Wearing hijab honors Allah

Someone touches my hijab, or head covering, while I study in the library, and then asks, “Why do you cover yourself? You’re beautiful.”

I was confused. As I regained myself, I explained that wearing the hijab was prescribed by Allah, the Muslim God in the Quran.

I am a Muslim woman in my early 20s and a student of this college.

Islam means “submit to Allah”; therefore, Muslims surrender and submit to the will of Allah.

He is our priority, the one we worship and who we ask for help.

The Quran is the holy book in which Allah sent revelations to the Prophet Muhammad  — peace and blessing of Allah be upon him — through the angel Gabriel.

After saying the Prophet’s name, Muslims always say, “Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.”

According to the website “Islamic Question and Answer” at www.islamqa.info/en, Al-Ahzaab 33:59 in the English translation of the Quran reads: “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is ever oft‑forgiving, most merciful.”

Whether you practice Judaism, Christianity or Islam, wouldn’t you follow the commandment of God?

We follow our religion because we know God will guide our lives in the right direction.

Then we must ask ourselves, who knows better?

Is it you or is it God?

It’s God, the creator of the Earth.

I wear my hijab in the heart first, then outside.

Hijab is my faith in the creator, my faith in my maker who will guide me in the right direction.

Then I perform the act prescribed by God, drawing the veil over myself.

I wear a hijab to preserve modesty from the outside world.

I don’t wear my hijab at home in the presence of women, my brother, father, grandfather and husband.

For example, in my household, my mother, my brother, sisters and father are present, and I am allowed to take off my hijab.

But if my brother invites a friend and my sister invites her husband, my mother, my sister and I will have to cover ourselves because of my brothers’ friend.

If only my sister’s husband is present, my sister would not have to wear hijab, just my mother and I, even though he is married into the family.

I am not any less because I wear a hijab.

In the last sermon of the Prophet Muhammad — peace and blessing of Allah be upon him — on IslamiCity.com, the hadith, or his documented sayings and doings, reads:

“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.”

I still answer questions because I realize people are curious.

The questions I receive are probably what I would ask while learning about another culture or wonder while reading a book on other cultures.

Women are beautiful, and showing it through our devotion to Allah through modesty makes us more beautiful.

It’s better to ask — this is what brings tolerance.