Speech by Faiza Rahman in the SBDQ Ifter program

This girl (Faiza Rahman) surprised me by her precious and beautiful speech. She’s Faiza Rahman, 14 years old and she’s in grade 9 student. She’s the daughter of Dr Samiya Luna and Dr Md S Rahman. She has a younger sister named Farzeen Rahman. Faiza discussed a crash course history lesson on the origins of the Hijab.

I’m including her beautiful note with a video of her recent speech in the SBDQ Ifter program. A few pictures of her beautiful family are also included here. May Allah SWT bless her always with her beautiful family.

Speech by Faiza Rahman in the Society Of Bangladeshi Doctor’s Queensland, Ifter program.

“Asalamualaikum everyone,
Ramadan Mubarak.

I feel privileged to be able to present my short speech in front of such esteemed individuals. As we all know, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar is the sacred month of Ramadan, a time of devotion, fasting, and spiritual growth. Today, I would like to discuss the importance of covering specifically for my age group.

To begin with, I will briefly outline what the Quranic verses state about covering. Covering is compulsory for both men and women. In Surah Noor & Surah Ahzad, Allah first mentions the covering for men and then for women. In Surah Noor, verses 30-31, Allah first mentions the covering for men and then for women. Men are instructed to lower their gaze and maintain modesty by wearing clothing that is not tight. Similarly, women are advised to lower their gaze and not to display their adornments. Furthermore, in Surah Ahzad, ayah 59, Allah instructs Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to ask his wives, daughters, and believing women to wear outer garments when they go out to be easily recognized as Muslim.

The concept behind wearing the hijab is to protect the modesty of individuals by covering themselves externally, which also leads them to be more mindful of maintaining their internal modesty. This practice is primarily motivated by the command of Allah, with any additional benefits seen as secondary. I recently began wearing the hijab on the 23rd of January 2024 – the first day of school.

Initially, I had reservations about the practicality and appearance of the hijab. However, after hearing the experiences of other girls at my Quran teacher’s place, who found comfort and protection in wearing the hijab, my perspective began to shift. A few weeks later, my mum put on the hijab for me, my baby sister, and our two beautiful white cats, which was so much fun. After I put it on, I looked in the mirror and I was so surprised. I had a sudden deep feeling and fell in love with the hijab. I kept telling myself that I would do it soon. After the long school holidays during December,2023, I finally put up my courage & all my nervous and negative energy behind me.I embraced this new chapter of my journey & proudly wore the hijjab to school at grade 9, at my 14 years of age,Alhumdulillah.

I am going to a private Christian school, and the uniform rules are very strict there. In my cohort, there is no other Muslim girl, I was unsure of how my school would react to seeing me. Alhumdulillah, no one made any negative comments, which made me more confident. Though Initially, everyone was curiously looking at me.

Now, let me provide some amazing examples to illustrate this concept. Surprisingly, there are many parallels in nature. Fruits, animals, and plants all have coverings. Think about even mobile, when we buy mobile set , we don’t use it without cage or covering for protection purposes. Even When we visit jewellery shops, precious jewels and metals such as diamonds and gold are kept in secure boxes for safety. This is similar to the concept of covering ourselves – we don’t want anyone to touch us or get us dirty.

The hijab is more than just a piece of cloth – it is a command from Allah and a protection for our dignity. Remember, that Allah sees your effort in wearing it and He will support you in your struggle. If you are sincere in your actions, Allah will make things easier for you.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said,”If you take one step towards Allah Swt,He will come to you running”

I wear the hijab for Allah, not for praise for sure, and I am really grateful for that. Jazakallah, please remember me and my family in your prayers. I wish you all the best, enjoy the rest of the evening and iftar. Advanced Eid Mubarak to everyone.”

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