Anyone who would like to forward this is more than welcome - there is no problem with forwarding my posts, unless you are going to say that you wrote it! I may have more to add, but would say that perhaps you would like to share this article with her and then let us know what she says and how she feels. That may give us a better idea how to approach her and help her with this, insha'Allah.

If you want to know the truth, and perhaps this is just my opinion - but really the cure for not doing something we should (apart from realizing the problem and tackling it head-on) is knowledge. Some people think they have to beat the idea of wearing hijab (among other things) into other people's heads - but the problem is that the people usually get upset, angry and defiant. This is really not the way to do dawah. One of the beautiful things about this religion is that - if we look into the history of the Muslims, people became Muslim because of the wonderful character the Muslims displayed - because of their beautiful conduct and example. People who were captured in wars were so amazed at how the Muslims took care of them and how the Muslims treated them - that they decided to declare Islam as their religion when not much before that time they were true enemies of Islam.

When I was growing up, my father was a smoker. He smoked I don't know how many packs a day - but it was a lot. I was young, so I did what I could to "help" - I posted pictures of diseased lungs all around the house and constantly begged him to stop. Needless to say - it never achieved anything except making him angry. Later in life, he had cancer and told me I better tell my doctor in case I also got it. He swore up and down it was from the fact that his mother let him play in the sun too long when he was a child. The problem? It was cancer only related to his smoking - but even in his old age he was afraid to admit to me that it was from his smoking. The point I'm trying to make is that sometimes people deep down know that they should do / not do something but they are unable to make the change. However hard we try to get them to stop - it doesn' work - it only makes us tired and angry and them tired and angry.

I would suggest - and this is only my opinion - if you really want to help your sister - help her learn more about islam and stop focusing just on the hijab. Insha'Allah - in time - if Allah opens her heart to it - you may find that she will start to wear the hijab on her own. I spent quite a bit of time when I first became Muslim mulling over the fact that Muslim women were supposed to wear hijab - I knew it, but was unable to find the strength to do it myself. That Rammadan I felt guilty because I couldn't read the Qur'an, so I promised Allah that I would read as much as I could about Islam and prayed that Allah would accept that from me instead. I studied and I read and learned a lot, masha'Allah and Alhumdulilah - I found the strength to wear hijab through increasing my knowledge. Alhumdulilah, that Eid, I never took off my hijab again. So, it is possible to find that strength within us - but perhaps tackling the issue of wearing hijab head-on is not the right place to start.

If you have a nice article you have read about an Islamic issue - or you listened to a really good lecture - share it with her. Don't tell her - "I think this will help you" - but instead just say this is something I listened to and thought you might enjoy listening to it as well. I think that if she starts to increase her faith - then perhaps the feelings inside her heart that made her realize that hijab is necessary will overcome her and she will find hijab a necessary way of life - insha'Allah.

The second best thing you can do is make dua for her that Allah will open her heart to the idea of wearing hijab and to help her to have Islam not only in faith, but in action as well.

<<I hope, insha'Allah, this will be of some benefit to you>>

Asalaam 'Alaikum,
Sumayyah *Muslimbychoice*