Of Hajj and Hijab

Assalam-o-alaikum!

I step out from behind the curtains, one foot placed gingerly after the other. I’d disappeared from the internet for quite some time, especially from Blogger (my previous post does not count as a post :P ). I need to make up somehow.

The week and a half was so busy, with a cricket match, wedding by-event and our traveling all crammed in. Alongside, some relations were visiting from England and Islamabad, and we happened to be busy on the last day as well. You can judge by the fact that we started our serious packing at 11 pm the night before travel, and our flight was scheduled for 11 am in the morning! Anyway, with all that, we’ve arrived in Tabuk, Alhamdolillah, fine and well. The first thing that hit me, particularly, was the coooold winter. Tabuk has a small airport right now, and you step off the airplane directly onto the tarmac. The short walk into the airport building proved to be quite difficult, and I said to my mother, ‘My saliva’s freezing!’ Haha… okay, not so funny but it was true! The wind-chill factor is no small thing!Settling in took about a day and we’re now just a week away from our departure for Hajj, inshAllah, next Thursday. Abba booked us with a local Hajj group and after putting together a few things, we set off for Jeddah and to a new experience, inshAllah.

Getting to Tabuk and to a relatively more religious setting (no matter the things that tarnish it) giving me a new perspective on Hajj. There’s also the huge factor of my father, who’s trust in Allah and belief in the Hereafter have drove him easily over several bumps in life. Having very recently completed a detailed explanation of the Quran by Dr Israr Ahmed, on CD, says several confusing parts of the Quran now lie open before him as never before. It’s true, Dr Israr’s explanations and commentary of some Surahs or Ayaah is really exceptional! Only today, in fact, Abba praised him, wished him a good health and remarked that had Dr Israr been alive during the Prophet (pbuh)’s time, he’d have been one of the closest companions.

These days, Dr Israr isn’t very well, having had an operation done on his spinal cord, and he’s in great pain. I pray that his health is restored to him and that he lives for a long time to share his great knowledge with us. Ameen.

Onto other things. Last Wednesday, while I was still in Pakistan, my mother and I visited my former teacher (who taught me more in religion than in zoology) as her father had passed away. What a refresher course that was! To visit her, to talk to her in that precious half hour did away with much of the ill-feeling in my heart and doubts regarding several Islamic issues. I’d been struggling with the issue of Hijab for some time, having adopted it only over a year ago. I’d been undecided over whether I was ready to take the Hijab during a wedding ceremony the next day, and the “Should I?” and “I shouldn’t” debate in my mind had been wearing me down for months. I had to, I knew, but was I ready to face the questions, comments, stares or even taunts, that would result? I am the only female in my maternal relations that takes the Hijab.

I placed my problem before my teacher, Mrs. Saleem. Without any thought to human emotional issues and the nag of the heart, she told me, very clearly, “You will take the Hijab at the wedding ceremony tomorrow.” That was my decision, then and there. There is no exception when it comes to a command from Allah. He says, ‘Do it!’ and whatever out heart says, we must do it. If we don’t, it’s our clear loss!My teacher went on to advise Amma to take the Hijab too, especially since Amma takes the scarf and Abaya in Saudi Arabia. It was great fun watching Amma mumble ‘Yes, I hope I will…’ under the repeated and light-hearted pressing from my teacher!Cutting down the rest of the story, I wore new clothes the next day but I had my Dupatta/Chador firmly over my head and it felt great! It felt absolutely great, confident, Alhamdolillah! And what’s weird, I didn’t even feel the jealous twinge, watching other girls of my age dressed up in all their make-up and jewellery! It was weird… cool weird.

I did get some stares, and once or twice, Amma told me to take it off when there were mostly girls in the room but I didn’t even wish to do it. A great weight has been lifted off my shoulder, Alhamdolillah. I no longer need to worry about what this or that person will think about me. Who cares what they think? Will they be there to help me on the Day of Judgment? I will represent myself, then and now, inshAllah.

I might also sound extremely conservative and backward to some people, with my strict negation of concepts of dance and anything un-Islamic, but that’s the way I am… and that’s how a Muslim should be. Why have we become apologetic to the point where we refuse to condemn what Allah condemns? To be truly ‘cool’ is to adopt the logical and correct path of life. A short life to live in, to struggle to stay on the Siraat-e-Mustaqeem… and an eternal life in reward. Who would be crazy to give up such a good offer? Will you?