As salaamu alaykum warahmatuallaah wabarakatuh,

I want to talk to you about my life before and after Hijab. I am a Muslim girl 20 years
old from Arabian Gulf " The original place of Islam." I used to believe that hijab is not an
important issue. And it's lucking my freedom. So I decided that I would never were
Hijab as long as I live. Although my mother wears Hijab but she never convinces my
sisters or me to wear it. She thought that you have to believe in it to do it or else you will
take it off as soon as we are far away from her. And I think that it might be right in some
way.
Or it might make hijab more difficult for us when we get older. It is so hard to get used
to something for your whole life and change it at once. It will take you a long time to
change your mind. Any way, I used to love to show up specially that I am not bad
looking at all. And that was the most difficult part. I used to love to dress up and buy
expensive clothes and I loved it when every one was looking and pointing at me. I used
to love it when some says "wow! She's beautiful."

After I finished my High school I decided to go to have my degree in the United States. I
saw a thing in there that I have not ever seen before. It is Muslim society and
community. It's amazing society with perfect Muslims. They are practicing Islam in a
different way that we got used to it. Muslims in Gulf aria have been borne Muslims.
Arabs didn't have to ask any questions because every thing is obvious. We didn't have to
think about faith and how to believe in God, because we were raised and every one
around us is Muslim. We didn't know what's the real Islam and how does it feel to live
between all different religious and a mix society. And I just realized that people in Gulf
didn't practice pure religion, but they had a mixture between Islam and culture. So
many things that I thought it was an Islamic terms turned out to be a culture believe.
And they are absolutely wrong aspects. I learned that the pure Islam is not the one that
we were raised on which is full of nonsense stuff that we had in our culture since a long
time ago. The real Islam is only in Quran and Sunah.

When people in the states find out that I am Muslim, they always ask so many questions
about Islam and most the time I can't find an answer to their questions. So I started to
go searching and looking in Islamic books and in Internet about Islam "the real thing." I
was like someone has not heard any thing about Islam before. I learned so many things
that I have not knew.. I started to go to the masjid and sit with so many brothers and
sisters talking and discussing Islamic matters. I swear that I have never gone to any
masjid in my country or even think about it. Although we had thousands of Masjids back
home. All the sisters in the masjids were wearing hijab except me. And they were all
Americans except me. And they wear all broad about it and I respected them so much
for that. I started to think about it all the time.

And I started to have so many dreams about me wearing the hijab. I started to have
some strange feeling towered my self; I hated it when someone was looking at me. I felt
that I was only a picture without a heart or a brain. I finally decided to go for it and
wear the Hijab. It was the best choice I have ever had. For the first time in my life; I felt
that I am a strong person. Because I will go for what I believe in, and I didn't care of
what people think of it or how they will look at me.
First day of Hijab was the best. I never felt so good and broad in my whole life of my self
as much as I felt in that day. My friends and relatives didn't believe that I could do it.
And every one said that I won't keep it for too long. And that maybe one of the things
that pushed me to keep it until this day. I had to go through a fight with my self. My self
which always loved this life any try to enjoy it as much as I could. Now was time to say
stop, and I did. After a while every one started to respect me so much that no one had
treat me like that before. Every one believed in me so much because they knew that I am
a religious person. And what gave them that expression? It's the Hijab. I can go every
where now and no one would look at me as if I was a picture or a dummy. Never the less
I still dress up good and put make up when I am with my sisters and that turned out to
be more fun.

I believe that Allah demand Hijab to help us and to make our life easier. It builds respect
between men and women. Also, it's a matter of keeping your body to your self or who
Allah allowed you to show (mahram). It is also a sign that show that you are Muslim,
like in all religious. For example, Jewish wears a small cup on top of their heads and
Christians wear a cross. And non of those two feels ashamed to show it to public. No
man would think badly about

A woman who is wearing a hijab so that will provide her to fall in mistakes (khateah) or
something that is (haram). A person who can wear Hijab is strong enough to do any
thing else and to go through any problems that she may face in all life matter. Every one
around you will trust you in every thing because you trust your self. Don't you think your
body is so important? And don't you think your body is that valuable? You don't need
some one to tell you that you're beautiful because you know that. And you don't need
someone to look at you as if you were a beautiful drawing or a picture because you're a
human been.

As salaamu alaykum warahmatallaah wabarakatuh..
(please forward this to all the people you know, I want every one to read my story)
May Allah bless you, jazakum allaah khayran