On Beauty, The Kind That Moves You.

20May10

Was just browsing through randomly on Facebook, and I came across the profile picture of a friend that made my insides swell up with joy. She was one of those girls that carried an ethereal sort of presence. With a light in her face and a hop in her step, the kind of person whom you instantly decide to like, just because. And frankly I really didn’t know her all that well. We had only met on a trip I had taken to Australia a few years back and through a chance encounter we happened to be crashing over at the same friend’s place. That was it really, nothing more.

Why did it make me so happy to see her picture?

She had started wearing the hijab, where previously she was not :)

I went on to go through her more recent albums and Alhamdulillah she looked as radiant as ever, fully covered and still so pretty. Except, it was more than just pretty pretty. That’s the thing about people who choose to wear the hijab on their own (as opposed to it being something you sort of simply grow into from being a hijabi since as long as you could remember, growing up or from school)…

I swear, they have a glow.

It’s so nice. I mean, for us hijabi whenever this happens there’s such a rush. I could compare it to watching a new Muslim reciting the syahadah for the first time. It’s a beautiful transformation, and even though it’s nothing that directly concerns us, having a non-hijabi sister decide to cover her aurat is always wonderful sight that evokes a feeling of kinship like no other.

Off the top of my head some of the most beautiful people I know IRL or online who are stunning, in just the way they carry themselves at the same time observing their attire, such that an onlooker (well, myself) finds it breathtaking to just stare sometimes at them/their pictures and wonder in awe at His wonderful creations:

• Lubna (poised, elegant, always),
• Far (even though I’ve only ever met her once),
• Amil (and her sister Amal),
• Stylecovered’s Hana (who posted that feature on us celebrating Eid in Moscow once),
• Kak Alan (Alina Hasni),
• professionalwidow (Zuzu),
• and Those Exotic Looking Hijabis on the 2nd(?) Floor who Always Smile and Give Salam Whenever I Bump into Them in the Hostel (I wish I knew their names).
• There’s more, these are just the ones I can think of right now.
• And Ezie, alhamdulilllah :) :) :)

Personally I have yet to entirely succeed in properly dressing to accomodate the requirements of a Muslimah, at least not to the best of my knowledge. And of course I enjoy experimenting like any other girl (LB.nu is fun). But I do hope to have managed in fulfilling the basics ie., a scarf that is lowered to  cover the chest, clothes that are loose or fit modestly with long enough sleeves, and nothing that will stir too much unnecessary attention (Read: low down on yr fashun, by Afi here).

When something like this happens though, it makes me reexamine myself and question: There are all these people out there, making changes, improving themselves, taking a leap of Faith, making commitments, for Allah. What am I doing for Him?

Thank you Allah for Your ingenius ways of gracing us with these little blessings that inspire.

And I do have plenty of friends who are still “waiting for the right time”, or haven’t found a “calling” to wear the hijab even up until now. But it’s okay because after all guidance is Allah’s alone to give. Even I am slowly and steadily trying to correct myself here, finding my ground.

So take a moment to simply mull over it. If we can pray and hope the best for each other, isn’t that already one of the most beautiful things about Islam anyone could ask for?

Ameen, InsyaAllah.

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