Hijab is for us, not against us

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

I was a young attorney then (not in age but in terms of length of time being an attorney). I was one of those they called "a new kid around the block." It was my first experience in this particular courthouse and this particular court--one of the busiest courts in the California Silicon Valley. I was representing a company for a restraining order.

I walked in the courtroom with my client and sat in the audience waiting for our case to be called. The courtroom was packed. I was in my navy blue suit and my hijab. My client was a male and was wearing business casual. When our case was called, I walked up with my client and we stood by the plaintiff's table and as I was about to address the court, the judge looked at me in amazement and asked, "Where is your attorney?" I said, "I am the attorney, Aisha Othman, appearing with and on behalf of my client, company so and so and so and so is beside me, a member of the board of my client, Your Honor!"

There was an absolute silence and the judge's face turned red! After he regained his composure, he said, "I have read your papers and thereby grant your request. Please prepare the court order and bring it back to us for our signature." I then asked, "would it please Your Honor if I bring the prepared order today?" The judge said, "the Court will be closed shortly but the baliff will open the door for you." (I'll keep the rest of the story to myself and my closed ones and Allah for now inshaAllah)

This is not just a fun story, but to encourage my sister readers who have not put on their hijab to do so. Our "hijab" is for us, not against us. It may appear that it is against us but be strong and put it on. Allah will facilitate those who want to obey Him. If you put in effort to obey Allah, it becomes easier and easier for you to obey Allah. It is the similar to exercising (no doubt that regular exercise is good for our physical and mental health) but to start is difficult, but once you start, it becomes easier and easier each time--you can lift more weights, you can stretch more, your body become stronger. Once you get into the routine you don't want to leave it because once you stop your body feel funny as part of you is gone.

Know that we are the symbols of Islam and so we must strive to show the beauty of Islam. This is the least each one of us can do--wear hijab. (Wearing Hijab means covering our nakedness, which is every inch of our body including the hair, except face and hands, and the rest of the clothing should be lose enough so as not to show our forms/shapes).

May Allah give you strength and courage to do this. Ameen. Please keep us in your night prayers. JazakAllahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam