Sama Hayat, Pakistan

Assalamu Alaikum, for me, it all starts with a fear! Fear of Allah only. I open my eyes in a moderate Muslim family, from the childhood I’m very much into prayers and reading of Quran but never took hijab as a serious matter, I lived in Saudi Arab for many years. There we use to take proper abbaya but that was just the obligatory I didn’t accept it by heart , because in my family 'abbaya' and 'hijab' is discouraged for the sake of "modernism" but feeling of covering and dressing properly was always there in my mind and heart only I was lacking the inspiration, then when I was in 9th standard I met a teacher she was very decent and modest I got very much inspired by her because she did not only talks about Islam but also practically apply it , from her motivating lectures I got a drive , drive to do what I really want to. I decided then and there that now I’m not going to take my steps back, I start doing hijab properly, and the journey started to taunts and stare. even living in Muslim society and having brought up in Muslim family I faced many obstacles, in weddings and events people asked me not to wear hijab, or things like that many people says that it’s just a wave a phase which will pass by and you'll not carry your hijab for all your life , some says you'll not get a good proposal for marriage etc., list goes long, but due to my trust and faith in ALLAH I become a strong personality , and with the people's discouragement I got more and more confidence, and now it’s been 9 years I’m taking hijab with all zeal and zest Alhamdulillah, and interestingly my mother-in-law also takes hijab and my would be husband inspires by me for these qualities. - Sama Hayat, Pakistan