With my eldest turning 11 in 3 months time, and starting secondary school in 6 months time, hijab is something that is on my mind. Girls are hitting puberty earlier these days and puberty is when she will be accountable for her actions. I would really love it if she started her new school wearing hijab.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Pen has been lifted from three: from the child until he reaches puberty, from the sleeper until he wakes up, and from the one who has lost his mind until he recovers.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4402).
Unfortunately I only started wearing hijab about 3 years ago. My parents never pushed me to wear it and then when they tried to make me wear it when when I was over 18 I rebelled and refused. I then chose to wear it of my own accord. My eldest knows this; she knows I didn’t wear it at school, so is questioning why she should, as she has not grown up seeing me wear it and knows it hasn’t been long that I have worn it.
The other issue is that she does not have many muslim friends. The one muslim girl that she knows at school that is in her class and who wears hijab is a bully (and I hate to say that), but it is not giving her a good impression of girls with hijab.
As a parent my role is to guide her….but I am not going to lie, I am struggling to instill a love of hijab in her. So I am trying to find different ways of trying to help her. When I heard about the book How To Get Hijab Ready I decided to purchase it even though it was from abroad and the shipping makes the whole purchase a bit expensive.
How to Get Hijab Ready: A Guide for Muslim Girls Ages 8 to 11 gives you a simple and easy guide to getting ready to wear hijab. Full of colourful illustrations, tips, and how to guides, you’ll learn how to be confident in hijab, and easily transition into covering when you are ready.
The book is written by mother and daughter team Aisha Elwan & Megan Wyatt. I love that the book is also from the perspective of a young girl as she can truly relate to the fears and hardships that our young girls currently experience.
The book is divided into sections:
- The Basics
- Getting Started
- Having Conversations about Hijab
- Worries and Concerns
- Your Reward for Good Deeds
The Basics
The basics talk about why muslim girls have to wear hijab, sharing the relevant ayah from the quran, also discusses what age to wear it and also discusses who you don’t have to wear hijab in front of.
Getting Started
This section is more detailed. Things that are discussed include the requirements of hijab, how to put up your hair, the kind of hijabs, how to dress for school, acessories, how to put on hijab and much more.
Having Conversation about Hijab
This section talks about explaining to non muslim friends about hijab and also muslim friends who may not be currently wearing it. In addition to this it also discuses what to say to a stranger in public if they ask.
Worries and Concerns
Everyone who wears hijab can have some issues; from hair falling out of your bun, to feeling hot and the main concern of young girls; being made fun of at school. These issues are covered with advice on how to deal with it.
Your Reward and Good Deeds
This section reinforces that you will get a lot of reward for wearing hijab.
Be proud of who you are, of being a Muslim, and knowing that you have been blessed with a heart that is willing to do what pleases Allah.
What I personally love about the book is that throughout the book you get personal tips from Aisha herself and ‘Aisha says’ boxes. In addition to this, girls reading the book are taught some words they may not have known.
Having tips like this and ‘Aisha Says‘ makes it almost seem like it is a friend talking to you, and other girls should be able to relate to what is being said and take the advice on board.
All 51 pages of the book are full of colourful illustrations; the colours and images use make the whole book have a bit of a ‘girly’ feel; not that there is anything wrong with that.
Is it helping my eldest? I can’t say yet as I am trying not to push her just yet. But she has read it. Only time will tell. May Allah (swt) guide her and all our children on to the correct path! Ameen.
You can find out more about the book on their facebook page: How to Get Hijab Ready.
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I love that book wish I had a daughter to give it to! Mashallah in time your daughter will do what is right. All the best and great post.
Ameen to your dua sis. I can only imagine it’s hard when her peers aren’t really doing hijab justice. As strange as it sounds the parents of the other Muslim girl have a similar battle on their hands. Yes their daughter physically wears hijab but the actions are lacking and I think that’s probably the harder battle – starting on the inside and working outwards.
Very true, that is a battle in itself. Alhamdulillah my eldest is well liked in school by all and the teachers always sing her praises.
Only time will tell sis… and I pray that she grow to love the hijab. I’m still struggling myself, what with all what I’ve grown up and gotten used to before I revert. And yes, environment counts. With the general society pointing out hijab as a negative with all the issues these days about muslims, we could only pray for the best. I do believe that modest fashion that is taking the trend these days could help achieve hijab love specially in muslim girls.
In sha Allah. I hoping she goes to secondary school and sees some of her peers wearing it and it will encourage her to wear it
Cool I want to now read this book and also give it to my daughter she’s 8 this year
It will make a lovely gift
MashaAllah. The book seems to be better than i thought. May Allah make our hijab easy for us all. Ameen
May Allah make it easy for your daughter.
Masha Allah this book seems great way to advice young girls.
Pre teens and teens don’t like being told. It has to be their choice. Your daughter reminds me of my sister. Once I started covering my hair, she was being pushed. She hated being compared. I could see it. She wanted to cover up, but, she wanted to do it without compulsion. Once everybody was quite, she decided to wear a hijab.
Insha Allah, your daughter will make the right choice soon.
Thank you so much for reviewing the book and sharing! May Allah support your daughter on her hijab journey! I pray the book serves as some form of inspiration for her even if it’s in a small way.
For those looking to get the book as a gift, there are also matching tote bags which girls love too! (And frankly, lots of moms who want one.)
May Allah guide your children and all of us to the straight path <3
I don't have children yet so I don't have any clue what it will be like when they turn 11 but what I dream about is the day my child asks ME to wear hijab, until that point I probably won't ask her to. I want her to want to do it, for all the right reasons when she is ready…. obviously if she is turning 18 and still hasn't asked I would definitely be worried but at 11 I wouldn't worry too much – personally…
I love your article 🙂 It is very inspiring, in sha Allah those who do wear hijab remains steadfast, and those who don’t in sha Allah Allah will guide them to one day wearing one.
Hijab is not only covering the head but also the body and the tongue 🙂
The book you analysed is very attractive and would recommend any sister reading this to get hands on. Its colourful and its nice to pass the message in a fun and colourful format
The book looks lovely 🙂 As I started taking hijab of my own accord at age 13, I don’t know what goes on in a person’s head when they resist hijab. But I do encourage anyone who even talks about wanting to wear it. With kids I suppose it would be letting them ease into it and hoping and praying that they will observe it properly in time. One of my cousins is at this stage so I am hoping and praying for her. Hoping and praying for your daughters as well 🙂
Oh wow!! This is the first time I’ve come across something like this, what a great book for young girls insha’allah it makes wearing hijab less daunghting for girls.
My cousin lives abroad & I would love to gift this book to her little daughter ❤