beauty is a responsibility

today i was rushing here and there, so i went next door to print out some stuffs wearing my hoodie over my head. kind of like a temporary hijab, the hoodiejab.

the guy who's always seen me around was a bit surprised, prolly because he always sees me around in hijab, or maybe because i looked like i was gonna rob the place with my hoodie on. he commented on my hoodie. he said it was very nice and pink. (it was, it was shocking pink to be exact). then he looked sort of underneath my hoodiejab and said "you must be beautiful without your headgear". i was a bit confused at first but when he motioned an imaginary thing wrapping around his head, i figured he meant hijab. so i replied "so i'm not beautiful with it?" with a laugh of course. he just said something along the line of no, i still look lovely but different, yada yada yada lol.

i do get that sometimes. and i do understand what he's trying to say. lets face it, we all do, unless we're bald under there or don't have cheekbones. women, are beautiful creatures. we are created with wonderful precision, every curve, every delicate feature but it doesn't mean we all have to walk around naked to prove that. i agree that sometimes the shallow part of me contemplates on the idea of using that appeal to my advantage, or just not being looked at/ treated differently when i wear a hijab, and i share this with my friends. but in the end, we agree that it is a sacrifice that we do, perhaps partly for the eyes who deserve it, but also for the faith that we have. the thing about sacrifices is...they aren't easy. that's why i never judge my muslim friends who choose not to yet. but the cause is always worth it.

i admit that i am not perfect in aurat, my young soul still dabbles with vanity from time to time. very much so, it's only natural! but i can honestly say that wearing a hijab had protected me a lot of times, not only from going going down the hoochie line clothes-wise (picking up that miniskirt, or wearing that bikini, etc), but also in my behaviour (because i'm now representing my religion, not just myself) and from going to places i shouldn't be going. isn't it wonderful that islam makes you responsible about something as delicate as your beauty? to recognise that it is a power (and indeed, it is) to be held and guarded with care? well i think it is. what about you? :)

i love seeing gorgeous women who cover perfectly. to an outsider, these women may seem oppressed. to me, they're confident women who are sure of themselves, to put themselves out there under the scrutiny and judgement of others, to offer only their demeanour and intelligence first to represent themselves, to strip themselves off vanity and the power that is temporary...they are women who know the worth of her beauty and someday inshaAllah, i wish to be one of them.