thalamtnafsee:

I wish there were guidelines I could provide, or in this case, steps that you can take that will strengthen your confidence about the purpose of wearing the full, physical hijab, but there aren’t. It’s all intuition, or ideals that you feel most personal and connected with. 

I don’t think there is one Muslim woman who would deny that the physical hijab does come with several struggles. It does, and I think it always will involve some form of struggle or hardship. 

But there are things that the physical hijab entails that I think many people fail to recognize. For one, it’s a physical reminder that you choose to identify as a practicing Muslim woman in front of hundreds of thousands of people you come across every day. Do you know how amazing that is? Do you know how hard that is for many? Do you know how much confidence that involves? It involves confidence in yourself, in your religion, in your practice, and in your understanding of the world. And not many people have that confidence.

Two, it is a physical representation of your identity — an identity you feel comfortable sharing. Sometimes when I sit down and remind myself why I should continue wearing the abaya and hijab, I come across an important point which never fails to uplift me. When I wear the hijab and abaya, I am presenting my values and my morals in a fashion that involves a lot of critical and unbiased thinking. The hijab and abaya repels ignorance, and it draws in the curious. I appreciate that; I value that. I don’t want to deal with people who do not understand nor care about my values and I want to work and talk to people who are curious and smart. 

Furthermore, the hijab and abaya excludes me from participating in society’s culture of sexualizing the female gender. I will not allow society to dictate to me what is glamorous and what is not, and because of my physical hijab, I disallow the discussion of my sexual life to be part of normal conversation. Coming from the West, this is a really important point, and I think that although the hijab is not a protection, it is a reminder to society, to my nafs, to my peers, and to ideals (that try to spiritually bring me down) that I choose this form of lifestyle.

InshaAllah this helps (rebloggable by request via thebeautyofislam)