Hi there,
What I can tell you is that it has to be a decision she (wife or daughter) in order for it to stick. I have friends (Westerners) who took an Islamic class in college, these people drank and did all you can imagine, and I saw them with me through high school years etc.. But all it took was a college class! Isn't that amazing?? It's the fastest growing religion.
Also note, I have known people to take the hijab off after wearing it at a young age, because they "did their time".
You don't want that to happen. I love being Muslim, and I more than many hijabi friends will not certain things simply b/cI understand (or try to) Islam.
When I was young, I was told stories in a formal and informal setting. In grade 5 or so, I took a religion class, and my teacher basically was a young "hip" guy, no beard no long clothing, wasn't old, he looked like someone I saw on the street everyday.
He asked us to read the holy Qu'raan and then he would explain it in a funny manner. He would tell us stories associated with a particular verse, and it was exciting casue it was like talking to someone who CHOSE to teach Islam.
He showed us that we didn't have to follow a certain look or whatever the media puts out.
INFORMALLY, my mom and dad were big in making available to me material. I like magazines (popular kids stuff you know) and my dad brother and I had a special thing every friday, we went and bought this magazine and fought over it. It was an arabic kid friendly thing, but it had some sort of content on positive issues. I loved it. SO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH YOUR DAUGHTER, choose an Islamic magazine and make it your speical thing, she'll feel comfortable with asking you stuff and with the religion.
NOt to go on and on, my fun from the calss room was supported by SMALL easily readable books that would tell ONE story in depth from the Qur'aan. Give it to her one dose at a time. I had to digest it slowly BY MYSELF.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, and I mean this in the best way, don't freak out if she doubts it sometime and at your desicretion, let HER figure out why it's good/bad, logical/not, etc.. It's why I don't do x, y and z, b/c I know the reasons AND if I don't I have the thought to figure them out.
For any woman trying to be introduced into womanly duties in Islam, it's not the easiest thing, but nothing worth doing is ever easy. Don't come across over bearing, or really eager to shuve it down their throat, thy'll just resist.
Take one thing at a time, bring it up casually, whenever they're interested in something integrate an Islamic principle
OH AND SHOW THEM THE MOVIE "Al-Rissaleh" starring anthony Quin great medium.
I must confess I started [Queendom-Hijabs. com] and I don't wear a hijab, however, I am Muslim. And this is the reason I started the hijab line, because no one has made it "cool" for girlz to be Muslim, there's no Tommmy Hilfigure of Islam. So that's what I tried to do with Queendom-Hijabs. Check it out. Let me know what you think.
Sorry for lenghthy email but wanted to answer as much as possible.
thank you
mg:
