When I was gardening with my mother in the front yard, planting blooming flowers or slender vines, my hands were getting the worst of it.  The result of our efforts was magnificent – or as magnificent as we could make it – and our hard work paid off.  Each morning we would have an evolving garden to look forward to.  However, at the completion of our task, we found our hands covered with mud and nails darkened with the result of our labor.  Without doubt, I was not going to march in, prop open the fridge, take out the leftovers, [...]

When I first started wearing hijab full-time, I didn’t think it was a big deal. I constantly wondered why we had to wear hijab in the first place – after all, I would think to myself, it’s just hair. Wouldn’t it have been more prudent (astughfirullah) to command women to cover their faces, instead?
I was wrong, though. Of course I was. And I still clearly remember the event that changed my mind.
A private Islamic school in my community was holding a “Sisters’ Night” – an all-girls night where we would be permitted to don flashy dresses and let our hair [...]