Fantastic. Lollipop @thedorkswaggy - Tumblr Blog

Hi! I'm currently studying Islam and considering converting, and I have a few questions I'm hoping aren't stupid(: For one, what is dua? And I'm nervous about wearing a hijab and being covered all the time, because I've never done it and it's such a sudden change, you know? What advice would you have for that? Lastly, my family is super Christian, and will say I'm only converting to be dramatic and will probably disown me (I wish I were kidding). How can I come to peace with that? Thank you!

Hello :) No question is stupid, always feel free to ask me (or any of us) any question you have.

What is a Dua?

Dua means supplication, and is a prayer. When we ask for something (good health, good faith, protection from hell) we are making a dua. It is calling out to God and having a conversation with our Lord. Dua is an uplifiting & empowering way to facilitate a healthy and strong relationship with God. It places full trust in God through reliance & faith. It is a submission to God, and therefore an act of worship. When we call upon one God, Allah, we are showing Him that we understand only He can truly solve our worries and problems, and only He controls the outcomes of the world.

Muslims can make dua any time. It includes praises of God, thanking God, hope, and general talking to God. It can be out loud or in your heart. It can be made for you, your family, strangers, the earth, even all of humanity. It can be done in any language.

Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God beupon him, encouraged the believers to make dua. He said, “The dua of aMuslim for his brother (or sister) in his absence is readily accepted. An angel isappointed to his side. Whenever he makes a beneficial dua for his brother theappointed angel says, Ameen. And may you also be blessed with the same’” (Authentic Muslim)

The benefits of dua are immense,

a sense of closeness to God

the outcome of your supplication

increse in faith

feeling hope, relief to distress

reward from God

a moment of peace and clarity

Hijab

Converting to Islam comes with a lot of difficulties, hijab being a huge one. However, it is a task that is so worth it. Rushing into hijab isn’t my advice though, I believe a slow and steady approach to lifestyle changes is better for your faith and your commitment to it.

First I suggest you study the meaning behind hijab. Read the ayat & hadith about hijab and read about other’s experiences with it. Muslim women wear hijab because it was a commandment of God. Every single day when we put it on we are reminded that we must be model Muslim citizens; give to charity, respect our elders, be kind to animals, smile & be friendly, help out those in need, learn and educate ourselves so we can benefit the society we live in, etc. Just as fasting during the month of Ramadan is a commandment from God, so is hijab. So it’s primary purpose is the spiritual connection. Next comes the benefits & other aspects. I firmly believe that’s important to understand. Just like Ramadan has many secondly benefits (humility, health, etc.); but they are not the main purpose.

I’ve written a lot about hijab here. This is my hijab in brief post.

I am not a revert, so when I began to wear hijab the only difficulty I had was with my Catholic family & my society. There are so many sisters on here who have reverted to Islam and could do you much more justice. I encourage them to add onto this post for your benefit. My tips are based on my experience, and will not reflect the experiences of a revert, but are still semi helpful lol

My Tips for Wearing Hijab

Set your intention - doing this for Allah. For God. Remember this throughout your journey

Start by modifying your clothes. If you wear capris and t-shirts now, switch to long pants and long sleeve tops. Slowly start covering your chest more (less low cut tops) and begin to wear looser jeans and tops. Start to purchase longer tops that go to your hips, then past your bottom, etc. Hijab is different for every girl, and you have to decide how you want to achieve your goals of modesty. Once you’ve built that image, slowly work for it. It may take a year, and to me, that’s ok.

Remember that hijab is a character trait truly first. Start working on your ego, your pride, your humility, etc. These are the real meanings behind hijab & you don’t have to cover your hair to reach them

Watch Youtube hijab tutorials to find styles you like so that you have fun with it. Hijab is so much fun to style, match with your clothing, etc.

Start wearing hijab when you drive to the post office or go to the grocery store. Maybe even drive to the town next to yours and put it on and walk around where no one will know you. Get used to the change slowly. A lot of girls find that once they begin to wear it more often here and there, they find it so hard to NOT wear it.

Throw a hijab party. Once you meet more Muslim sisters celebrate your hijab and have a party.

If you’re attached to styling your hair, begin to let that go. Wear a pony tail often and tuck away your straightener/curler.

Be aware that people will make you feel uncomfortable (or worse). Except it, but what you’ll find is a lot of people will accept you.

Notice your self-esteem. It may fluctuate through this, but most of us find (if we have chosen it ourselves) it skyrockets your self-esteem

Gather support. Revert sisters can provide you with excellent tips on how to battle your issues, and other sisters will just be there for you if you need to vent. We are a family, and we are here for you

Prepare your conversation with your family. That’s the toughest thing, but just showing up one day with a hijab won’t go over well (trust me, been there done that, grandpa wasn’t happy). Talk to your loved ones about your decision, and be open to questions.

Follow hijab blogs so you can get your inspiration on

Buy light hijabs for the summer. After a while your body will adjust to extra material, you’ll get through the heat

Know this: things get better in time. People will stop treating you odd (maybe not your family though, and that’s rough - see bullet point number 1). The insecure feeling will go away. It will become normal to your classmates

Reverts & Family

As I said, I am no expertise in this category. There are so many reverts on this site who are much better at these topics.

Coming to peace with these types of issues can be seemingly impossible, but at the end of the day, you’re doing this for your religion.

When I started wearing hijab, my grandpa stopped talking to me. Now, this is nothing like the anxiety you’re feeling, but I hope this can be helpful. I watched a lecture by Nouman Ali Khan about showing people what Islam is and changing their perspectives with your character. So I did that. It was all I could do. I worked hard to show him that I am a better person because of Islam, not despite it. SubhanAllah, after 4 years, it paid off. I’m not saying this is what will happen for you, but it’s my experience, so hopefully you can benefit from it.

These tips are one’s from my revert friends, and mostly from my mom when she converted, I hope they help.

Tips

Understand where your parents are coming from and try to approach them from their standpoint

Remain patient & calm, your anger will solve nothing. I know that might be hard if they are saying degrading things, but Islam tells us “Don’t get angry”

Accept that things might be really bad for a long time, but if they get better, forgive. Breaking ties of kinship should only be done in extreme situation - you’ll know. Try to forgive if you can

Remain hopeful and optimistic.

Keep in mind its better to be happy (have a faith you love) than to sacrifice that for your family. Your happiness matters and you should choose what makes you the most content

Make dua about it :D

Decide if you want to tell them immediately or not. Depending on your situation, this is really variable. By not telling them immediately, they may have a chance to see your character change before they flip out about Islam being the cause

Place your value in your deen. Allah is the only one who really can determine your worth - which is based off your character. You know who you are. Don’t let their comments and their attitudes toward you affect your value. You’re loved by many others.

Pray the 5 daily prayers, it’s comforting

Stay away from Christianity vs. Islam. Focus on, we are all people of the book, we all believe in one God, we believe in Jesus, we have similar stories, we are closer than you think in faith.

Start going to the masjid so that if you do get disowned, there will be people who can provide you with a place to stay and some food. You’re our family, and there will be people to help

These are probably not the best, but I know some blogs who would be better at this (I hope they don’t mind me tagging them):

@hannah–icarus

@s-a-b-r

@patoispapi

@reverthelp

@revertrants

@houseoftombombadil

@kirstinregina

@themooselambaconvert

@zhukran

@deslove937

@mt-lostsoul