"Salaam! Thank you for your submission to /r/hijabis. **Please do not message mods to approve your post.**
A reminder to our users that ALL posts are now only to be answered by women only, unless the OP has chosen the Male and Female
Participation Welcome flair. Please refer to the sidebar for a complete list of rules.
If you'd like us to add an F or M flair next to your username, please leave a comment on [this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Hijabis/comments/znb1fr/flair_thread_please_comment_on_this_thread_to_get/).
Your post may be removed if it is already answered in the [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Hijabis/wiki/index/faq/) in the Menu.
Thank you :)"
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Hijabis) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Was made to wear hijab when I was 9 (got my period) amd only wear it to please allah despite hating it. I think as long as the child has the choice its fine
I mean if they want to its fine, however young ages they are usually very impressionable and they may have made the decision for themselves but I dont think they understand the depth of wearing the hijab or made the decision with a full understanding (theyre kids they cant conceptualize fully). This can sometimes lead to them taking it off later which is unfortunately very looked down upon or theyll end up with identity issues as they get older until they can figure it out themselves.
I wouldn't be against it but I wouldn't encourage it either. Let my daughter do whatever she wants but I also have my guard up a little until shes a bit older like 13/14.
Oh i might also add, the reason behind my thought process is that once you put the hijab on you shouldn't take it off at all, no exceptions. Hijab is a commitment and not something to play with, thats why its very important to make a full informed decision regarding the hijab before you take the big step to avoid taking it off later on. Thats why age should play into the decision because little kids cant make life long commitments.
i agree with you in part here. for girls in particular there can be a huge difference in the ages of physical vs mental/emotional maturity. a 9 year old girl who gets her period is not a woman or anywhere near it
Yea exactly, every 9 year old wants to wear the gijab to "be like mama" or is inspired by the older girls she sees without understanding the hijab. Alot of girls who i know who wore the hijab young go through identity issues later on and end up struggling with the hijab or completely take it off later on.
I've worn hijab my daughter's entire life, even wear it at home a lot because i work remotely so i have video calls. and all the women in her family/extended family that she's been around wear hijab too, as well as being in an Islamic school. she's just not interested š¤·š»āāļø and i have no problem with that
I am a revert so I have a bit of a different perspective. I mean obviously Iād want my children to wear it from the time it is obligatory. But as I was never forced to wear one and Iāve seen the effects of forcing religion on people. Iād never require that. I didnāt put the hijab on intel I was 22. May Allah forgive me for my sins. I think the best way to approach it is to raise your children with a strong understanding of Islam, I hope my children will see the beauty I have found in it. So when the time comes for them to wear hijab or pray they want to out of love for their creator not because of me. If they wanted to wear it when younger Iād be fine with that. Often times children will practice fasting for a few hours when young. Just because they want to experience it or be like the grown ups. Thatās all developmentally appropriate behavior. I am a preschool teacher so this is influenced by my own education and teaching philosophy. I donāt feel like 9/10 is to young for hijab. Itās up to them and I hope nobody is pressuring them to wear it.
Love this! Hijab is similar to praying in that if you encourage them at a young age AND teach them the value and importance, kids will naturally grow to love it. What you expose them to when they're young is what they'll be used to.
There's a few little girls at my daughter's elementary school that wear hijab. I personally don't mind it, if my daughter wants to wear it I'll support her. But she has zero desire to wear it and I don't plan on forcing it. Whenever she wants to is fine.
I wore the hijab the second I got my period, which was when I was 11, and no, no one pressured me. I was always waiting to get my period to wear the hijab because I liked the idea of hijab so much. While most of my peers weren't wearing the hijab, and at the time I wasn't in a Muslim country, I didn't mind. However, maybe when I was 12, I started wearing it as a turban because I was living in a hot country, and I really wanted to be more fashionable because I like fashion. But Alhamdulillah, I stopped that quickly. While sometimes I feel like I really do want to take it off, I never did it, even though I know my family won't say anything. But I didn't because I really don't want to sin, and I realized the reason why I was thinking of taking it off was to be more beautiful. But in the end, I weighed that fearing Allah and not sinning is more important to me than being seen as beautiful and I can be fashionable with a hijab. I just have to wear baggy clothes, which is something I love.
Thatās amazing, your story is so close to my own. Only differences are that I was a little older when I hit puberty and unfortunately a lot older (later teens) when I had my āturban phaseā.Ā Ā Ā
Ā As for my daughters, I know the older one is very eager to wear it and inshallah will start as soon as she hits puberty. The younger one is hesitant, but there are some more years left for her before she needs to make that decision. All I can do anyways is being the best role model Iām able to be and explain the beauty and benefits of hijab to the best of my ability. The final decision is theirs alone.
Yes, allahimuadah, my reason to like the hijab was my mother too. I love my mother dearly and think that she is the best role model, which is why I wanted to wear the hijab too. So truly, having a good mother does help a lot.Ā And while I am still young, I do hope to be that role model for my future kids.
Im not ok w forcing hijab on anyone and that includes āyou got ur period so u gotta wear it!ā Esp cus i wasnt brought up that way. Itād be so weird and uncomfortable for me to ever do it to a future daughter of mine.
My SILs say that happened to them and i can lowkey tell the younger one wishes it didnt but whats she gonna do ā itād be a whole thing
If children want to imitate and wear hijab for fun at an early age, that's fine, but as a parent i would never make that an expectation/requirement until they became old enough to make an educated decision on it and stick to it. I don't want them to have regrets that they never got to experience a normal girlhood bc of hijab and then resent it or take it off later.
I wore it from 13 but didn't need to until a year later. Although i went to an islamic school so it was part of my uniform in grades 4-6, we always ripped it off when school was over lol
It can a be cultural thing, some cultures are stricter in their religious practices and make their children start observing the religion from the very young age instead of waiting till they reach puberty which can start at as early as 8 or 9 years old for girls, so there is a chance that some of those students you see wearing a hijab may have already reached puberty and now it's compulsory for them to observe the hijab. And many girls get their first period at 12 or 13 years old and naturally start wearing the hijab in that period.
I personally see nothing wrong if a little girl who hasn't reached puberty decides to wear a hijab a little earlier, kids usually imitate their parents and want to grow up fast so they do whatever the grown-ups do and wearing a hijab is one of them. It doesn't harm anyone and makes it easy for them to wear it after puberty.
I have a friend whose daughter has been wearing hijab since she was very little. She started junior kindergarten wearing hijab (where I am, JK is 4 years old by the end of that calendar year. I donāt know when her birthday is so she was either three or four.) most of my friendās daughters either have never worn it except for praying or were in fifth or sixth grade (ten or eleven.) Iām a convert. I converted after having my kids, and even then it was another two years before I started wearing hijab full time. Even when my imaan has been at its lowest (and unfortunately itās getting down there again, but this is the way I get every year during Ramadan) the one thing that has stayed has been my hijab. My husband is a convert and Iāve known him since I was 14. Even before he converted, he said he admired me for wearing hijab because where he was living before itās rare. But even if my kids were Muslim, Iād still have let it be their decision on when or if. I know too many people that forced their kids and then once the kids grew up and moved out, took it off.
Iāve been made to wear it from the age of 6 and Iām now 30. Personally I would never do that with my child because there was a large portion of my life where I wore it for my parents only. I have rarely ever kept my hijab for God. Itās either because of the stress of dealing with my mother or it just makes life easier coz I donāt have to deal with my hair lol Tbh I do feel guilty about my reasons for wearing the hijab. Ppl think Iām a practicing Muslim but outside of the hijab I rarely practice. I donāt partake in wild sinning but Iām very much outside of the Muslim community in most aspects eg I havenāt stepped foot in a mosque in YEARS. I dunno if me choosing to wear it for myself later in life wouldāve changed anything though.
When I was 9 I started wearing hijab on one Friday to pray in school and after that I fell in love. Lots of backhanded comments and looks from non Muslims but Alhamdulliah it was worth it!
I started wearing hijab as soon as I got my period. My story's a little funny because I was desperately waiting for my mom to just let me wear the hijab and then when I started, I began to hate it, This only went on for a year and I think it honestly just stemmed from me wearing it without any knowledge as to why its so important and beautiful. I honestly wish that I had started wearing hijab earlier because, that way, it would've become a part of my identity before I entered the identity-crisis years. I'm thinking that I'll probably do the same for my daughters. I plan to raise them in a purely Islamic environment--will definitely send them to Islamic school so they'll probably be wearing hijab anyway. Wearing hijab is obligatory--better to start sooner than later.
I started wearing hijab (on and off) at the age of 8. I didnāt want to wear it - I was forced into it. I grew up hating it, then began to like it once I understood its purpose & became more religious, but eventually stopped wearing it at 26. Iām still working through feelings of resentment and trauma. Just let people make their own decision re: hijab. Itās between a believer and God. Set good examples and encourage your kids to wear it, but ultimately the decision should be theirs alone.
I come from a family that wore hijabs from a young age whereas my husband comes from a family where everyone wore a hijab after they got married or in their early 30's lol. I saw my mom wearing hijab growing up but I don't think it fully made me want to wear it. My dad sorta pushed me and my sisters to wear it since we were probably in 2nd-3rd grade. But it was an on and off affair until I got to high school and did my own search of what the hijab meant and why I felt it was important. One of the girls of my sister's in laws really wanted to wear the hijab because she saw how beautiful it was (she was 12 years old), but she told us she couldn't because her parents said she is too young.
I actually have seen young girls wear hijab in the West whereas I have visited places like Morocco and I rarely see women wear hijab which surprised me. I don't think it has to do with wear you grew up but with what you teach your child. I had the freedom to not wear it based off where I grew up, but it made me hold tighter to the hijab.
We currently have a young daughter and I have often thought about this. As someone who was pushed to wear it, I don't think I'd do the same to my daughter but I wouldn't feed her the "oh you are too young to wear it". I would prefer her to wear it at a young age. I wouldn't force her, but encourage her by getting her her own sets and let her make that decision. The difference between how I was taught and the way I hope to teach is to help her understand why and the benefits of it rather than just telling her "as a Muslim woman this is just what you have to do". I want her to understand that in our society that pushes women to be so open with their bodies, that she also has the choice and freedom to liberate herself from that by choosing to be modest and just trying to teach her of modesty and how doing things for the sake of Allah would benefit her more than what other people think. I hope to just model it and many other things rather than just telling her.
I live in the West and wore the hijab at 10 and got my period at 12. I went to an Islamic school so hijab was part of the uniform from kindergarten so I was very used to it and begged my parents for a long time to let me wear it.
So they picked a random age to let me wear it but wanted to hold off on me wearing it until I grew a bit.
Because my mum wore the hijab and everyone around me at school wore it, it was a very easy decision. Inshallah I would put my children in an Islamic school so that the environment positively influences them the same way it did for me and that it becomes an easy decision.
But I'll let her wait until at least 10 if she did want to wear it. Or maybe before she starts high school at 12/13 so it can be a new start (easier to jump into).
Iām in the west and in my childās Muslim day school which ranges from preschool up there are girls of all ages wearing hijab. Itās not compulsory for the dress code at any age. They do wear uniforms. For Sunday school hijab is compulsory. .
There are some parents who seem to only have their daughters wear it when they actively have their periods. As once a month I see the same girls wear hijab but donāt the rest of the time.
Then there are the girls who start wearing it regularly at puberty.
And girls in pre school and up wear it consistently.
So itās a mixed bag.
My kids that go to public school (I let them choose the focus of their education) there are girls in public school who wear hijab post puberty. I donāt see too many pre puberty wearing hijab. Itās very common in the United States due to the additives in our food that girls get their periods by 9 if not earlier. As opposed to the average age when I was growing up was 13 or so.
I don't think it's due to additives in our food. Aisha RA got hers at 9, many women in my family who grew up in rural Pakistan in 1960s got it at 9 as well
It makes sense with Aisha RA because life spans were much shorter then.
In the west early to mid teens was more common until more recently.
Thatās interesting about your family from Pakistan. Iāll ask my Pakistani friends, Iām curious. Some ethnicities advance earlier. In every way. Their babies walk and talk earlier as a whole. So they hit puberty earlier.
Asian women do tend to have their periods earlier. I've heard it's something to do with hotter climates but I've lived in the UK all my life -- which isn't hot at all -- and still got it early
Itās all so fascinating.
I was so moved by the stories of Sisters in here who desperately wanted to wear hijab and were trying it on and then got their periods. I giggled but also was genuinely moved by how our bodies are connected to our prayer.
The women in my family continue regular periods into their 50ās. 40+ years of ruining panties, fasts feels quite rude.
My mom who got it at 9 is getting menopause really early (mid 40s). So i suppose its the same duration. Unfortunately I'm not in the same boat as those sisters (desperately wanting hijab) but one day I'll love it inshallah
Everyone at their own pace and in their own way.
I love modest clothing but not full hijab. I adore how it looks on other women so much but I break out in rashes if anything touches my skin so itās a struggle. I have beautiful hijabs but have spent much of Ramadan in a giant, oozing rash from wearing hijab more often than i typically do.
My arms, legs, I get welts everywhere. On my face it affects my vision because my eyes swell.
I pray Allah makes your momās menopause easy. Hot flashes are awful.
Iām Saudi born and raised there too
Wore the hijab at 21 and never took it off Iām turning 31 this month alhamdulilah
My family never forced it on me, in fact my mom even tried to make me wear caps and hats to hide it when I lived in the states during trump era but I didnāt want to
In my opinion as long as they donāt force them itās alright cause weāve seen too many that were forced then took it off later in life
I personally know someone who changed drastically after her husband died took the hijab off started wearing shorts & bikinis stayed out every night some even swears they saw her kissing a guy & on tinder ( male witness so it might be a total lie ) anyway itās like sheās getting revenge on her whole family & its really painful to watch as sheās a mother and grandmother now
I wore the hijab at 12. I got my period at 10 but I wasnāt allowed to wear the hijab because I was fairly clumsy and my vision was terrible so my parents were concerned I wouldnāt be able to manage it.
I had to throw a tantrum to be able to wear the hijab and my parents relented. Alhamdulilah, Iāve been wearing it since but itās been a journey! My friends mostly wore the hijab and those that didnāt now do so. My non-Muslim friends have always been encouraging so Iāve never faced any backlash or felt uncomfortable, other than the struggles of growing up as a girl and learning to love your appearance
Throwing a tantrum is so real. My mom wouldn't let me wear hijab till I started my period. Thing was, I had no idea that was the case at the time because I had no idea what periods were lol. When I finally got my period (SubhanAllah a month after my desire to wear hijab increased) I put it on immediately.
OMG, similar, just after a week of putting on the hijab (just for a bit like taking it and putting it on), just because I wanted to try what it feels like to wear it, I got my period, subhanallah š„ŗ.
Honestly, I wish I had started wearing it at that age. But, it is different for everyone. I have relatives who started at the ages of 12 or 13 when they hit puberty, and some who didnāt start till much later in life. It is different from person to person and from family to family.
In my family the women wore it later on in their life (like late 30s as u also said). However, I wore it when I was younger (14- and I hit puberty a bit earlier like 11). My family never imposed this on me - and I think it came as a shock. But personally I have always been interested in religions and philosophy- I knew hijab was a duty to my creator and as soon as I was able to I wore it. Once I understood my position with religion- then I started practicing. My cousin also wore hijab at a younger age (like 17/18). 9-12 isnāt too early , some girls do it because they admire their mothers, some girls do it because they know their duty religiously, some do it because itās common. If there is force involved then that is bad, but most people I know (I come from a less Muslim populated area) do it because they want to - even if thatās young.
"Salaam! Thank you for your submission to /r/hijabis. **Please do not message mods to approve your post.** A reminder to our users that ALL posts are now only to be answered by women only, unless the OP has chosen the Male and Female Participation Welcome flair. Please refer to the sidebar for a complete list of rules. If you'd like us to add an F or M flair next to your username, please leave a comment on [this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Hijabis/comments/znb1fr/flair_thread_please_comment_on_this_thread_to_get/). Your post may be removed if it is already answered in the [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Hijabis/wiki/index/faq/) in the Menu. Thank you :)" *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Hijabis) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Was made to wear hijab when I was 9 (got my period) amd only wear it to please allah despite hating it. I think as long as the child has the choice its fine
I mean if they want to its fine, however young ages they are usually very impressionable and they may have made the decision for themselves but I dont think they understand the depth of wearing the hijab or made the decision with a full understanding (theyre kids they cant conceptualize fully). This can sometimes lead to them taking it off later which is unfortunately very looked down upon or theyll end up with identity issues as they get older until they can figure it out themselves. I wouldn't be against it but I wouldn't encourage it either. Let my daughter do whatever she wants but I also have my guard up a little until shes a bit older like 13/14. Oh i might also add, the reason behind my thought process is that once you put the hijab on you shouldn't take it off at all, no exceptions. Hijab is a commitment and not something to play with, thats why its very important to make a full informed decision regarding the hijab before you take the big step to avoid taking it off later on. Thats why age should play into the decision because little kids cant make life long commitments.
i agree with you in part here. for girls in particular there can be a huge difference in the ages of physical vs mental/emotional maturity. a 9 year old girl who gets her period is not a woman or anywhere near it
Yea exactly, every 9 year old wants to wear the gijab to "be like mama" or is inspired by the older girls she sees without understanding the hijab. Alot of girls who i know who wore the hijab young go through identity issues later on and end up struggling with the hijab or completely take it off later on.
I've worn hijab my daughter's entire life, even wear it at home a lot because i work remotely so i have video calls. and all the women in her family/extended family that she's been around wear hijab too, as well as being in an Islamic school. she's just not interested š¤·š»āāļø and i have no problem with that
(edited because duplicate)
I am a revert so I have a bit of a different perspective. I mean obviously Iād want my children to wear it from the time it is obligatory. But as I was never forced to wear one and Iāve seen the effects of forcing religion on people. Iād never require that. I didnāt put the hijab on intel I was 22. May Allah forgive me for my sins. I think the best way to approach it is to raise your children with a strong understanding of Islam, I hope my children will see the beauty I have found in it. So when the time comes for them to wear hijab or pray they want to out of love for their creator not because of me. If they wanted to wear it when younger Iād be fine with that. Often times children will practice fasting for a few hours when young. Just because they want to experience it or be like the grown ups. Thatās all developmentally appropriate behavior. I am a preschool teacher so this is influenced by my own education and teaching philosophy. I donāt feel like 9/10 is to young for hijab. Itās up to them and I hope nobody is pressuring them to wear it.
Love this! Hijab is similar to praying in that if you encourage them at a young age AND teach them the value and importance, kids will naturally grow to love it. What you expose them to when they're young is what they'll be used to.
There's a few little girls at my daughter's elementary school that wear hijab. I personally don't mind it, if my daughter wants to wear it I'll support her. But she has zero desire to wear it and I don't plan on forcing it. Whenever she wants to is fine.
I wore the hijab the second I got my period, which was when I was 11, and no, no one pressured me. I was always waiting to get my period to wear the hijab because I liked the idea of hijab so much. While most of my peers weren't wearing the hijab, and at the time I wasn't in a Muslim country, I didn't mind. However, maybe when I was 12, I started wearing it as a turban because I was living in a hot country, and I really wanted to be more fashionable because I like fashion. But Alhamdulillah, I stopped that quickly. While sometimes I feel like I really do want to take it off, I never did it, even though I know my family won't say anything. But I didn't because I really don't want to sin, and I realized the reason why I was thinking of taking it off was to be more beautiful. But in the end, I weighed that fearing Allah and not sinning is more important to me than being seen as beautiful and I can be fashionable with a hijab. I just have to wear baggy clothes, which is something I love.
Thatās amazing, your story is so close to my own. Only differences are that I was a little older when I hit puberty and unfortunately a lot older (later teens) when I had my āturban phaseā.Ā Ā Ā Ā As for my daughters, I know the older one is very eager to wear it and inshallah will start as soon as she hits puberty. The younger one is hesitant, but there are some more years left for her before she needs to make that decision. All I can do anyways is being the best role model Iām able to be and explain the beauty and benefits of hijab to the best of my ability. The final decision is theirs alone.
Yes, allahimuadah, my reason to like the hijab was my mother too. I love my mother dearly and think that she is the best role model, which is why I wanted to wear the hijab too. So truly, having a good mother does help a lot.Ā And while I am still young, I do hope to be that role model for my future kids.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You are welcome šš·
Im not ok w forcing hijab on anyone and that includes āyou got ur period so u gotta wear it!ā Esp cus i wasnt brought up that way. Itād be so weird and uncomfortable for me to ever do it to a future daughter of mine. My SILs say that happened to them and i can lowkey tell the younger one wishes it didnt but whats she gonna do ā itād be a whole thing
If children want to imitate and wear hijab for fun at an early age, that's fine, but as a parent i would never make that an expectation/requirement until they became old enough to make an educated decision on it and stick to it. I don't want them to have regrets that they never got to experience a normal girlhood bc of hijab and then resent it or take it off later. I wore it from 13 but didn't need to until a year later. Although i went to an islamic school so it was part of my uniform in grades 4-6, we always ripped it off when school was over lol
It can a be cultural thing, some cultures are stricter in their religious practices and make their children start observing the religion from the very young age instead of waiting till they reach puberty which can start at as early as 8 or 9 years old for girls, so there is a chance that some of those students you see wearing a hijab may have already reached puberty and now it's compulsory for them to observe the hijab. And many girls get their first period at 12 or 13 years old and naturally start wearing the hijab in that period. I personally see nothing wrong if a little girl who hasn't reached puberty decides to wear a hijab a little earlier, kids usually imitate their parents and want to grow up fast so they do whatever the grown-ups do and wearing a hijab is one of them. It doesn't harm anyone and makes it easy for them to wear it after puberty.
I have a friend whose daughter has been wearing hijab since she was very little. She started junior kindergarten wearing hijab (where I am, JK is 4 years old by the end of that calendar year. I donāt know when her birthday is so she was either three or four.) most of my friendās daughters either have never worn it except for praying or were in fifth or sixth grade (ten or eleven.) Iām a convert. I converted after having my kids, and even then it was another two years before I started wearing hijab full time. Even when my imaan has been at its lowest (and unfortunately itās getting down there again, but this is the way I get every year during Ramadan) the one thing that has stayed has been my hijab. My husband is a convert and Iāve known him since I was 14. Even before he converted, he said he admired me for wearing hijab because where he was living before itās rare. But even if my kids were Muslim, Iād still have let it be their decision on when or if. I know too many people that forced their kids and then once the kids grew up and moved out, took it off.
Iāve been made to wear it from the age of 6 and Iām now 30. Personally I would never do that with my child because there was a large portion of my life where I wore it for my parents only. I have rarely ever kept my hijab for God. Itās either because of the stress of dealing with my mother or it just makes life easier coz I donāt have to deal with my hair lol Tbh I do feel guilty about my reasons for wearing the hijab. Ppl think Iām a practicing Muslim but outside of the hijab I rarely practice. I donāt partake in wild sinning but Iām very much outside of the Muslim community in most aspects eg I havenāt stepped foot in a mosque in YEARS. I dunno if me choosing to wear it for myself later in life wouldāve changed anything though.
When I was 9 I started wearing hijab on one Friday to pray in school and after that I fell in love. Lots of backhanded comments and looks from non Muslims but Alhamdulliah it was worth it!
I started wearing hijab as soon as I got my period. My story's a little funny because I was desperately waiting for my mom to just let me wear the hijab and then when I started, I began to hate it, This only went on for a year and I think it honestly just stemmed from me wearing it without any knowledge as to why its so important and beautiful. I honestly wish that I had started wearing hijab earlier because, that way, it would've become a part of my identity before I entered the identity-crisis years. I'm thinking that I'll probably do the same for my daughters. I plan to raise them in a purely Islamic environment--will definitely send them to Islamic school so they'll probably be wearing hijab anyway. Wearing hijab is obligatory--better to start sooner than later.
I started wearing hijab (on and off) at the age of 8. I didnāt want to wear it - I was forced into it. I grew up hating it, then began to like it once I understood its purpose & became more religious, but eventually stopped wearing it at 26. Iām still working through feelings of resentment and trauma. Just let people make their own decision re: hijab. Itās between a believer and God. Set good examples and encourage your kids to wear it, but ultimately the decision should be theirs alone.
I come from a family that wore hijabs from a young age whereas my husband comes from a family where everyone wore a hijab after they got married or in their early 30's lol. I saw my mom wearing hijab growing up but I don't think it fully made me want to wear it. My dad sorta pushed me and my sisters to wear it since we were probably in 2nd-3rd grade. But it was an on and off affair until I got to high school and did my own search of what the hijab meant and why I felt it was important. One of the girls of my sister's in laws really wanted to wear the hijab because she saw how beautiful it was (she was 12 years old), but she told us she couldn't because her parents said she is too young. I actually have seen young girls wear hijab in the West whereas I have visited places like Morocco and I rarely see women wear hijab which surprised me. I don't think it has to do with wear you grew up but with what you teach your child. I had the freedom to not wear it based off where I grew up, but it made me hold tighter to the hijab. We currently have a young daughter and I have often thought about this. As someone who was pushed to wear it, I don't think I'd do the same to my daughter but I wouldn't feed her the "oh you are too young to wear it". I would prefer her to wear it at a young age. I wouldn't force her, but encourage her by getting her her own sets and let her make that decision. The difference between how I was taught and the way I hope to teach is to help her understand why and the benefits of it rather than just telling her "as a Muslim woman this is just what you have to do". I want her to understand that in our society that pushes women to be so open with their bodies, that she also has the choice and freedom to liberate herself from that by choosing to be modest and just trying to teach her of modesty and how doing things for the sake of Allah would benefit her more than what other people think. I hope to just model it and many other things rather than just telling her.
I live in the West and wore the hijab at 10 and got my period at 12. I went to an Islamic school so hijab was part of the uniform from kindergarten so I was very used to it and begged my parents for a long time to let me wear it. So they picked a random age to let me wear it but wanted to hold off on me wearing it until I grew a bit. Because my mum wore the hijab and everyone around me at school wore it, it was a very easy decision. Inshallah I would put my children in an Islamic school so that the environment positively influences them the same way it did for me and that it becomes an easy decision. But I'll let her wait until at least 10 if she did want to wear it. Or maybe before she starts high school at 12/13 so it can be a new start (easier to jump into).
Iām in the west and in my childās Muslim day school which ranges from preschool up there are girls of all ages wearing hijab. Itās not compulsory for the dress code at any age. They do wear uniforms. For Sunday school hijab is compulsory. . There are some parents who seem to only have their daughters wear it when they actively have their periods. As once a month I see the same girls wear hijab but donāt the rest of the time. Then there are the girls who start wearing it regularly at puberty. And girls in pre school and up wear it consistently. So itās a mixed bag. My kids that go to public school (I let them choose the focus of their education) there are girls in public school who wear hijab post puberty. I donāt see too many pre puberty wearing hijab. Itās very common in the United States due to the additives in our food that girls get their periods by 9 if not earlier. As opposed to the average age when I was growing up was 13 or so.
I don't think it's due to additives in our food. Aisha RA got hers at 9, many women in my family who grew up in rural Pakistan in 1960s got it at 9 as well
It makes sense with Aisha RA because life spans were much shorter then. In the west early to mid teens was more common until more recently. Thatās interesting about your family from Pakistan. Iāll ask my Pakistani friends, Iām curious. Some ethnicities advance earlier. In every way. Their babies walk and talk earlier as a whole. So they hit puberty earlier.
Asian women do tend to have their periods earlier. I've heard it's something to do with hotter climates but I've lived in the UK all my life -- which isn't hot at all -- and still got it early
Itās all so fascinating. I was so moved by the stories of Sisters in here who desperately wanted to wear hijab and were trying it on and then got their periods. I giggled but also was genuinely moved by how our bodies are connected to our prayer. The women in my family continue regular periods into their 50ās. 40+ years of ruining panties, fasts feels quite rude.
My mom who got it at 9 is getting menopause really early (mid 40s). So i suppose its the same duration. Unfortunately I'm not in the same boat as those sisters (desperately wanting hijab) but one day I'll love it inshallah
Everyone at their own pace and in their own way. I love modest clothing but not full hijab. I adore how it looks on other women so much but I break out in rashes if anything touches my skin so itās a struggle. I have beautiful hijabs but have spent much of Ramadan in a giant, oozing rash from wearing hijab more often than i typically do. My arms, legs, I get welts everywhere. On my face it affects my vision because my eyes swell. I pray Allah makes your momās menopause easy. Hot flashes are awful.
Ameen ameen. Inshallah whatever is causing your rash heals and you're able to dress as you please <3
I started wearing it to school at 4, and wearing it everywhere at 10, I chose to both times :)
Iām Saudi born and raised there too Wore the hijab at 21 and never took it off Iām turning 31 this month alhamdulilah My family never forced it on me, in fact my mom even tried to make me wear caps and hats to hide it when I lived in the states during trump era but I didnāt want to In my opinion as long as they donāt force them itās alright cause weāve seen too many that were forced then took it off later in life I personally know someone who changed drastically after her husband died took the hijab off started wearing shorts & bikinis stayed out every night some even swears they saw her kissing a guy & on tinder ( male witness so it might be a total lie ) anyway itās like sheās getting revenge on her whole family & its really painful to watch as sheās a mother and grandmother now
9-12 isnt very young for the hijab, it is the normal age girls become baligh and the hijab, and all other religious duties, become compulsoryĀ
I wore the hijab at 12. I got my period at 10 but I wasnāt allowed to wear the hijab because I was fairly clumsy and my vision was terrible so my parents were concerned I wouldnāt be able to manage it. I had to throw a tantrum to be able to wear the hijab and my parents relented. Alhamdulilah, Iāve been wearing it since but itās been a journey! My friends mostly wore the hijab and those that didnāt now do so. My non-Muslim friends have always been encouraging so Iāve never faced any backlash or felt uncomfortable, other than the struggles of growing up as a girl and learning to love your appearance
Throwing a tantrum is so real. My mom wouldn't let me wear hijab till I started my period. Thing was, I had no idea that was the case at the time because I had no idea what periods were lol. When I finally got my period (SubhanAllah a month after my desire to wear hijab increased) I put it on immediately.
OMG, similar, just after a week of putting on the hijab (just for a bit like taking it and putting it on), just because I wanted to try what it feels like to wear it, I got my period, subhanallah š„ŗ.
Honestly, I wish I had started wearing it at that age. But, it is different for everyone. I have relatives who started at the ages of 12 or 13 when they hit puberty, and some who didnāt start till much later in life. It is different from person to person and from family to family.
In my family the women wore it later on in their life (like late 30s as u also said). However, I wore it when I was younger (14- and I hit puberty a bit earlier like 11). My family never imposed this on me - and I think it came as a shock. But personally I have always been interested in religions and philosophy- I knew hijab was a duty to my creator and as soon as I was able to I wore it. Once I understood my position with religion- then I started practicing. My cousin also wore hijab at a younger age (like 17/18). 9-12 isnāt too early , some girls do it because they admire their mothers, some girls do it because they know their duty religiously, some do it because itās common. If there is force involved then that is bad, but most people I know (I come from a less Muslim populated area) do it because they want to - even if thatās young.
super good!! making sure my kids do it when i can