Can I Take Off My Hijab as an 11-Year-Old?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I am 11 years old, and I have worn the hijab for less than a month. I want to take it off, but I have no reason. My parents are not happy with me taking it off, but I am unhappy wearing it daily.
Answer
Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for wearing the hijab at your age and bless you for good intentions when you put it on.
Sin
A Muslim girl is considered sinful for not wearing a hijab after she reaches the age of puberty. I don’t know if you are pubescent, but I believe the best thing is to have an honest conversation with yourself. Why do you want to take it off? Do you really not have a reason? Can you tell your parents how it really makes you feel? Do you wish you had more friends who wore it? Do you feel different or out of place or stared at? Do you think there is another solution to your feelings other than taking it off?
Not Easy
I know that it’s difficult to wear a hijab in this day and age, but do you want to wear it in the future? Taking off your hijab now and putting it on later will be much harder than you think. You will already be a teenager, and it will feel like a mountain to climb to go back and forth. Also, if you keep your hijab on now, you will attract the right kinds of friends and the wrong people will automatically stay away from you. Keeping your hijab on will also make it easier to pray.
Your Reward
Allah Most High has told us in the Quran, “Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will surely bless them with a good life, and We will certainly reward them according to the best of their deeds.” [Quran, 16:97]
And, “Whoever does an evil, he shall not be recompensed (with aught) but the like of it, and whoever does good, whether male or female, and he is a believer, these shall enter the garden, in which they shall be given sustenance without measure. [Quran, 40:40]
Please know that Allah is with you and sees your struggle, your courage, and strength, and by His grace, your reward will be multiplied and your faith increased.
Please see these links as well:
- Will Allah Hate Me for Removing My Hijab?
- Is It Permissible for Me To Take Off My Hijab Since I Have Reached Menopause as a Teenager?
- Is removing Hijab and Make-Up a Form of Apostasy?
- Is Hijab Worn Out of Culture or Obligation?
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
