Many of my friends knew I was Muslim...

[KALKI]

I walked into the doors of LS Regional High School feeling like a new person. I felt as though hundreds of eyes were fixed on me, yet it was merely my wild imagination. My heart skipped a beat and my face flushed, but these signs of nervousness disappeared as people began to say "hey Aziza" like any other day. My fears of being rejected vanished and I felt the same again - well not the same, for I was different; I was now a muhajabah.

Many of my friends knew I was Muslim because I was constantly asked why I wasn't eating during the month of Ramadan. I would explain to them what Ramadan was, but this was all my friends knew about Islam. I had never bothered to educate them further.

Since the last Ramadan, I had been thinking about Islam and my duties of a Muslim more than usual. I began contemplating hijab and thought to myself, "I'll start hijab when I go to college." Why then? Because it would be a new environment, a new stage of my life, the start of a new beginning; it seemed like a good time to make a big change.

As Ramadan passed, I was constantly fighting a battle with myself. I was still pondering over Islam and my life in general. "Four years is a long time to wait (to start hijab)," I kept telling myself. I became distressed just thinking about how long four years was in reality.

I then decided I would start hijab after freshman year was over, so I had the summer to adjust. I would start sophomore year as a new person. "Sophomore year," I thought to myself, "that's still quite a few months away." I was still frustrated and did not want to wait so long to start hijab.

As April began, I thought to myself, "I am going to do it. I am going to start hijab and nothing is stopping me!"

Alhumdulillah for my open-minded teachers. I asked them if they could give me five minutes to speak to the class about what I was about to do: start hijab. They excitedly agreed with warm, encouraging smiles. In each class, I walked to the front of the room and slowly began to talk. I told them about Islam and how it is very important to me. I explained what the hijab is and why Muslim women are commanded to wear it. My peers sat listening, quietly and attentively, amazed by what I was saying. They sat in awe interested in my beliefs. Many asked questions and begged to see what I looked like with a hijab on. I happily put it on to show them. Their smiles showed they approved of it and liked it; they were happy I was going to wear hijab.

My classmates told their friends, who told their other friends, and soon the whole school knew about me starting hijab. People I didn't even know were constantly approaching me and telling me how much they appreciated what I was doing, how much they admired me, how much they supported me and how they wish they had the will power I did. All this before I even started hijab. That following Friday on April 13, 2001, I became a muhajabah for life.

The decision I made that day is one I will never regret insha'Allah. Since then, despite some of the obstacles that were thrown in my path, I have been the happiest girl alive. Many other Muslim girls have told me how I've inspired them and they wish to be more practicing. These positive comments only motivate me to work harder and become an even better Muslim, for these comments show me I am on the right path and insha'Allah will stay on it. I thank Allah Subhana wa ta'ala for the strength to do this, the guidance He has given me, and this personality, which has helped me have these qualities where people respect me, admire me and look up to me. And I also thank Him for giving me the mentality in which I do not care what others think; I solely care what He thinks.