The title of Kiran Shah’s debut guide is quirky and somewhat irreverent. After all, pink shoes do not gel with the persona of a Jilbaab covered lady. So she rightly claims that this book is “not your average Hijab guide”. I had reservations before reading the book myself, as the title did not seem to take the subject of covering seriously. Before I was halfway through this book, I realized that this is just what we need – an empathetic perspective into Hijab wearing with an insight into the difficulties and the ramifications of this lifestyle altering decision.
But why would you need a Hijab guide in the age of Hijabi influencers and tutorials that are plentiful on YouTube and Instagram? Lectures and booklets are easily accessible for those interested in exploring the necessity and legality of covering up, and there are plenty of censoring aunties around to push you into donning modest wear. What need, then, does this book fill?
Using humorous and prolonged straightforward blog style full of actionable bullets, the author tries to rationalize and gently guide her readers towards fulfilling what she beautifully terms ‘an Ayah of Allah (swt)’ – donning the Islamic way of covering. Her target audience is primarily young girls, but this book speaks to women of all ages who are considering or have at any point in their lives pondered over covering up for Allah’s (swt) pleasure.
An ambitious and professionally successful mother of four, she chooses to use her own Hijab journey as an example to illustrate the need for understanding the wisdom behind this divine command of the Quran and Sunnah. In the light of her own experiences, both uplifting and distressing, she emphasizes that this decision should be well-thought out and gradual, with supportive people around to remind you constantly of your ‘vision’.
Throughout the book, Kiran scatters little gems. For instance, she explains the concept of opportunity cost in simplistic terms: “…you saying yes to something, is saying no to something else.” She coins illuminating terms, such as ‘time-gobblers’, to describe distractions and asks probing questions to dispel doubts regarding Hijab and help focus on priorities. The appropriate and witty quotations she includes and the tips she gives about wearing Hijab with grace make this book riveting and applicable. It is her compassion for the women, who take off their Hijab, and her handling of the taboo subject of ‘love’ in teens and young adults that are most insightful and much needed conversations in this age of social media ‘couple goals’ and public display of affection, as well as the sensationalization of Hijabi influencers taking off their Hijabs during livestream.
Nevertheless, this book does require some closer editing for grammatical errors and repetition. Also, the introduction and the first two chapters should be condensed and certain terms, such as ‘Eid Milan’, should perhaps be reconsidered for international readers.
As a Hijabi, who has evolved through trial and error herself, I found the book stimulating and thought provoking. Naima B. Roberts’ book “From my Sisters’ Lips” chronicles a similar journey, including illustrations of various styles of covering up for revert Muslims, but this book of Kiran Shah is much more culturally appropriate for women of the subcontinent. It is a book that I highly recommend for teenage girls in particular and Muslim women in general.
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