Hijab is such a personal choice, one that impacts us in numerous ways.
Being someone who embraced hijab in my mid 20s, I don't think I could have been fully prepared for how my own personality would change.
I knew it would be challenging, of course, change usually is.
But I didn't realize how self-conscience I would become in the initial years.
The struggles that come with wearing hijab are not unknown to any hijabi.
I once spent over 1.5 hours wrapping my hijab (and re-wrapping over and over), before a company event, simply because I felt awkward, and the folds weren't sitting right, and I was concerned I would look "un-kept".
I also avoided certain events, because I didn't want to stand out of the crowd.
I even first started out by having at least 10 pins in my hijab at a time to "set it right".
These were of course, all just insecurities of mine.
What helped me the most was of course reminding myself why I had chosen to embrace hijab.
The 'why' is super important.
If you do not do it for the right reasons, it is difficult to stay committed for long, or even feel like yourself while wearing it.
Some WRONG reasons to wear hijab:
- because someone else told you you should do it (not because you want to)
- because you are being forced to
- because you're having a bad hair day (although this may not be entirely wrong lol)
The RIGHT reasons to wear hijab:
- because YOU want to
- because YOU feel its right
- because YOU want to do this for Allah
As time passed and my journey continued, I learned to make hijab my own. I tried different fabrics, wrap styles, what look I was or was not comfortable in.
Comfort was the key word here.
I needed to feel comfortable. Needed to feel like myself.
I had imposter syndrome in the beginning. Felt like I was pretending to be someone I wasn't.
Eventually, hijab became a part of me.
Now, I wear it with pride, it is a part of my identity, of who I am.
It's been over 10 years, and as difficult as it felt in the beginning, I cannot even imagine myself without it now.
This is how ZAHNAH was born.
I wanted to be able to give others the ease of finding fabrics, colors, and accessories, so that their journey could be easier.
If you have just started on your own hijab journey, know that it does get easier, and it can feel natural.
Surround yourself with positivity, and remind yourself why it was important for you to even begin. Hang on to that feeling, and before you know it, it will become
