a country where the majority are Muslim, but you can use this to your advantage and do your best to mix in as much as everyone else, and let people know that Muslims are good people.

May Allah (swt) make it easy for you to proceed with your decision to wear the hijab and reward you for doing so. May He (swt) soften your husband’s heart to accept you in doing so, and may He (swt) open the hearts of others’ hearts to Islam in accepting you into the community with no problems.

Salam,