My Niqab Story
I started to wear the niqab about 2 years ago, actually in March. I think that was when I turned 16 Islamically. My parents told me that I had to wear it, and I have to admit that I didn’t really want to then. It’s not that I didn’t want to wear it at all; I knew I wanted to, eventually. I just wanted to start wearing it in September that year. Don’t ask me why, ‘cause I don’t know. I wore one years ago, for Eid, because I wanted to.
How it happened. I can’t really remember the whole conversation but I will try to tell what I do (Gosh, me and my memory). My mom told me to come to her room because she wanted to talk to me. I thought I did something wrong so I was a little nervous, wrecking my brain, trying to figure out what I could have done. She told me to sit down, and started to talk to me about the niqab. She said that they (my parents) want me to start wearing it.
She gave me one of her niqabs and I wore it the next time I went out. It was alright I guess. I didn’t really go out a lot to get used to it quickly. I mean I did, but the thing was eating. At first I had the normal flip up and down niqab, so it was a little hard to eat certain foods without it falling on my lap and getting on the niqab. Then one of my mom’s friends went to Umrah and got me a few Saudi niqabs, which have elastic on the sides so you can pull it down. There isn’t a flap just a band with the elastic connecting it to the fabric with small rectangles for tying in the back. My dad also went on Umrah and got me a few as well. I love these niqabs because they are light and easy to wear. I wear these all the time and in the first few months my parents let me pull it down when we ate out. Then when I got used to eating with it up, I couldn’t pull it down anymore.
One thing that made me feeling a little funny was that people would confuse me with my mom, which is actually okay the first and second time, since we are kinda the same height, and well, we look a little similar wearing all black don’tcha think? Well, I mean we are related. People think that we are sisters when we are uncovered, the ones who just met us, and only women, of course.
To those who say that Muslim women who wear all black look the same, we DON’T. You might think so, and I will admit at first sight that CAN be true. But if you actually look, everyone has the different abaya they wear, whether it is the style or the color or the cut. The walk is different; the height, voice and eyes of course are different. I’m not saying you go and start staring to find out if what I said is true or not. I’m saying how about you pay attention to details and then you can know who is who. Erm, I think that this should only apply to women. I don’t want people to be saying I told some guy (if a guy would even read this) how to tell women apart okay? (I don't know why I even put this paragraph in here)
Sorry, back to what I was saying. The other thing is that people wanted to know if I wanted to get married, like was that the reason why I started covering my face. I’m not sure if it was and is also combined with the fact that I was 16 and now 17 or not, but that was a little weird. I didn’t know that people covered their face when they wanted to get married. I mean sure, I want to get married but not yet people, not yet.
So, are you wearing the niqab? When did you start? Got any information you'd like to share? What about to those who aren't wearing it? Are you? Tell me in the comments below all about it, I'd love to know!