I still read new articles and posts and endless debates about Hijab; about how the world feels icky about women covering their hair; about how well-known figures of Arabic literature and political titles and men whom the Arab world granted respect succeeded at bending the words of God and self deluded themselves, as well as others, into thinking that perhaps those who wear it didn’t really understand what God really wanted. They should listen to us, they said. We're smarter.

The problem wasn't in the fact that they said that really. The problem was that people listened. It's as if veiled women were suffocated, trapped, captured by something evil, and held on to a hope that they can still expose their hair. The next thing you know, they're off to the hairdresser; then comes the makeup… سبحان الله

Some people sell their Akhera for the cheapest things.

خَتَمَ اللّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهمْ وَعَلَى سَمْعِهِمْ وَعَلَى أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عظِيم

Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #7

Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing and there is a covering over their eyes, and there is a great punishment for them.

Allah seals whomever He wishes with a layer, a membrane; their eyes and ears and hearts. The word Donya comes from Dana'a دناءة i.e. lowliness. How is it possible that we still believe, in our subconscious, that Al Donya is the only place where we can be rewarded for our doings, good or bad?

وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُواْ فِي اللّهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُواْ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَلَأَجْرُ الآخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ

An-Nahl, Chapter #16, Verse #41

And those who fly for Allah's sake after they are oppressed, We will most certainly give them a good abode in the world, and the reward of the hereafter is certainly much greater, did they but know;

Women have it tough. From the day they're born, they're born with a load of responsibility on their shoulders. That I understand. But Allah is The Just, isn't He? Both genders are required to do certain things that the others are born exempted from. It is our choice to use every license granted from God. If we're sick, we can skip a day of fasting in Ramadan. If we can't stand up while praying we don't have to. We also have the choice to go to hell if we don't want to see the truth.

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاء بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاء بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُوْلِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَى عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاء وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

An-Noor, Chapter #24, Verse #31

And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants not having need (of women), or the children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known; and turn to Allah all of you, O believers! so that you may be successful.

The "educated" people of today hold on to that verse like it meant salvation. To some people… it's the only verse they know by heart. They use it to debate that جيوبهن didn't mean bosoms. I still don't know where they got that idea, but then again I guess they have that seal on their hearts and eyes. I have a friend of mine who actually said that he wouldn't get married to a veiled girl. My theory, the one that I had before I started reading Quran again الحمدلله, was that if I had to choose between two identical girls, same look, voice, mindset, everything… I'd go for the veiled one. My reason was that the veiled one took one step closer to God.

I must say that now my ideology regarding certain things has changed. I would never marry a girl who isn't veiled. My theory is that if she can't be trusted with her relationship with Allah, how can I trust her with us, with my children? Is it because she can see me, but she can't see God? Well… I wouldn't see her all the time, but God can.

And yet they still debate…

One of the major issues of today's Muslim world is not being able to cast down ones eyes whenever a person of the opposite sex walks by or whatever. We look like we have the right to look. We have many excuses of our own. Some say 'Well, they asked for it, didn't they? They wanna be looked at'.

What about the things Allah asked you for? You're allowed one look… and it'd better not be a long one. Looking is a form of adultery… adultery is one of the major sins. Can you really afford that? Do you have that many blessings to spare?

حيجي يوم حيبقى الواحد في عرض حسنة واحده يمكن تنجيه من النار.

I used to think that beauty is probably Lateatia Casta or Heidi Klum or whoever. But then again when I went to Al Masjid Al Haram and saw a girl all covered up from head to toe, look at the Ka'aba, pray, and cry her eyes out… my definition of beauty evolved into something better. That girl knew what to risk and what not to risk. That… is probably life's ultimate question.

يَا نِسَاء النَّبِيِّ لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِّنَ النِّسَاء إِنِ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلاً مَّعْرُوفاً

Al-Ahzab, Chapter #33, Verse #32

O wives of the Prophet! you are not like any other of the women; If you will be on your guard, then be not soft in (your) speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease yearn; and speak a good word.

Again… yet another verse to challenge the "educated" people of today, to have their eyes feast upon. The long phone calls between unrelated people of the opposite sex, the messenger chats, the "dates"… as named by people who are too afraid to know the truth. That verse doesn't just signify talking delicately, does it? It signifies every sort of interaction that involves men, even if you're anonymous in that form of interaction, even if it's only blogging. It is today's voice isn't it?

Some would challenge the verse and say that it was addressed at the wives of the Prophet only, but then again… if other women were permitted to do whatever they wanted… wouldn't they want to do what's right? Don't they understand the kind of consequences it may cause them, that God only wants to protect His mankind creation from harm by His commandments? If the late Lady Diana is your role model, then you really should change your reading material.

اللهم نسألك رضاك و الجنّة و نعوذ بك من سخطك و النار

O God, we ask of you guidance and heaven… and we ask for your refuge from your indignation and hell.

A couple of months ago, my mother fixed me up with an arranged marriage sort of thing. I didn't have the guts to go. I told them that it's too risky. I can't risk getting married to someone whom I don't know. What if she turns out to be a b####, what if all she cares about is the money… what if, what if… what IF, I said. I was a fool. See, that's the problem with us, young Muslims of today; we make excuses for ourselves to get in touch with girls, check them out, then walk away when misfortune happens. I'd say that if a man had Niyyah (intention) to get married to avoid life's evil charms, went to a mosque and asked to get married to a good Muslim girl, Allah wouldn't let him down. It's all about the Niyyah. How could Allah bless a relationship over the phone, the internet, or even a cup of coffee?

اللهم احفظنا من الضلالة

We keep saying that there are no good Muslim girls out there, but then again… they won't be sitting at cafés, they wouldn't be out with you… but they're out there.

In the end, I must agree with one thing about the world. The world is too damn slippery. Whenever you try to get out, to follow what's real, you find a zillion things to pull you back in; a female co-worker who used to be a good friend, gossip opportunities, a work duty that involves you missing out on a prayer… But then again, I think it's like that at first only. I'll borrow words from an Egyptian Islamic TV presenter whom I was lucky enough to catch on Iqra' when I quote him and say:

It's like being in a dark room for a very long time and then somebody turns on the light… You know how your eyes hurt for a minute or so? That's what it's like.

It's not the light's fault, is it?

It won't be easy not to stare at the opposite sex, not to miss out on a prayer, not to gossip… but what if all those are tests? Remember how you, "educated" online person, wanted to pass the finals at school so bad? It's all a question of risk… What are you willing to risk and what are you willing to risk for? Priorities… It is slippery, but insha'a Allah we'll manage just fine.

اللهم ثبت أقدامنا على الصراط المستقيم

اللهم امنحنا و لا تمتحنا

اللهم ارزقني الرزق الحلال و اصرف عنّي المال الحرام

اللهم نعوذ بك من فتن الدنيا

اللهم ارزقني زوجة صالحة تعينني على ديني و دنياي و آخرتي و عاقبة أمري

يا أرحم الراحمين

آميــن