REALITY_______________________________________________________________________
UNCOVERING THE BENEFITS OF HIJAB
By Shamima Kolbasar
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful
B eing brought up in a home where my parents
taught us to always dress modestly and respectfully,
I wore my scarf for certain occasions and during
the fasting month. The first time I started wearing
hijab full-time, was when I got married in 2011.
My wedding was in Istanbul, Turkey, and for my
headgear, a scarf was draped and over this my veil
was placed. Things happened so fast and I was not
sure at that time whether I was really ready for this
significant change, as wearing a scarf or being in
hijab is not only at a physical level but also at a
deeper spiritual level. So when I started wearing
hijab full-time, my husband naturally wanted me to
wear the Turkish hijab and I was happy to do this.
I was excited and tried to learn as much as I could.
Staying in South Africa, this transformation
brought on other challenges. Friends and extended
family approached me differently. At times, I was
not accepted as I was before and because it was a
radical change, it had impacted me on a deeper
level. For example, when I went swimming, I wore
my Islamic costume, which was initially
uncomfortable, but what added to the discomfort
was the stares and with all the changes, it brought
about uncertainty. I battled with an inner conflict,
as I questioned whether I was still the same person
while wearing hijab. Being a newly wed, I wanted
to look great and trendy too. All of these feelings,
coupled with the intention to please Allah, made
me realize that I had to rediscover myself, and for
this to be sustainable, I knew that I had to embrace
the change.
What gave me my breakthrough was that I had to
find a strong enough reason for why I made that
change. My “why” was to please Almighty and this
change was hopefully going to bring me closer to
Allah. My self talk was important and I asked myself
empowering questions. I did a lot of reflection. By
searching within, I discovered my strengths and a
new life began, Alhumdullilah.