Muslim Characteristics And The Purpose Of The Hijab

Muslim Characteristics and the Purpose of the Hijab

Anonymous said: hi! i’m writing a story where the main character is a muslim teen girl, and it’s not like the /main/ focus of the story but since i’m not muslim myself i was wondering if you had any pointers on how to show that as a part of her life (beyond the hijab, which is something she chooses only to wear at home?) without being too blatant/forced or oppositely non-evident? thank you!

Hi there! Islam is a deeply intricate religion that is woven into a muslim’s everyday life, and there are definitely easy ways to sneak in indicators of a person’s religion. For example, muslims only eat meat that has been cut the halal way- your character could ask about that at a restaurant, or forgo the meat just to be safe. Muslims also pray five times a day (with the exception of the days some people are on their periods), so you could show her waking up at sunrise to pray Fajr. Honestly, there are a million and one ways to portray a muslim girl.

Also, while I might not know the complete context of your character’s situation, the purpose of a hijab is to shield a person from the gaze of male strangers. Homes are places where girls let their hair down and relax. A muslim only wearing a hijab at home contradicts the very importance of a hijab and could be really offensive to some readers. There are many muslim girls who don’t wear a hijab, so I suggest maybe going with that. There are also muslim girls who wear the hijab in certain areas (read: around traditional family members) to preserve social standing, but aren’t actually committed to the hijab.

I suggest you do more research on Islam if you want to convey your character realistically.

-Yasmin

I’d just like to add that I see quite a few writers taking the non-hijaabi route in order to avoid repercussions of possibly negative representation. I’d just like to stress that, if you feel that offering this representation is important, and you feel that you can do the research and continue to ask the questions to make it as good as you can, you should strive to do it.

Of course, we need non-hijaabi representation, but I do not think that should be the only option offered if a writer is nervous about approaching the hijaab.

Besides that note, I agree with Yasmin’s eloquent answer and the fact that a girl only wearing the hijaab at home is rather unusual and offensive. Good luck!

-Kaye

18~☆

And I became 18 years old , :D nothing changed but a number , I hope this year and the next years go well insha'allah , :)

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narvember

8 years ago

Study moods

Productive procrastination: having an essay due in a couple of days but reluctantly chooses to do homework instead.

Early bird: waking up at 6am and having a nice study session before school starts.

Late owl: stays up late to finish that one essay you procrastinated doing earlier.

In through one ear and out the other: reading the same paragraph five times and still wondering what it's about.

Slow but steady: when I make slow progress but I'm very proud of myself.

I don't want to: laying on your bed and continuously thinking that you will start studying in five minutes. Alternatively you stare at your book for a prolonged period of time.

The master of the free period: the times that you have a snack and a nice spot in the library and just study.

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narvember

10 years ago

Drew L Lawliet from Death note =')

LIFE TIPS PT. I

if it takes less than two minutes, do it now

always carry a water bottle!! you’ll (obviously) drink more water but you’ll also save money on buying drinks when you’re out on hot days

if you notice something you like about someone, tell them. genuine compliments are way too few and far between.

when you meet someone, repeat their name back to them. it’ll help you remember it (bc i am the worst at zoning out and immediately forgetting someone’s name)

give yourself a time limit to get work done. you’ll do more up against a 30 minute timer than if you have all day to get something done

also: be specific with your goals. if you want it done by winter, say you’ll do it one november 15. it’s easy to let time slip by.

no one’s forcing your friends to hang out with you. they want to be around you. don’t try to convince yourself otherwise.

never under estimate the power of a hot meal if you’re feeling unmotivated. take a break and make a grilled cheese dude

always keep $20 in your car for emergences

have a binder/folder to keep all your financial/important documents together. even if you don’t organize them beyond that it’ll make them so much easier to find when you need them

don’t sleep w makeup on!! keep a travel size thing of makeup wipes by your bed for nights that you’re too exhausted to wash your face for real

if you’re studying/working and can’t focus, go outside and take a walk around the building. stare at the sky for a minute. it helps.

networking: when you meet someone, put some notes in with their contact. remembering their kids’ names will make you stand out

fold your clothes while they’re still warm + you won’t have to iron later

get that chair out of your room. we all know your dirty clothes are sitting in it more than you are.

instead, stick some hooks on your closet door for those sorta-clean, sorta-dirty clothes that you wanna wear again

keep a running list on your phone of songs you hear that you like, books you want to read, etc

write down all your friends birthdays!!

if you can’t sleep, try to imagine something in great detail. design your dream house. plan your wedding. whatever makes you happy + relaxed

get dressed as soon as you get up, even if you aren’t going anywhere. it’s hard to feel productive in sweat pants.

if you don’t ask, the answer is always no

thrift stores are super trendy lately, but they really are great for finding high-quality clothing for cheap.

don’t read the comments section. especially if it’s something you actually care about.

fresh veggies go bad fast, so if you can’t get to the store often have a couple frozen bags of your favs on hand!!

also, pasta is crazy cheap and easy to make into a meal. add some olive oil and those frozen veggies and bam, grown up meal in no time.

be intentional with your friendships. if you want to see someone again, set a date instead of the old “let’s get coffee sometime!” that never actually happens

libraries exist!! and theyre fantastic!!!

if you’re buying anything, always google “_______ coupons” while you’re in line. you can usually find one, esp at chains!!

if it’s not something you need, put it back and sleep on it. if you want it bad enough to go back and get it a day or two later, it’s (probably) worth the money.

also, think if you’ll enjoy it for the same amount of time if took to earn that money. doesn’t work with everything (food, experiences), but for things like clothes/technology/home goods, it can help you save some $$$

you don’t have to do something if it makes you unhappy. sure, there are times that you have to suck it up and power through, but 99% of the time you have to option to say no and get outta there.

be kind. seriously you hear it a lot but it is so important.

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narvember

9 years ago

Lol :))))))