I’m 25 years old and Caucasian. I was born in a Christian family.
During my high school years, I pursued a modeling career. I can recall thinking: “This is what I want. I want to be a model.”
So my father was active in assisting me in this career path. We made profiles online, went through a few agencies. After many searches, I finally found an audition to be with an agency. They signed me on and from there began the training and prepping.
I made contacts with scouts from different TV shows, modeling agencies, and film. A few months after working with the agency, I decided I no longer wanted to pursue modeling.
I look back now and I believe Allah had a better plan all along for me to be where I am now, and not modeling and showing my body.
I found Islam and took my shahadah (Islamic testimony of faith) one year ago.
My journey to Islam began when I became friends with a Muslim for the first time almost two years ago.
I was practicing Christianity at the time but I was always eager to be closer to God. Prior to meeting my Muslim friend, I had no idea what Islam was or who Muslims were.
I can recall seeing hijabis but I never saw them different from one who didn’t wear hijab. I was brought up to love people no matter how they dressed or appeared. Alhamdulillah.
Fell in Love with Islam
This Muslim friend of mine began to educate me about Islam and from that moment on I did my own research. I fell in love with the religion, and I finally found what I had been searching for.
I spent the next five months studying Islam and reading Quran. And I began dressing more modestly and I embraced the hijab before I took my shahadah, finding comfort in the protection it was providing me.
Islam taught me that it’s ok to cover yourself and be appreciated for your intellect. I feel more beautiful in hijab and although I struggled with it at first, I grew to love it.
Now, I can’t see myself living without it. My mother grew to be accepting of me wearing hijab and now she fixes it before I walk out the door and wakes me up for Fajr (dawn prayer). Allahu akbar (Allah is the Greatest)!
Source: https://worldhijabday.com.