My relatives and my boss don't like my hijab...what to do?
Question
Assalam aleikum, I started to wear hijab recently but some of my relatives don’t like to see me in hijab so when I am going to them I remove it…it is bad I know… and my work also not accepting… what do you think I should do?
Answer
Hijab is a religious requirement for every Muslim woman who reached puberty and it necessitates covering the whole body except for the face and the hands. Hijab in Islam is a sign of modesty. Modesty is a grace which is required by both men and women in terms of lowering their gaze and guarding their chastity. When it comes to the first part of your question about your relatives, it would be important to understand that personal convictions differ from one person to another. These convictions stem from personal traits, religious bases, cultural backgrounds and social milieu.
Your conviction of wearing hijab stems from a religious base and your decision should be respected as a personal choice you have made. It is very important for a healthy social relationship to be based on respect and understanding of people’s personal convictions. Therefore, your relatives need to learn how to appreciate differences in opinions and modes of thinking. From your part, it would be important for you to stand firm for what you believe in as people are defined by their convictions.
When it comes to your work place, you need to define the “not accepting” part. If by not accepting you mean that your employer threatens to fire you if you continued to wear hijab, then you have to make up your mind about the severity of the situation and your necessity of work and how much your livelihood depends on it.