Salaam VELA fam! Happy July! Some of you are probably preparing to go back to school or work now that summer break is almost over. The educational and professional workplaces are both important communities. More importantly, if you are a hijabi and are a student and/or an employee then congrats to you! May Allah SWT reward you for your efforts! The hijab may just seem like a fabric but it is actually much more than that. By wearing the hijab in these communities, you are an ambassador for your faith and you are showing your devotion to God by choosing to live a life of modesty.

Sisterhood

One of the powerful things about hijab is that representation is impactful. Picture this- you are thinking about wearing the hijab, but your main fear is that you don’t see enough representation of the hijab. I’ll be honest, when I came to decide to wear the hijab, it was after I was in an environment where almost every Muslim woman was wearing the hijab. I had gone for umrah back in 2013 and I was considering wearing the hijab after I had worn it everyday during this trip. It was a feeling of community, security, and compassion that every hijabi felt because they knew that they were practicing their deen and were in an area where it was very common for women to wear the hijab. In the U.S. however, even though there are more hijabis now than there were probably a decade ago, it is still a little hard for some women to wear the hijab because it is also not as common for them to see other hijabis. Having this representation in school or at work can positively impact another women’s decision to wear it.

Ambassador of Faith

As mentioned earlier, by becoming a hijabi, you are not only following your religion, but you are also taking on the role of being an ambassador for your faith. What this means is that even though you are wearing the hijab, you still need to be mindful of other aspects of Islam as well, for example when it comes to clothing- you should ensure that your arms and legs are covered, and are not showing skin. Another benefit of the hijab is that it serves as a potential ice breaker when people are curious about your faith. Whether you are wearing a bold modal print or a solid crinkle chiffon (pictured below), people are curious when it comes to the hijab. Whether it’s a simple question like "Do you get hot in that?” or something silly like “Do you wear that in the shower too?” the hijab serves as an opportunity for you to explain Islamic practices. As people become curious about Islam, it provides you with an opportunity to correct any misunderstandings that they may have, and who knows, maybe at some point they themselves would also want to learn more about the deen.