Is It Permissible for Me To Remove My Hijab Because I Fear for My Safety in Poland?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question:
I’m Polish, and I live in Poland. I am afraid to wear a full hijab. I wear a turban instead of a khimar or amira hijab. There are very few Muslims in Poland; they are perceived very badly, especially women. Many Muslim women were beaten, stabbed, threatened with death once a pram with a baby was overturned. I won’t move from here. I am disabled and poor and cannot work. I am already 58 years old. Could my resignation from a full hijab be justified?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question. I empathize that you fear for your safety if you wear a hijab in public, but the sunnah of our ummah is that they fear for their safety on the Day of Judgment, compared to which this world is only a drop in the ocean.
Genuine fear
In the 15th and 16th centuries, when Muslim Spain had finally fallen to the hands of the Christians, one would face certain death for showing any signs of Islam. Those were the kinds of times and places when the obligation of hijab could be lifted. As for now, in this multi-cultural world, run by social media and globalization, being harmed is not for certain. I have not learned from any scholar that the obligation of the hijab might be lifted today.
Stride with confidence
Instead of fearing what is possible, I encourage you to take the means to be safe when you leave your house and put all of your trust in Allah. He is your best protector, and He is your sufficiency. One of the means to safety is wearing the hijab, as Allah has told us in His book, “O Prophet! Ask your wives, daughters, and believing women to draw their cloaks over their bodies. In this way, it is more likely that they will be recognized ˹as virtuous˺ and not be harassed. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. “[Qur’an, 33:59]
Please follow these tips as well:
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/general-counsel/can-i-remove-my-hijab-for-my-safety/
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/modesty/difficulties-with-hijab-in-the-west/
Sahaba
The sahaba displayed a level of devotion and fearlessness that we should all take lessons from. They faced persecution for believing; they were made to lie over hot sand, walk on hot coals; they died from injuries, all the while refusing to give up their faith. They were sick after their migration to Madina; they died on battlefields, they went hungry, became impoverished, and the list goes on. They stood their ground because of their faith in Allah’s promise, their love for Allah and His Messenger, and their fear of Allah, more than anything else. I am certain that if you act for Allah, that Allah will protect and send you much good that you never expected. 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, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
