Sticky Note Reminder

I love sticky note shopping. Choosing the right color, the right size and even having fun with the shapes they come in. But what I love most about stick notes is how they rescue my fragile memory. And do I just admire those sticky notes and put them in a drawer or a pencil case? No! I put them on the wall, on the fridge, and (my favorite) all over my laptop!

Your Hijab is a sticky note—as a matter of fact, it may be several sticky notes, posted all over you. And the cool thing about those is that they are double sided. People in your environment(s) view them as do you. They (usually) get the memo, but for some reason, sometimes you forget. Was there ever that one time someone almost used a vulgar word and then suddenly put a hand over their mouth and apologized profusely? Ever had someone open the door for you with an extra wide smile? Hasn’t someone, at least once, approached you with a question or two about Islam?

I remember shopping at Marshalls, when I saw a young girl. She caught my attention because she had been grabbing for the same shawl I was about to place my fingers on. As I grimaced, she swiftly placed it atop her head and was busying herself with wrapping it. She turned to me and said “I want to wear it just like you!” She giggled and skipped to her mother, “Mommy, mommy, look!” My lips turned right side-up as I asked Allah to guide the young child to Islam.

Hasn’t hijab kept you from doing silly things as well? Hasn’t it served you efficiently as a clear cut boundary between right and wrong? It spares us the gray area, because, well, there are simply those things you don’t feel comfortable doing with a hijab on, like listening to music in the car, or giggling obnoxiously loud, or gossiping about those girls in your class.

So you decided to wear Hijab. You made up your mind – you want to be part of a great sisterhood – a movement – a nest of women, and so you start.

Your faith is revived, you remember Allah, you drive towards dawah in your actions, and you immerse in the essence of true femininity.

A few months later, you start hearing whispers. You start doubting your intentions. You wonder if you were wise in choosing the right time or biting off more than you can chew. You rethink your perception of Islam in your life. You ask whether this lifestyle or piece of cloth will interfere with your priorities and main goals in life. After all, you surely miss the wind blowing through your hair and the elegance of that topaz necklace hanging on your bare neck. It was modest enough you say to yourself. That’s when that piece of cloth becomes a hefty chore and our minds begin to feel a bit clouded and our purpose just a bit choked.

That is when we know it is time to ask: why am I wearing it again? What does it mean? This is the time to stare at yourself in the mirror for a moment or two longer as you pin it together—interrogating yourself for your purpose.

Sometimes those people that question us or smile in our faces lift our spirits, but it is vital that we maintain the purpose within ourselves. What if a whole month goes by and you feel like there’s ‘no effect.’ That is when you remember that you r hijab is for the inside just as much as it is for the outside.

Of course we all wear it because we know we are supposed to, but that doesn’t stop us from finding our individual reasons for relishing hijab. That shouldn’t stop us from being humbled by that piece of cloth we wrap around our head. It shouldn’t merely be a fashion statement, or an “oh by the way, I’m Muslim…” flag.

We need to remember that our hijab is a lot more than the visible physique. Hijab is a style of talking, walking, eating, building relationships, and overall carrying yourself. It is a way of being. It is a lifestyle. Before you think of how much of a reminder of God to other people you are, remember that that veil on your head is a reminder to YOU.

Your Hijab is a sticky note.

Humble yourself before it – for your Lord.

–Noha A. is a psychology student at the University of Miami. Although behavioral medicine intrigues her, its the University dawah activities and interfaith events that keep her spirit up during the day. She loves enriching her ’sisterhood experience’ by attending halaqas and spending quality time. Her dream is to become a pillar of the bridge that unites Muslims all around the world.