Firman Allah s.w.t yang bermaksud “Dan katakanlah kepada perempuan-perempuan yang beriman supaya menyekat pandangan mereka (daripada memandang yang haram), dan memelihara kehormatan mereka, dan janganlah mereka memperlihatkan perhiasan tubuh mereka kecuali yang zahir daripadanya, dan hendaklah mereka menutup belahan leher bajunya dengan tudung kepala mereka, dan janganlah mereka memperlihatkan perhiasan tubuh mereka melainkan kepada suami mereka, atau bapa mereka, atau bapa mertua mereka, atau anak-anak mereka, atau anak-anak tiri mereka, atau saudara-saudara mereka, atau anak bagi saudara-saudara mereka yang perempuan, atau perempuan-perempuan islam, atau hamba-hamba mereka, atau orang gaji dari orang-orang lelaki yang telah tua dan tidak berkeinginan kepada perempuan, atau kanak-kanak yang belum mengerti lagi tentang aurat perempuan, dan janganlah mereka menghentakkan kaki untuk diketahui orang akan apa yang tersembunyi dari perhiasan mereka, dan bertaubatlah kamu sekalian kepada allah, wahai orang-orang yang beriman, supaya kamu berjaya”

And say to the faithful women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their adornment except what is apparent of it, and to extend their headcoverings (khimars) to cover their bosoms (jaybs), and not to display their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to Allah together, O you the faithful, in order that you are successful (An Nur: 31).

Now that you’re there, now that you’ve done it, congratulate yourself. And now, on ways of wearing it. The hijab is not just a piece of cloth you put on your head. I, for one, believe that it is more than that. It is something that represents modesty, that represents a Muslim woman, that represents you. Thus, wearing it modestly and appropriately would be nice and fit the purpose. Oh, and about being fashionable? You can be fashionable all you want for all I care. As long as you don’t forget the true reason on why you wear the hijab. Pakailah tudung macam mana pun, berlilit, berpin, asal jangan kita lupa kenapa sebenarnya kita memakai tudung di kepala. I have seen so many different styles, so many creative ones, weird looking ones also, but Alhamdulillah, many of you have been blessed with creativity. DeBono once said that creativity is a mysterious and rare gift. Thus, not everyone has it. But being able to manipulate and experiment with it, one must be inventive. And so I have seen many inventive and creative Muslims nowadays, especially women. But always remember what the hijab represents.

Don’t complicate the simple. Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda,”Islam itu mudah maka jangan dipersulitkan,”.

Next, on wearing it right. Sue Anna Joe had once released a “Wear It Right” Campaign about sometime last year? I’m not pretty sure. It is a really good campaign and I hope it has been effective. It has been summoned by Allah in the Holy Quran, that we should cover the hair, the neck and also the chest.

Mentutup aurat dengan betul dan sempurnanya, bukanlah sesuatu yang mudah bagi sesetangah orang. Mungkin kalau dah terbiasa sejak kecil, mudah untuk mereka. Tapi bagi orang yang mencari jalan sendiri, it’s probably a big step. But we can start by taking that first small step. Hold on hold on, janglah marah, atau jangan pula nak “condemn”. For I have once been that person. But alhamdulillah, Allah made me realise on the importance of wearing it right. It is a fact, a fact that sometimes we are afraid to face, or choose not to face at all. But why, still, does this problem occur?

Maybe this is why? I suppose all need a little of reflection. And fix our perception. I’ll leave that to you to think about. Right now, we’re unsure of where we stand(in terms of heaven and hell, sins and deed), tapi amalan-amalan di dunia lah yang akan membantu. If wearing it right can increase the chances of standing firmly, then why not? Please, this is not something that anyone created just for fun, just to condemn celebrities and create controversies. This is something that has already been written in the Holy Quran. And there are its benefits.

Sekurang-kurangnya, kasihanilah kaum adam. Sudah lah mereka itu “kaum yang lemah sebenarnya”(Dr. Hamzah, 2011). Bukanlah mereka ini lemah, lembik atau lembut. Tetapi, macam mana pun, tetap manusia. And they too have what the anatomical term call “fontanels”, meaning “soft spots”. Kalau tak, macam mana mereka ni boleh “jatuh cinta”? Is it not when we fall in love, our hearts weakens? Tet! Tapi.. itulah. Yang pada asalnya tak tengok, dah tertengok. Yang memang tak mahu tengok, kita pula menggalakan dia tengok. Kalau tak tutup dada, apakah tidak ada apa-apa yang tertonjol? Ada yang memakai ketat sana ketat sini, nak berfesyen katanya. Macam mana saya tahu semua ini? For once I had been this lost person. I thought that it would be fine. At some point it seemed cool. Sekarang.. Hm, rasa malu pula. If it is just drawing attention to yourself, then you never know what could happen next.. Unless you like that kind of attention. I know I don’t. And if I had a husband, I know he wouldn’t either. Don’t you want to feel special for the one and only? And what I mean is, well, humans, are simply attracted to each other in many ways. Tak semestinya kalau kita memakai tudung labuh, atau pakai serba hitam, perhatian orang tak akan tertarik. Tapi tarikan seksual tu tidak dilahirkan, sebaliknya ia menarik manusia untuk seketika berfikir tentang Deen Islam, Allah, maruah, dan ‘kecantikan dalaman’. Please, don’t be shy about this. It’s time to open up and educate yourself. In Malaysia, this a sensitive issue. However, it should not be as sensitive as it is related to our daily lives. We probably need to fix our mentality, no? Because it can cause confusion and how can we mature if we aren’t allowed to talk about the important matters? Alah. Macam pegang anjing. “Tak boleh pegang anjing!”. Sebenarnya, orang yang cakap macam tu, dia dengar “anjing” je. “Tak boleh pegang anjing yang basah” sebenarnya. “Anjing basah” tu tertinggal lah pula. So.. yeah how about that whole fix perception idea?

Believe me, after wearing it right, well.. Ok before that. This is the problem with me. I sometimes have low self esteem. Anything can trigger it back to zero. But now, sometimes I feel pretty when wearing it right. I feel good about myself. And that is what everyone should feel about themselves. These things, these small things, perkara remeh-temeh ni, banyak kepentingannya. These small things really matter. Maybe if you don’t get it now, I hope you understand sooner or later. *(For further understanding, refer to http://lobaitampin.blogspot.com/2011/03/method-al-quran-dalam-isu-aurat-menutup.html)

So what are the common questions frequently asked?
“Jadi macam mana nak lawa kalau pakai tudung labuh?”. Boleh je lawa. You can still look beautiful even wearing it right. Who said it’s impossible? I mean, look at the people below:

Ahh. Who doesn't know the lovely Aishah Amin. The beautiful hijab fashionista. Always covering the chest. Still manage to pull off all sorts of looks!



Or how about something a little simpler? Like none other than the lovely Dianah Bahrin? Siapa taktau cik kak ni. Her proposal video went viral. Plus, orang Malaysia kan cepat excited. Tak sampai 5 saat dah sampai kat Twitter, Facebook and wherever possible for newspreading. But hey, I think she's pretty. And really modest-looking. She is indeed the one who inspired me.



Even the people close to you could be a good example. For instance, my good friends in UiTM. They've been with me through the whole of semester 1. They're as nuts as I am! But I've learnt a lot from them. They can manage to look great and still wear it right. So why can't I?


Labuh sampai menutup punggung itu adalah lebih baik. Kerana dua tempat itu(dada dan punggung) lah menarik perhatian dan sering menjadi perbualan lelaki-lelaki fasik. But covering the chest is already fine with the hijab. And so your blouse should do the job of covering your butt. Or maybe you could just wear an abaya, a maxi dress which is not tight, or maxi skirts(trending awesomely now aren’t they?) and maybe even palazzo pants(thank God to who created that one!). And if you want to wear accessories like necklaces, you can always get the ones with long chains. Or wear whatever you want as long as it’s not too tight and revealing.

“So where can I get awesome clothing and hijabs but still wear them right?”. Don’t fret! There’s always a solution to everything.


I recommend Tudung People. Their collections are breath taking. Ran by the beautiful Fazrena Azleen, Tudung People has a wide range of scarves which are suitable for casual and formal occasions. If you're into the whole chiffon thing, and you don't want anything too see-through or expensive, SHOP HERE! They sell really affordable and reasonable-priced products of high quality. Trust me. I, alone, have bought three of the Numa collection, one from Adiva, and three of their Najwa neck covers(one for Ibu and she liked it!). Last I checked they had almost 40,000 likes on their page! What's not to like anyway. Tudung People? RECOMMENDED


And what else none other than Dena's family business, Aroush Style(previously De Hana Hijab) offers you lots n lots of coverage(of the chest). I haven't got myself one yet, but sure hope I do soon! Ini banyak bagus niii. Tapi sangat laris rasanya. Lots of their collections have been sold out! Perfect for casual days. Aroush Style? RECOMMENDED


And last but not least, HijabSchool. If I am correct, ran by the awesome Miss Shazwani Sahiful Bakri. If you like maxi dresses, or abayas, or probably looking for something new and cute, YET modest, go for their collection! I got myself one. Haven't received it yet though, but I seriously can't wait :D HijabSchool? RECOMMENDED


*Anyone else know where else to get awesome modest clothing?*

So there you go. Not solutions to your problems. But options of solutions to your problems. I am not just some girl trying to show off, or trying to say sugar, spice and everything nice. Tak. Saya bukan nak cakap bagus, nak berlagak atau apa-apa perkara yang sama sepertinya. I just want to be improved. Saya hanya menegur diri saya sendiri, dan Alhamdulillah, saya dapat menerima teguran itu. It’s a wakeup call for me, and if it is for you too, then it’s good. If you can’t accept it yet, and not ready to open your heart, then at least open your mind. Being open minded is what some people lack nowadays. And I believe that it is worth sharing. And worth motivating people who believe that change is difficult or impossible, and worth influencing those that are still not being able to accept. And most important, it’s worth a try. Allah suka akan orang yang sentiasa mencuba, tak cepat putus asa, sentiasa meminta tolong daripada-Nya. So shall we not be ignorant anymore? And let’s really do some reflection, as of what I have done for myself. Cukupkah sekadar “itu” atau “ini” sahaja? I hope that I have helped and said well. Forgive me if I had not given enough explanations or had made you feel put down. It is not my intention for you to feel so. And I know maybe some of those who are reading right now may be those who feel as if I am talking about them. But no, I don’t know who is or who isn’t reading right now. And I might even make my own family or friends feel such a way, but all I want to say is keep on trying, never give up, know that there is always someone who supports you, and know that Allah is always watching over you. I'm glad that my loved ones are very supportive and are always there when I need them. Well then amigos! Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts. Be open, as I am open. As long as you are mature about it, I’m all ears. Don’t judge me for I am no scholar in this area. And I have a lot to learn. But I believe that you don’t need to be a scholar to wait for all of this to be said. I, myself, have many flaws. And there are probably a thousand other mistakes that can be corrected, yet I have not corrected it. But anyhow, trying is a first step. Slowly, make that transition.. We humans aren’t perfect anyway, right?

Women of Islam, you are beautiful no matter what. It comes from within; a beautiful heart and soul leads to a beautiful person. If you are my age, now you are a daughter, a sister, a friend. Soon, you will be a wife, a mother, a grandmother. “You educate a man, you educate one person. But you educate a woman, you educate a whole family”. Sama-sama lah kita mengingati sesama sendiri. Semoga kehidupan kita lebih diberkati dan lebih diredhai. Ini bukan gimik, ini bukan cerita dongeng. Ini satu pesanan. Allah always loves us, He is forgiving, but can we cheat death when it comes? Wallahualam.
Thank you for taking time to read this awfully awfully long post. Maybe someone can do a post response? Hehe. Til then. Assalamualaikum :)

#TOWARDSBEINGABETTERMUSLIM

It was also in the month of Ramadhan, and it reads,

"If there's ever a time when I gave up that easily, then I guess I wasn't me. And now I'm still me. And I'm not going to let the same thing happen again. Ya Allah, sesungguhnya dugaanMu begitu hebat di bulan yang mulia ini. But with all the love I have for You, I'll make sure I won't let you down. And the rest, I leave it to You. And I'm not talking about the tempting food."

I remember this. I wasn't in THE best place at that moment. There were alot more downs than ups back then, and I was always just trying to find a way to cheer myself up. And somehow along the way after that, I guess I forgot how capable I am at being optimistic. And even though studies have shown that optimists are just making it worse for themselves, I believe sometimes, it wouldn't hurt to just wanting to make yourself happy, no? Well then, thank you Facebook for reminding me of what I have said. Now that I've realised that I should not give up next time, I'll try not to forget that again... InsyaAllah. Above that all, I am happy now and happy I shall be. Towards a better Ramadhan!