Hoda… I was going to walk without a veil

Mama was calling out loudly from her room:
– “Hoda, you’re late for college, my dear… Are you going like this?!”

“Like this?”
Meaning, without a headscarf.

I looked at myself in the mirror…
I was wearing a loose T-shirt and cloth pants, and not a headscarf.
This was the first time in years I’d gone out like this.
I used to wear loose, Islamic clothing from Aswa, and I was proud of it.

But after what happened yesterday…
I was broken.

It was 10:00 a.m.
We were in the lecture hall, and I was late.
The professor stopped the lecture and said in a loud voice in front of all the students:
– “My daughter… Do you think you’re going to a religious institute?! Is this what university attire looks like?!”

They all laughed.
One whispered to the other:
– “Does she think the headscarf is fashionable?!”

At that moment, all I could hear was a voice. My heart…
is breaking.

I left the auditorium with tears in my eyes.

Not just from the insult… from the feeling that I’ve become an outsider.

Since when did a Muslim girl’s clothing become provocative?

Since when did the abaya become indecent?

Since when did the hijab become a weapon that people use to fight you?

I’m Hoda, 21 years old.
My Islamic dress isn’t traditional… I love fashion. I like to choose a style that’s both beautiful and Islamic.

I used to wear casual abayas from a brand like Aswa… in muted colors and a comfortable style.

But it seems that society can’t tolerate someone who doesn’t follow the trend.

Yesterday, when I got home, my dad said to me:
“I can’t stand to see you messed up like this… If your clothing is causing you problems, change it.”

But he doesn’t understand…
I don’t dress Islamically for people.
I dress for God…
But many times I feel that faith isn’t enough when everything around you is… It breaks you.

Today…
I was planning to go out without a headscarf.

Not a challenge… just despair.

But before I left, I received a voice message from a friend’s daughter named Rehab.
She said:
“I went to Aswa’s page and saw the latest abaya model you wore. You were beautiful… you really made me love Islamic clothing for the first time.”

I stopped.

A 16-second voice message… brought me back.

I put on the headscarf.

Not to make things easier for people,
but to make things easier for myself as I stand before God.

I am Huda…
And tomorrow I will wear my Islamic clothing without fear.

Not so people will put up with me,
but because I’ve endured enough.

____
📌 Share with us:
If you were in Huda’s place, would you take off the headscarf?

Does society encourage or fight girls who wear Islamic clothing?
Write in the comments or send us a voice like Rehab… A word from you can change someone else’s day.