For my dear girls..that 1mx 1m cloth

I remembered the first time I want to wear tudung was in 1983. In 1981 I was accepted at this beloved school of mine in Kuantan. At that time the hijabis were minority. Their tudung were simple. Our co-cu activities at that time did not steer us towards hijab I would say. Social activities like kugiran, talenttime were frequent and encouraged. I even participate in the singing competition at that time. Alhamdulillah, the waves of tarbiyyah came fairly 'rapidly' to our beloved school. Hence the once considered as popular activities slowly forgotten and replaced with 'healthier' activities. Together with this more people start wearing tudung including my beloved class mates. One by one start buying this little piece of cloth and wore them to class. I was among the last. The reason? My mum was reluctant to let me use it as she was scared that I will throw it away once I m out of school. I promised her that I wont. She let me. Alhamdulillah the little piece of cloth is still my 'best buddy'. Though it has gone thru such tremendous change but it is still a piece of cloth measuring less than a 1m x 1m. Though there are so many style and shape now a days but I still go with the simple, since I do not have such skill to wrapping around those beautiful selendang. I wore tudung in matrix, in USM, in Adelaide and back in Malaysia. Alhamdulillah dear hubby is more steadfast about hijab thus encourage me further to improve my practice. when I start having my own kids I realised that its our responsibility to instil the love towards hijab in our girls. Thus i started introducing this little piece of cloth to the girls since they were small. As they grow together with the thought that this little piece of cloth is part of thier attire, its much easier to continue as they grow older. This practice was made easier when they were enrolled in schools that believe this little piece of cloth is important. Though we need to spend extra money to make sure that they stay in this school, alhamdulillah we still have enough to go on 'comfortably' with our life. Yes, i do belief in freedom and alternatives. I belief that our girls must be given 'freedom' to grow up into womanhood without being brainstormed that its uncool to cover oneself, its uncool to wear 'shapeless' cloth. But mind you its indeed 'challenging' when the world around them 'keeps telling' them that the skimpier the better, the tighter the cooler and the shorter the cloth the 'classier'. Even worst when they are bombarded with idea that its cool to 'show off' their precious "posession" and 'share it' with others ' to view' for free. Thus the 'designers' knock thier head on the wall trying to come out with fashion using 1m x 1m cloth, resulting in all type of designer stuff that line up in famous stores. wooed by many youngsters who craze for thier buddies attention. But what can a 1mx 1m cloth cover? Thus you get all type of skimpy shirt, tight skirt and shorts loved by many young girls around the world. But they forgot that a 1mx 1m cloth is hardly enough to cover their head and bosom as instructed by our Creator. Thus its up to us, those who bring out this girls into the world, to tell them that ..my dear girl, this 1mx 1m cloths is for you to cover your beauty and its not me who ask you too but our beloved Creator. Tell them since young, tell them early. Once they have their 'own wings' and fly away its up to them. If they decide they no longer need that 1mx1m cloth, its between them and their Creator for we have done our part by telling them what its for.