Can I Take Off My Hijab for Safety Concerns or for a Job?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

Is it ok to take off one’s hijab due to being scared for one’s safety? Nowadays, Muslim women are targets, and it’s hard to get jobs. Please make dua for me. Is it ok to take it off so that we don’t stand out?

Answer

I empathize with your feeling of discomfort and fear when you go out. May Allah Most High protect you and keep you and your family safe.

Hijab is an obligation, like praying and fasting, and must be upheld throughout the ages. Feeling unsafe is not new; Muslim women have been harassed throughout the centuries in non-Muslim lands, and wearing a hijab can be considered her strive in the way of Allah (jihad).

Please read all the articles below that beautifully answer this question for you. Please keep yourself as safe as possible when you are outside. Partner up with sisters who are doing the same as you; there is strength and safety when you are in a group. Most importantly, trust Allah Most High because He will defend you and give you justice.

Kindly see these articles:
Can I Remove My Hijab for My Safety?
How Can Hijab Be Relevant in a Xenophobic Society If It Is Meant to Protect Us?
Hijab in the Workplace.
Is Hijab Obligatory?
What Are the Requirements of Hijab?

Hope this helps
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters 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.