Object of
Despair A poem by
Fahim Firfiray (Abu Omar) Emma is a lawyer And so is Aisha too
Colleagues going into court At circa half past two Its 1 O'clock
right now They grab a bite before the trial They chat about this
and that Conversing with a smile Aisha is in full hijab With a
loose all over suit Emma's in her business wear With accessories
taboot Emma's really quite bemused At Aisha's godly ways She
looks Aisha in the eyes And very firmly says You're a smart girl
Aisha Why do you wear that across your hair? Subjugated by
"man"-kind An object of despair Take it off my sister Let your
banner be unfurled Don't blindly follow all around DECLARE YOUR
FREEDOM TO THE WORLD Aisha is amazed But not the least bit shy
She bravely puts her milk shake down And gives Emma the reply My
dear sister Emma, Why do you dress the way you do? The skirt
you're wearing round your waist, Is it really you? Now that we've
sat down, I see you tug it across your thighs, Do you feel
ashamed? Aware of prying eyes? I see the way you're sitting, Both
legs joined at the knees, Who forces you to sit like that? Do you
feel at ease? I'll tell you who obliges you, To dress the way you
do, Gucci, Klein and St. Laurent, All have designs on you! In the
main, its men my friend, Who dictate the whims of fashion,
Generating all the garb, To incite the basest passion "Sex Sells"
there is no doubt, But who buys with such great haste, The answer
is the likes of you, Because they want to be embraced...... They
want to be accepted, On a level playing field Sure, with brain
and intellect But with body parts revealed Intelligence and
reason Are useful by and by But if you want to make a mark Stay
appealing to the eye You claim your skirt is office like A
business dress of sorts Would we not laugh at Tony Blair If he
turned up in shorts? His could be the poshest pants Pinstripe
from Saville Rowe But walking round like that my friend He'd
really have to go Why do you douse yourself with creams To make
your skin so milky? Why do rip off all your hair To keep your
body silky? A simple shower's all you need To stay respectable
and clean The time and money that you spend Is really quite
obscene Why do you wake up at dawn, To apply a firm foundation,
Topped with make up and the like, In one chaotic combination? And
if you should have to leave the house Devoid of this routine Why
do you feel so insecure That you should not be seen? Be free my
sister Emma Escape from your deep mire Don hijab today my friend
And all Islam's attire Avoid all those sickly stares Or whistles
from afar Walk down the street with dignity Take pride in who you
are Strength lies in anonymity Be a shadow in the crowd Until you
speak and interact When your voice will carry loud You're a smart
girl Emma Wear this across your hair Don't be subjugated by
"man"-kind An object of despair To use your very words my friend
Let your banner be unfurled Don't blindly follow all around
DECLARE YOUR FREEDOM TO THE WORLD
Our
Hijab
The
hair is the crowning glory of every women.
Our
long hair professes our beauty and most powerful of our image.
Our
eyes speaks louder than our voice.
Our
voice speaks louder than our body.
Our
body is the very case of our being.
Our
softness is a blessing from Allah, the Creator.
But
this beauty becomes a medium for sinful eyes.
Allah is indeed Merciful and our Protector.
Alhamdullilah for Hijab...Niqab...and Burqah...
Truly the identity of every Muslimah.
Hijab, a covering that implies inner and outer modesty.
It
is quite impossible to see the inside when one observe the
outside.
Hijab is
not some kind of culture or racial identity.
Rather our hijab is the identity required by Allah.
"Oh
Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the
believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies
(i.e.
screen
themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the
way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free
respectable women so as not to be annoyed.)" (Ahzaab 59)
A
Muslimah are accused of having a " fish brain " because of our
hijab.
We are
accused of being a " terrorist " because of our hijab.
We
are accused of being an "Arab" because of our hijab.
We
are accused of being an "oppressed "creature because of our hijab.
We
are accused of living our lives in the "past" because of our
hijab.
We are
accused of being over protective of our body because of our hijab.
We
are accuse of many thing because of our hijab.
Is
this the reason why some of our claiming Muslimah abandoned hijab?
Without the hijab , we are completely stripped naked.
Without hijab , we are completely oppressed and exploited.
Without hijab, we are disrespected by those sinful eyes.
Without hijab , we are treated just exactly as a non Muslim.
Without hijab, we lost our outer modesty, more so affects our
inner
modesty.
Without hijab, we are susceptible in inviting sin ourselves.
Hijab is every Muslimah's shield.
The
very identity that tells a Muslimah that ," she is another
Muslimah",
one who
pleases Allah by following his commandments.
Hijab serves as a form of dawah for us.
It
reminds another Muslimah that this is our true identity.
It
reminds the whole world that a Muslimah is a unique individual
incomparable to other women.
Hijab is what makes a Muslimah.
The
very identity of the Muslimaat.