MuslimKidsMatter | What Hijab Means to Me

Today we will hear from a teenager from North Carolina who will be sharing how she feels about the hijab.

What Hijab Means to Me

by Hufsa Lodhi

Freedom is the true sense of well-being in which you feel as if you can accomplish anything, liberated of burden. It is a swelling emotion that drives many to do outrageous things yet keeps others strong to support their morals. Freedom is someone’s escape in life; their main goal in which they are willing to devote anything necessary. Freedom is independence, choice, and liberty. Freedom is everything.

People’s freedom mainly varies on their morals and the standards they set for themselves. While some have an unwavering goal of moving out of their parent’s house after high school, others have their hopes set higher: a blissful life with a dream job, house, car, a family, and stable living conditions. That being in the future, present freedom for a teenager is living life to its fullest. Doing whatever they want, whenever they want, and however they want without having anyone telling them what to do and how to do it. In reality, we all need someone to guide us along whether or not it may seem like the right thing at that time. We just want to escape the stress and do what we want. Although it may not be the best choice at times, that is our freedom.

There are many religious choices that we are obliged to make that may affect the way others look at us. We are many times looked down upon and receive endless hate messages from the world but keeping Iman in our hearts is the key. That is a saying that is most heard about. Keeping something you truly care about close to you. Your faith should be the only thing occupying that place.

Starting to wear hijab was one of the easiest decisions for me relative to the experiences of many other Muslim girls who find this decision harder. My mother and I would walk through the mall and I’d remember seeing people that we’d never seen before greet her. They would smile and greet each other with the familiar “Assalamualaikum.”  There were many people that would look over at us and smile; many people that would greet us or acknowledge us but these people stood out. They were different and pure. It was as if it didn’t matter that they were a minority. They didn’t care that people would walk around giving them strange looks. They were together, a union, an Ummah. That is exactly what I wanted to be.

I was in third grade at the time and still love to see the recognition on people’s faces when they see a girl, modestly covering her body and head. Yet, after all of the hate and sacrifices, I hold my head high and defend what I believe in. hijab was a choice I made so I stand by it and will continue to do so.  All the Muslim women are encouraged greatly to do so as well because the second you are put on the spot with the choice to stand or step down, it’ll never be the same. Stepping down will never bring you back to the courage to actually stand there and make the decision. The sooner society realizes what hijab means to us, the faster we will get the respect we so desire. What does it mean?

Hijab is our salvation. It acts as a shield against all the corruption in the world. With all the confusion in the world, with this thirst for power, hijab reminds us what we believe and why we are doing it. A simple yet powerful reminder to stay strong. hijab is salvation; making it one of the most important things to Muslim girls.

[author ]Hufsa Lodhi is 15 1/2 and was born in Long Island, New York. She has a strong passion for animals, writing, reading, and poetry. Some of her favorite sports include soccer, ice skating, swimming, and football. She currently lives in a small city in North Carolina. [/author]

(Attention, writers!  Muslim Kids Matter is a regular feature at Muslim Matters.  New articles for kids are posted every other Sunday.  You’re welcome to send in your entries to muslimkidsmatter@muslimmatters.org.)