"What's Attention Got to do With it?"

"Man, I wish for just one evening I could go out without the hijab," I've thought to myself on some occasions. And as I've realized from many sisters, this statement isn't very alien to most hijabis. Likewise, I don't doubt that brothers share similar thoughts in wanting to trim their beards at times. Unfortunately, during the periods that we want to "show off what we got," our insecurities rise to their fatal peaks. We begin to question our notion of self- beauty, and wonder if compromising ourselves would ultimately lead us to a higher self- esteem.

So why is it that we have these urges to compromise ourselves and lose our deen? It's actually quite simple. Besides the fact that we are human, we live in a society that emphasizes the use of others to define our own worth. In other words, the more attention people give us, the more we actually feel special and valuable. Have you ever noticed that most fashion advertisements advocate personal fulfillment through stimulating someone else's desires? Subliminal messaging can have a very powerful affect on the consumer mind-both the knowledgeable and the ignorant. Unfortunately, an individual that feels he/she lacks the requirements to stimulate others (i.e. through fashionable clothes, hair, jewelry, style, etc.) ultimately develops a fractured sense of self worth. In other words, he/she tends to feel "less beautiful" when he/she is not constantly turning heads.

However, my dear brothers and sisters, we must come to understand that our value does not stem from outside attention. Moreover, as a wise Muslim poet once eloquently stated, "We are valuable because we were created by God." For example, a Van Gogh painting would hold much inherent value merely because a brilliant artist had painted it. His painting would sell for thousands of dollars regardless of its color, style, or technique. Allah, who is infinitely greater than Van Gogh, creates his creatures with an even more apparently inherent value. He creates us in a myriad of different colors, shapes, and sizes. And an individual, especially a sincere Muslim, upholds extreme worth solely on the basis that Allah created him. We often forget that innate beauty was sculpted into each and every one of us.

However, interestingly enough, contemporary society makes us feel like we have to sculpt our own beauty through nudity, seduction, and lude mannerism. And it is through hijab that Allah helps us attain and maintain a higher and deeper understanding of our essential beauty (Subhan Allah).

It is completely unnecessary and back wards to mistreat and exploit an object of splendor. So, why is it that we become so anxious to fulfill society's temporarily satisfying standards that only harm us in the end?

It is unfortunate that many of us will disrespect ourselves in order to feel better about ourselves. In order to overcome this obstacle, we must first acknowledge that our beauty does not need to be flaunted. I strongly encourage everyone to see Allah's amazement and beauty within themselves; and know that only Allah can give you eternal security and self esteem.