“I will be showing your Stanford picture to new parents this weekend…. it is such an inspiring shot for our girls because there you are, literally, in the middle, sporting a hijab. You are a great role model for our young girls.”
My high school English teacher had wrote me in an email after I sent him this picture.
It was quite funny how he complimented me, when in fact it is through his support (by Allah's will) I was able to be accepted in this Stanford summer internship!
So during my summer course in Imperial College, when coincidentally Meg pulled my hand to stand in the middle of group picture, his words echoed.
On sporting a hijab
Wearing a hijab had brought me a sense of responsibility. It is more than a mere fashion, it shows my identity as a muslimah hence I held a responsibility to represent the beauty of Islam, through all of my actions. Seems hard? I'd like to think of it as a way to keep myself accountable, inshaAllah.
Is it obligatory? But why my muslim friend isn't wearing one?
Of course not, if you're a muslim (male). Hehe. However if your friend is a muslima (female) then yes, let's pray for our muslima friends to wear hijab bi ithnillah. The next question is why?
The answer is simply, because Allah, The Almighty God has commands us to do so.
Throughout my journey with hijab from 7th grade, I have felt many blessings (including protection from haram food, meeting pious friends, and much more!).
These blessings helped me figure out that to answer the question why, all we need to do is follow His commands without any inquiries.
Ibn Abbas reported: I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he said to me, “Young man, I will teach you some words. Be mindful of Allah and he will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find him before you..."
Is it Okay to Wear Hijab in Stanford Medicine & Imperial College Medicine?
I was surprised I was welcomed well, both in academic settings and in social settings. Especially, having read about discrimination my fellow sisters received in some societies. However that was not the case at all! During my stay in UK, I noticed hijabis all over the place: students, employees and tourists. MashaAllah.
Nevertheless, I received tons of questions like:
what's underneath that? (hair...)
how many do you have, you seem to change everyday? (a lot, hehe)
isn't it hot? (the hellfire is hotter..)
But apart from that, alhamdulillah I managed to fit in with my classmates.
I thank Allah for He is The Only One providing me strength. I thank Allah that He gave me a second chance as a muslim agent (I felt that have failed to excel this role when in Stanford).
May we witness the days when hijabis are not minorities,
-h.a.
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