Observations on Hijab

               It has been my personal observation that some Muslim girls and women do not
            realize the significance of hijab. Hijab is arabic for protection and cover. Some
            people put a lot effort into their hijab, yet it serves no purpose. I am referring to
            the pointless hijab that some girls wear.

            The first pointless hijab is referred to as the headband hijab. It is a band of
            fabric approximately 4 inches wide. It covers the back of the head and
            allows all the hair to be exposed. It doesn't serve much in terms of modesty,
            but at least it comes in handy in case of an unexpected tennis match.
 
           The second pointless hijab is the dupetta, also known as the Saran wrap
            hijab. It covers all the hair, but it is totally transparent. Again it doesn't serve
            much in terms of modesty, but it keeps the hair nice and fresh.
 
            The third type of hijab is known as the Mickey Mouse Hijab. It is when a girl
            wears a black scarf and tucks it behind her ear, so that her ears stick out.
 

                  the yo-yo hijabs. The first yo-yo hijab, also known as the Benazir Bhutto
                  hijab, is the scarf that keeps falling down and needs to be constantly pulled
                  back up....up, down, up, down, just like a yo-yo. The second yo-yo hijab is
                  also referred to as the convertible hijab. This type of hijab is predominant at
                  any type of social event, i.e. an Aqeeqah, Bismillah party, Ameen party, wedding,
                  etc. This is when an Imam or Qari comes up to the microphone and starts to recite
                  Qur'an. At this point, all the convertible hijabs come up...until he says
                  "Sadaqallahul atheem". I'm not sure, but apparently in some cultures that translates
                  to "ok sisters, you may now take off your scarves".

                 I'm sure this may seem odd, but what's even funnier is when people do not
                 anticipate the recitation of Qur'an at a social event, and are forced to be creative
                 and use accessories such as a purse to cover one's hair. I was surprised to see a
                 women hold her purse over her head as "hijab"..as if the multitudes of men
                 surrounding her are not a good enough reason to wear hijab, but some guy reciting
                du'a compels her to hold a purse over her head. Her friends were more creative...one
                friend used her dinner napkin. I was also laughing when I saw the communal hijab -->
                two or more girls draped under one dinner napkin during the recitation of Qur'ann.
                Her other friend was still more creative. She used her coffee saucer on the back of
                her head. I wasn't sure if it was hijab or a Yamaka. I didn't know if she was a Muslim
                or a Jew. I felt like going up to her and saying "Shalom alaikum, sister".

                And, people should remember that hijab is not just a protection from guys, but from
                a girl's nafs (ego) as well. It should prevent girls from having to spend hours in front
                of the mirror doing her hair. But, unfortunately, you see girls in front of the mirror for
                hours doing their hijab as they would do their hair, with all sorts of elaborate braids
               and the like. I wanted to go up to a sister and say "Is your hijab naturally curly?". I
               also felt compelled to go up to another girl and say "pardon me, but is your hijab
               naturally that color, or did you dye it?".

               Well, the point to remember is that some people make an effort to wear hijab, but it
               is futile, because it is not fulfilling it's purpose. It's like using an umbrella with holes in
               it. Hijab is used for protection from guys as well as from the girl herself, and should
               not be used as an accessory or for beautifying one's self. Anyway, that's it. If
               anyone disagrees with me or is offended, then you are disagreeing with the teachings
               of Allah subhanahu wa Ta'ala.