The Head Cover

The Head cover-13

Chapter 13. Meeting with the board members

The next morning (Wednesday) was cold and cloudy. The dark clouds threatened overhead. I wore my thick shirt after wearing my wool head cover. It was cold outside and I didn’t want to freeze.

Yusuf drove me to school. I left the car after sharing Salam with him. There was time i wondered about the particular greeting. It was a good deed itself and it was what always put a smile in my face.

Abu Hurairah (r.a) related that Rasulullah (s.a.w.s) said, "You shall not enter Heaven unless you have Faith and your Faith is not complete until you show love towards one another. Would you want me to show you how you can achieve this? Shower your Salam upon one another."

When we gave our Salam to another Muslim and he answered it, we were actually praying for each other's peace in life. Thus our relationship will become closer. This was one of the signs of people who had Faith. And now-a-days, Most of the Muslims avoided it, because they simply greet with ‘Hi or Hellos.’ But was there anything better than saying “Salam?” It’s an offer of peace, a prayer to Allah for blessing the other person.

Think about this: When you were meeting a person and greeted him “Hi, good morning,” when indeed, that morning he had a great loss and was suffering. How would he react to your good morning? That was not a ‘good’ morning to him. However if you said “Assalamu Alaikkum- May Allah’s peace and blessings be with you.” He wouldn’t feel so bad about it. We were offering a consolation, even before knowing his problem. So what suited for the entire situation? A good Morning? Or words of Salam?

That was why Islam was the most credible and suitable religion around, at least, according to me. It was a way of Life. We couldn’t live according to our pleasure, but we had to sacrifice everything for Allah and his satisfaction. We couldn’t indulge in evil deeds or sin, just because we wanted to.

No one could be a Muslim just by a name. You could call yourself Fathima, Zainab, Ayesha, Muhammad, Hasan etc, but it wasn’t a name that made you a Muslim. It was the faith that would make you a true Muslim.

Like Allah Said: Allah would only see what’s inside our soul. He wouldn’t see our physical beauty, but rather the beauty and purity of our Nafs, our soul. And cleaning that soul, purifying it, was what made us a Muslim.

Righteousness is not turning your faces towards the east or the west. Righteous are those who believe in GOD, the Last Day, the angels, the scripture, and the prophets; and they give the money, cheerfully, to the relatives, the orphans, the needy, the traveling alien, the beggars, and to free the slaves; and they observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the obligatory charity (Zakat); and they keep their word whenever they make a promise; and they steadfastly persevere in the face of persecution, hardship, and war. These are the truthful; these are the righteous. [Qur’an 2:177] 

I entered inside my first class, but before I sat down, the teacher waved his hand at me. I looked at him confused, but then walked towards his desk after placing my backpack on the desk. Anna was already there and she looked at me with doubt. I shrugged lightly.

“Yes sir? What can I do for you?”

“Ms. Malik, you’re needed by the principal.”

I stared at him some more before I realized what he was saying. I heard Anna curse from behind. I looked sternly at her. I had told her to stop cursing often. I wouldn’t curse, but when she did it often, the thing was starting to rub on me and I couldn’t curse.

“The believer does not curse.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

As I walked away from the class I sarcastically thought: Here comes the drama of my life.

~~~

I entered the room and was stunned to see four or five people sitting in the chair and a bald headed man occupying the chair at the centre. What was going on here? I looked shocked and stunned for a moment, and then I realized it. This was Mr. Russell’s game plan and I knew what I was going to do.

“Get in.” A lady wearing a pencil skirt waved me in. I entered inside with my shoulder straightened.

“Ms. Malik, please take your seat.” Ok, the pleasantry was fine, but I knew what this was about. So why didn’t they just start it already?

“About what Mr. Russell said, you’re still not listening to him. This is against the dress code; that is wearing your scarf.” A man with a bald head talked in a stern voice. If I could be swayed by the determination in his eyes, I would have submitted to him. But Allah strengthened my resolve.

“May I know what dress code we’re talking about here? I mean, there are girls who wear nothing to school and there are girls who wear hoodie and baggy pants. There are also girls who dress in jeans, skirts and whatever they like. Amidst this all, where is your said dress codes? Is it only applied to me? Or what?” I asked with a stubborn nod. The woman in her mid-forties smiled lightly, but then her feature turned stern.

“Ms. Malik, covering your head makes you stand apart. This isn’t a religious institution.” The bald man said. I smirked at him.

“Why’re you wearing a cross in your neck, Mr.?” I asked with a pointed look at the cross.

“That’s a religious symbol, isn’t it?” His sneer dropped down completely.

“Ms. Malik, I am not a student here.” He said crossly.

“I can bring students who wear cross!” I said with a challenging tone.

“Your facial expression is subdued by the head cover.”

“Wait, wait. My face is open for you to see. I didn’t even wear a mask that will cover my face. So why in the world the face expression thing come in here?” I sighed exasperated.

“I was free just before Mr. Russell arrived. No one complained about being ‘a stand apart student’ or a symbol of religious course. I am what I am. I have faiths that no one can sway. That includes you all. My head cover isn’t really bothering the dress code. It’s bothering you, because I strictly followed my religion. You want to destroy another true Muslim, but I won’t fall prey to your ploy.”

“Ms. Malik, the consequence will be severe.”

“What consequence?  And whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out [of every difficulty] (65:2). So, I don’t fear for your threat. I will fight for my rights. This Hijab is my individuality, my essence. You can’t steal it away from me.”

The lady in the pencil skirt smiled and stood up. She patted my back “I am with you on this, young lady. I will help you win.”

“Mr. Russell, I want to say this is a low class thing to do such thing to Ms. Malik. Her head cover is nobody’s business.” The lady in pencil skirt said rather sternly.

“Mrs. Masters, you have no business whatsoever concerning the school. I strongly accept Mr. Russell’s point. The head cover makes her stand apart. She’s not in uniform, and the uniformity is disturbed here.” Mr. Bald head said sternly. I snorted.

“Uniform you say? What part of my previous speech you didn’t hear?” That put a scowl in his face. I just shrugged.

“If I don’t have a say in this, you don’t have it too, Mr. Carmen; we are both the board members, and if only Mr. Russell have a say, then why should he invite me,” Mrs. Masters said with a  stern glare. She then patted my back.

“You go on, girl. There’s nothing they can do to you.” I stood up, waved at them and left. Mrs. Masters was talking furiously to the members as I stepped out.

Allah is the protecting Friend of those who believe. He brings them out of darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness. Such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein (2:257)

And I knew Allah would protect me from their harms.

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