My Niqab Story By Hameedah Adenuga

Ever done something and you’re being made to look back and think “why did I do this thing really?”

I know this looking back comes in different ways. Either it’s of regret or you want to confirm if you know why you did it or you really need to evaluate yourself if you’re still on the track of your goals.

First off. Never have I regretted donning the complete Hijab. Alhamdulillah. And I pray that I never regret it.

The other two feelings are however what I get each time I’m being asked the question(s) “why do you wear the niqab?” “what’s your motivation towards wearing the niqab?” “why did you decide to wear the niqab?” “I know this is not one day’s decision. Since when have you been thinking about it and what made you even think about it?” In fact, a friend once asked “with all the problems we face as Muslims in this nation especially, why d’u think this is the next thing you should take upon yourself?”. The forms of the question are endless. But put together, they all have a common target they’re hitting like throwing different darts and all hitting at the bull’s eye. So here, I want to share my WHY? However, answering won’t go without telling few stories, if you don’t mind grabbing a seat for your comfy.

Permit me to do a quick introduction of myself as my WHYs all stem from who I am.
I am Hameedah Adenuga (y’all know that already). The first daughter and girl-child of my parents (some of you already know my parents on this space though). From the story they both told, mom had been practising using niqab since she was a young adult but started fully in 1992, shortly after she got married.
People wonder if it was dad that made her wear the niqab, owing that she started after marriage. But trust dad would always say “iya yin ti n loo ki n to fẹẹ (your mum had been wearing it before I married her)”. That was how mum told her own story of her journey to Islam despite being born Muslim, and of course how she had taken the part-time Niqabi role.

As a kid whose mum is a Niqabi, I was always proud of mum’s eloquence, steadfastness and how she gave lectures (she still does though). There were funny scenes where I got educated about the niqab, or say, the hijab in general. Like when dad arrived home one day and I ran to get mum’s hijab and niqab coz a man is in the house and I got tutored that you don’t wear hijab in the presence of your husband or dad. Recently, dad mentioned that I was the one who made him go make research when I asked if “when I grow up and get married, will my husband see mum’s face?” (wait for him to answer that… wait! Realising this and other things, I have pushed these folks to race to some scholars and books o).

Contrary to the popular practice in some homes, my parents never forced me into wearing the hijab at the least. But I dared not even go to the balcony without my hijab. I was that much conscious. I would feel naked (even as a child).
At that time, I had three wishes surrounding hijab: to attend a Muslim secondary school so that I wouldn’t have to remove my hijab, to grow up and wear the niqab, to be a medical doctor. Not sure if I still have that third wish though but the first two were fulfilled. Alhamdulillah.

Let’s just say what played on my foundation is “role modelling”. So yes, I’m from a religious background. Not ordinary religious but one that understands what the teachings are and methodologies of passing those tenets to young and old.

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Growing up, I got more lessons of the Quran verses that talk about the hijab and different hadiths where the hijab of the earliest Muslimahs were explained. So, I got more convinced about my hijab.

As time flew, I got to meet children of my age who were already wearing the Niqab and got wowed. The first of them are Rasheedah (I call her twin) and her younger sister Ruqayyah. Those two sisters can’t ever be out of my Niqab story. Whenever I felt like ‘willl I really be able to use this niqab as a girl?’, they were always my response. And yes, I really summoned courage and started wearing it when I was in secondary school. But I stopped as I thought I’d not be able to use it to school and I didn’t like that I’d have to remove it. Regrettably, I know better now. But Allah knows best.

Long story short for now. My main motivation was me. The very inspiration I got from Allah Himself from my growing up with my parents as well as my reading and hearing different proofs and other experiences. Few of which are :

1. There are two opinions of scholars on whether the niqab is compulsory or not. A part says it is compulsory while the other says it’s not. Both groups of Scholars have their points explained. But I thought “what if I get to Allah and He says it’s compulsory? What if the face was part of what He made a must for us to cover?” so, I decided that I was going to wear it. However, “what if it’s not compulsory, wouldn’t that be extremism?” but those explanations of the dressings of the earliest Muslimahs made me convinced that it wouldn’t be extremism and covering up wouldn’t be punishable.

2. When mum started the niqab fully in 1992, there were sisters of then who followed her footstep as she was their role model (and yeah, there were those who distanced themselves). One of the younger sisters who took on the niqab after her got caught up in issues with her university and mum advised her to wait till she graduated as she was just months away from graduation but she gave a response and asked if mum would intercede for her with Allah if she died. By Allah, she passed away and never graduated. Please, pray for her. That alone is frightening.

3. I love changing narratives and whenever I have the opportunity, I hop on it. The notion that Niqabis all are pap sellers or not educated or the likes? We all know that, yeah? The world needs to know that illiteracy isn’t attached to our Deen. That poverty and Islam ain’t related in any way. That the Niqab isn’t a hindrance to achieving one’s dreams and with this I always aim so high and walk boldly even though I haven’t achieved ANYTHING, but I know I’m unassailable. With my baby steps and tiny works, I sure have added to the population of the flag bearers. Kudos to Laj Fingers for the ‘VEILING IS NOT FAILING’ campaign. I’ll be joining soon in bringing more Niqabis to share their success stories inshaaAllah.

Ok. These should be a bit OK to know where I’ve been from and why I’m here.
Different women definitely have different motivations for wearing their niqab. Like I asked my cousin why she started hers too and she told me she had wished to since the passing of her mum (may Allah have mercy on her) when she was being shrouded and someone said that this was a lesson for those who don’t cover, as they will never be able to escape the shrouding when they die. Will death be the first time you’d cover up when there’s no reward for you no more?

Your own motivation may be different. You may want to share too.

I may be sharing more of my hijab stories and experiences if Allah willed.
I pray that Allah should not deny me or others the rewards therein, continue to ease our livelihoods and make it easy for those who wish to observe it too.

Till next time, I remain

Your Niqabae Hameedah.