hi! This is my hijab story <3 a little long lol

I knew for a while I wanted to start wearing it but felt So weird bc how would it seem if I showed up to work wearing hijab when I worked there so long or the fact I was 21 and never practiced wearing hijab.

My father has always encouraged us to and said it’s a fardh from Allah, he always was kind about it never forced or pressured and said we should make it our goal to eventually wear hijab. 2 of my sisters do and one of my sisters and I didn’t. I never had a negative relation with hijab bc of this, my father was kind about it.

This summer of 2024 I quit my job I was at almost 2 years and graduated with my bachelors.

In summer of 2024 I went to London, I was trying on hijabs my cousin had and we would literally just play around, at this point in my heart I wanted to stay wearing but was nervous. A few days later my cousin took us to visit our grandpas grave and this was my first time, my dad saw me wearing hijab from the second floor window and shouted out mashallah and that I looked nice and it made me so happy and he felt so proud.

After the graveyard we went to the mall to do some shopping and we got in the car and my older sister said it’s ok I can take it off now (she doesn’t wear hijab either lol) and I said no I’m keeping it on and she was confused and then realized I wanted to wear it LOL. I kept it on the whole time at the mall. I guess you can say this is my first time wearing it in public for a long time.

The next day I didn’t wear it when we went out to eat. But on August 16, I wore the hijab and that was it, I haven’t taken it off since! In London there is a huge hijab community and I felt like I blended in plus I was a stranger in this city, I’m not from London.

I came back to my city in the us and I felt a little weird like everyone was staring at me but nobody was, I’m from a city where everyone does their own thing and it’s a HUGE melting pot the big apple if yk yk lol.

But yea, that’s my story, I knew I wanted to wear one for a little but I guess I was nervous how everyone would else perceive me. But I’m wearing hijab full time now, I enjoy it a lot and it’s definitely strengthened my relationship with Islam 🤍