Why I Wear a Hijab

The common Western perception of the Islamic hijab is that it is oppressive. Often times the hijab is considered a symbol of oppression. Muslim fathers force their daughters to wear a hijab. Muslim husbands force their wives to wear a hijab. Somehow, covering one’s hair is deemed oppression.

Or at least when it comes to Islam. What about Catholic nuns? Their clothing is not much different from the proper attire of a Muslim woman yet I never hear anyone say they are oppressed. And what about the Amish? Amish women cover their hair all day, from sunrise to sunset, but again, I’ve never heard anyone accusing their fathers and husbands of oppression.

In truth, the hijab is far from something that can be labeled as oppressive. Most Muslim women choose to wear the hijab themselves; they don’t have some male figure in their life ordering them to do so. Of course there are those women in the world who do wear the hijab because their father or husband commands them to. However, how is this any different from parents who forbade their daughter from dressing in scanty clothes when she really wants to?

And in reality, the father or husband has reason to ask his daughter or wife to put on the hijab. This is because the hijab is compulsory for Muslim women. Allah subhana wa ta'ala has ordered women to be modest – including covering the hair – via the Qur’an.

For example: ‘And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts from sin and not show of their adornment except only that which is apparent, and draw their headcovers over their necks and bosoms and not reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women (i.e., their sisters in Islam), or their female slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants free of physical desires, or small children who have no sense of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah altogether, O you Believers, in order that you may attain success.’ Qur’an 24:31

Adornment in this verse refers to the woman’s natural beauty as well as jewelry, clothing, cosmetics, and so on. This part of Surah an-Nur spells out specifically the commands concerning the fact that a woman's natural beauty and her adornments are to be concealed from strangers except what may show due to accidental or uncontrollable factors such as the blowing of the wind and what has been exempted (old women, etc.).

Allah subhana wa ta'ala also says: ‘O Prophet, Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their outer garments about themselves (when they go out). That is better so that they may be recognized and not molested. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.’ Qur’an 33:59

There is a hadith as well that speaks to the necessity of the hijab: Abu Dawood narrates that `Aishah said: “Asmaa' the daughter of Abu Bakr came to see the Messenger of Allah wearing a thin dress; so Allah's Messenger turned away from her and said, ‘O Asmaa', once a woman reaches the age of menstruation, no part of her body should be seen but this,’ and he pointed to his face and hands.”

To highlight the un-oppressiveness of the hijab, it is important to point out that Allah is not one to oppress His creation. He is the All-Merciful, the All-Just. There is a famous hadith, from Imam Nawawi’s collection of 40 hadiths, which proves this: It was related on the authority of Abu Dhar al-Ghifari that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wassalam said, of what he related from His Lord, magnified and exalted is He, Who said, ‘O My servants, I have made oppression unlawful for Me and unlawful for you, so do not commit oppression against one another.’

Allah subhana wa ta'ala cannot be oppressive; He says so Himself. Thus, how can He make it compulsory for women to wear the hijab if it is oppressive in any way? Common sense says this cannot happen. Therefore, the hijab is not oppressive.

Indeed, I was never ordered by any human to cover my hair. My family is not Muslim so nobody there could tell me I had to wear a hijab. I never lived near any Muslim community so again, nobody could force me to wear a hijab. I made the decision to wear one on my very own, without being influenced by any person.

I wear the hijab simply to please Allah subhana wa ta'ala, not because any human required me to do so.

I wear the hijab to do as Allah has commanded in the hope that He will reward me with Paradise in the next life.

I wear the hijab to remember Allah and that I am His servant.

I wear the hijab to hide my beauty from the eyes and lusting of strange men.

I wear the hijab because I desire to, not because I am oppressed.