I wore the veil..
And when I did, it became so clear to me who i am, who I want to be, and how to make the transition..
The limits I've always tried to break throuh were boundries that defined my territory as a muslim girl, and ignoring them made me feel lost, kinda homeless..But I was numbing myself by saying that I was just being free.. in fact I was, but getting too much freedom can get you high, and we all know how an overdose can kill sometimes.
so, hijab was a reminder of these long ignored limits, and here's what i found:
1)I am a girl, but i'm not defined by my body: by ordering me to cover my figure, God is inviting me to find more ways to prove myself in.. It may be work, a hobby, helping others, whatever it is, we all have something we are great at and that can be a great fied of fulfillment!!Besides, using the mortal to define the immortal doesn't seem right to me..
2)I am tunisian, but the whole GOD's earth is my home.. Islam is everywhere (alhamdulillah!) and wherever I go i can definetly see hijabs! yeah, details may change from culture to another, but hijab is always the same not matter what land on the planet you're in, a constant thing in a fast changing, fashion crazy world! I hope i'm not being a math geek here, but the concept of constants relieves me :)
3)I am 21 years old, I often hear the "what do you know? you're still young!" thing and I dislike it! Yes I may be young but in islam wether you're 6 or 66 you're evenly precious because the soul that's in you is as ancient as the universe and holds all the answers within, and the culture you belong to goes back to fifteen hundred years ago.. how unique is that? :) hijab gives me confidence as it reminds me of my strong roots.. if you know where you're from than you know where you're going :)
4)I may have various goals; become a successful doctor, lose some pounds, start a business.. but everything I do will be a constant seeking of GOD's satisfaction with me..hijab symbolizes my seek for god's satisfaction, so it helps me stay focused on that holistic goal. many successful bloggers, businessman, parents are muslim simply because the mindset islam offers eliminates unecessary thoughts and concerns, the only mesurement scale to use is the "is Allah satisfied" one.. they see the bigger picture and don't stand long in front of every little obstacle they come across, . This concept is life changing for me, the burdens on your shoulder's lighten up and you feel more relaxed..
I still have many thoughts on this subject, but let's keep it light today :)
Now, ladies, I really want to hear from you. Did hijab help you rediscover yourself? if so, how?
I'll be waiting for your answers, you can write in the comments below or write a post about it and link it to this article.
much love :)
salma
PS: here's the link for this post's image, it's for a great artist!
http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&global=1&q=word+hijab#/d1pl9hp
