Advice from a sister on hijab

One of the most difficult decisions many Muslim sisters face is the decision to start wearing hijab. This
is certainly true for reverts, but may also be true for sisters whose families or even whose cultures are
not particularly observant. As a revert myself, I have been through the whole thing. I would like to
offer some advice that I hope inshallah will be helpful to sisters who are considering wearing hijab but
find that something is holding them back.

The first step is to learn about hijab. There is so much information out there. Many Muslim sisters who
will assist you in this regard.

Deciding to wear Hijab

This is where the difficulties usually come in. For many sisters, it truly is a jihad. I remember very
vividly how scared I was the first day I put on the headscarf and went out into public. As long as you
are just wearing the modest clothes, nobody has to know that you are a Muslim. Once you complete
your hijab with the headscarf, you are suddenly announcing to everyone who sees you that "I am a
Muslim". Here is some advice based on my own experiences.
Wear it for the sake of Allah SWT

Various statements are made about why you should wear hijab, such as for modesty or for protection,
but the real reason that we wear hijab is that Allah SWT has commanded it. Whenever anyone asks
you, why do you dress like that, that's the only answer you need to give them.

Allah SWT is the source of everything we have, our existence, our life, our capability, even our
goodness. If He ever stopped sustaining us, we would vanish in that instant. If He ever took away
what he gives us, we would never have even a speck of it. If we worked for millions of years, we could
never repay Him for all that He has given us. And yet He does give it to us, and all He asks in return is
that we do our best to obey what He has commanded us. Surely wearing hijab is a very small thing
that you can do for Him compared to what He does for you!

Wear it for the hope of Jannah

Allah SWT makes tests for us in this world. He makes things difficult for us. He wants to see if we will
remember Him, if we will have faith in Him, and if we will trust in Him. These qualities are what is
meant by "sabr".
Allah SWT does not lose the work of anyone, ever (see Surah Ali Imran ayah 195). Even if it seems
like nobody is paying attention to you or notices or appreciates good things that you do, Allah SWT
has seen them, and He will not forget them. Even when it seems like the whole world is against you,
Allah SWT is always there for you when you turn to Him. Remember this.

Allah SWT always wants the best for us and in His wisdom He knows why each thing that happens to
us is in fact best for us. When it seems like everything is going wrong and life is just one disaster after
another, it is easy to forget this and to become bitter and skeptical. Yet we must remember always to
have faith that Allah SWT knows best why He has willed this for us, and we must always ask Him only
"Make me pleased with what You have willed for me".
This world we live in, although it seems at times to be the only real thing, is actually fleeting
compared to the Hereafter, which is better and more abiding. The trials of this world will seem as
fleeting as a nightmare when seen from the Hereafter, and the pleasures of this world will also seem
as fleeting as a dream when seen from the Hereafter. It's our happiness in the Hereafter that we
should be most worried about attaining, because it is what will last forever; and it's our suffering in
the Hereafter that we should be most worried about avoiding, because it also will last forever.

Allah SWT has promised Jannah to those who remain steadfast in their faith in Him and who trust in
Him. The more difficult it is for you to have sabr, the greater the reward for it. So what will it be? Ease
in this world, and perhaps the eternal sufferings in Hell? Or difficulty in this world, and inshallah the
eternal bliss of Jannah? Let's face it, the old cliches are true: there's no such thing as a free lunch and
you can almost never have your cake and eat it too. We've all got to face difficulties some time. Better
by far that they be in the world than in the Hereafter.
So that's what you should set your mind to. Yes, it's difficult to wear hijab. You may be rejected by
your family or your friends, you may face harassment and persecution or be fired from your job.
These are very scary thoughts. But if you have sabr and keep trusting in Allah SWT, I swear to you
sister, this is the path to Jannah, and when you look back on the Day of Qiyamah you will know that it
was worth it and have no regrets.

Wear it today and trust in Allah SWT for tomorrow

What do I mean by that? What I mean is that you should take it one day at a time, or even one outing
at a time. Sometimes the future seems to stretch on forever and ever and you don't think you can
make it that long. You want to give up before you even begin.

So sometimes the best thing to do is to keep you mind focused on what is immediately at hand. Allah
SWT will take care of the future. If you have to go out to the market, then concentrate on being able
to wear hijab just for this activity and on getting through it. If you do get through it and nothing bad
happened, then give thanks to Allah SWT for making it easy for you, and turn your mind to your next
outing.

Or if you have to go out to school or work, then concentrate on being able to wear hijab just for this
one day and on getting through it. And give thanks to Allah SWT when you have made it, and turn
your mind to the next day.
Eventually the outings will turn into days and the days into weeks, and the weeks into months. One
day you will realize that you have been wearing hijab for quite a long time and it isn't really as bad as
you feared, and Allah SWT helped you get through it. Don't be ashamed. Sometimes it is like this. The
most important thing is to have sabr and keep your trust in Allah SWT always.

Wear it and spite the shaytan

My dear sister, the worries and fears in your mind are the whisperings of the shaytan. He wants to talk
you out of obeying Allah SWT.

It is very easy to keep going around in circles in your mind and to dwell on all the things that could go
wrong. I know that I myself have a tendency to do this, I put it off and I dither and I wait for "the
perfect time". If I let myself, I would never do anything at all!

So the thing you have to remember is that you do not need to be perfect in iman to wear hijab. If
perfection were a qualification, where is the sister who could wear it??

You must also not fall into the trap of thinking that you should wait until all your worries and fears
have disappeared. They never will! Trust me on this, sister.

True courage is going ahead to do what's right even though you are still nervous and scared. So don't
listen to the shaytan. Ignore the worries and fears he whispers into your mind. Tell him that you will
not let him keep you from obeying Allah SWT and you will not let him rule your life.

Make the decision to wear it

Once you have come to know in your heart that you must wear hijab, then you have to set a day and

JUST DO IT !!

This is the only way. Set a day and when that day comes, you have to do it. Don't back down. Don't
give up. Do it.

Offer salat al-istikhara. Make du'a. Make lots of du'a. Do not stop making du'a. Ask Allah SWT to give
you strength. Ask Him to make it easy for you. Ask Him to help you. He will, I swear it to you. He is
always there for you when you turn to Him. Remember how much He has given you, how everything
that you have, even your very existence, is due to Him. Remember that He deserves this from you.
Remember the promise of Jannah. Remember that remaining patient and faithful through difficulty
now may lead to Jannah, inshallah. Even if bad things happen, keep these thoughts in your mind.
Don't worry about tomorrow. Just concentrate on getting through today, and leave tomorrow to Allah
SWT until it gets here.
That's how you do it.

Final Words of Encouragement

I have been wearing hijab since September 1999. I do not regret it. I have never for one instant
regretted it. I do not regret it even one iota. Inshallah, you will discover that you feel the same. Even
within a few months I came to feel that I would not be properly dressed if I went out not wearing
hijab. This is when you know that you have made it!
Never feel that you are alone, or that you are the only one who is scared and worried and nervous.
Just about every other sister who has travelled down this road has gone through the same things. I
know I have. Your sisters are here for you. We have been where you are. We are encouraging you and
cheering you on. We know what it takes because we had to find that in ourselves too. We are praying
for your success just as we prayed for our own.
Come and join us.

Allah does not burden a soul except what it can bear. For it is what it has earned, and upon it is what
it has made due. "Our Lord and Sustainer, do not condemn us if we forget or do wrong. Our Lord and
Sustainer, do not put a burden on us like the burden You put on those who were before us. Our Lord
and Sustainer, do not put a burden on us that we cannot endure. And blot out (our sins) and forgive
us, and be gentle to us. You are our Protector. So help us against the rejectors." (Surah al-Baqarat
ayah 286)

Source Reference: Al-Muhajabah

Courtesy: www.everymuslim.com

Sumayyah's Road to Hijab

I remember that when my sister Ruqayyah first started to invite me to Islam, that
the main obstacle on my path to light was not the sacrifices that I would have to
make in my eating, drinking, and conduct. The fact that I would have to learn a
completely new and sometimes confusing language to even say my prayers did
not cause me to loose any sleep either. The one felled-tree in my path to
guidance and righteousness, was the fact that I would have to go around looking
like her.

My sister, you see, wears full hijab, with her face and hands covered. Even though
she assured me that the khimar and jilbab was all that would be required of me,
the thought of my friends seeing me dressed like that kept me from declaring my
faith openly for a long time, even though I believed it in my heart. The fact that I
also had to cover up my hair, which I used to spend a great deal of time and
money on, was then, also too much for me to bear.

Now because of this, many of you may think that I was a shallow and vain
person, but my thoughts and actions should come as no surprise. As women
raised in the West, from birth, we are taught that our self-worth is directly
proportionate to our attractiveness. The society upholds unattainable and
unrealistic images of beauty that the women in the society must constantly
pursue. We spend of our time, energy and wealth, in this constant and illusive
chase. We become slaves to Revlon, Vidal Sassoon, the fashion gurus in Paris and
ultimately our own sense of vanity.

It will be three years ago, this December 25, that I stood before two Muslim
sisters and declared openly my belief in Allah (SWT) and His Messenger (SAW),
and thus freeing and liberating myself from my former self-imposed bondage.
Stepping out of the darkness of kufr (disbelief) into the light of Islam, it's funny
that I found such freedom in the very thing that was keeping me from Islam in
the first place; the hijab. Even though I get the wide gamut of strange stares,
points and comments, this covering makes me feel honored, safe and cherished.

The word hijab comes from the Arabic word "hajabah" meaning to hide from view
or concel. Women, who conceal their beauty in this society and do not give into
its oppressive system, are looked upon as invisable, without sexuality, and
backward. Because I'm often mistaken for a nun, and Islamic fundamentalist
terrorist, who maybe hiding god-knows what up under all that stufff, or the
poster-child for oppressed womanhood everywhere, I feel the hijab, for many
women, is the truest test of being a Muslim. In instructing us to wear the hijab,
Allah (SWT) has given Muslim women what they can bear of injunctions and
obligations. For Allah (SWT) says,

"And We tax not any person except according to his capacity, and with Us is a
Record which speaks the truth, and they will not be wronged." (Al-Mu'minun
23:62)
Unfortunately, Satan and his cohorts are calling the Muslim woman to enslave
herself to the creation, and to forget about her servitude to her Creator. Chastity,
modesty and piety are deceptively marketed as shackles on personal freedom.
Allah (SWT) warns the believers they should not let Satan deceive them, as he
deceived their parents, Adam (AS) and Eve (AS). Under the guises of fashion,
culture and modernism however, Satan has, and is succeeding to lead the Muslim
woman into immodesty.

From the dawn of civilization, flowing dresses and headscarves have always been
associated with "godliness" or "god consciousness." Even the Christian pictorial
respressentation of the earlier prophets and their women folks bear a familiar
likeness to the dress ordained for Muslim men and womn. This tradition of
modesty is reflected in the Quran, wherein Allah (SWT) says,

"O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves
(screen your private parts, etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of
righteousness, that is better..." (Al-A'raf 7:26)
But since the hay-days of the feminist movement, there has been an increasing
amount of scrutiny placed on the dress and status of Muslim women. According to
these "liberated" women, the hijab not only covers the head, but also covers the
mind, will and intellect. They say that our dress code is outdated and oppressive,
and that it stops us from being productive human beings.

They speak out of ignorance when they say that our hijab does not belong in
these modern times, when due to the constant decrease in moral values in the
world today, circumstances make the hijab even more necessary. More than ever
before, sex crimes are rampant and "liberated" women in the larger society now
face increasingly higher chances of being raped or sexually harassed. The Federal
Governemetnt conducted a research in which they found that in America, a rape-
crime is committed every six minutes.

The women, who uncover their beauty and show off their bodies and made-up
faces for all to enjoy, expose themselves to be harmed by these wolves in human
clothing. Allah (SWT) enjoined the hijab on the Muslim woman to protect her from
harm. He (SWT) knows His creation, and knows that when women make dazzling
displays of themselves, with immodest clothes, perfumed bodies and made-up
faces, that it serves to increase the sexual deviance of the overall society. Many
of those who are misguided would have us think though that the hijab is a
portable prison that restricts our minds, lives and hearts. It is none of these
things, and in order not to fall victim to their plots, we must begin to understand
what the hijab truly is

For Muslim women, the clothing requirements are not meant to be restriction but
rather a way in which society can function in a moral and Islamic fashion. As
Muslims, we are the torchbearers for the rest of humanity; therefore we must set
the example and set ourselves apart for the rest of society. A wise person once
said,
"If you want to judge the religiousness or morality of a people, look to
the dress of its women."

Apart from the benefit it holds for the ummah and the larger society, the hijab
has many virtues for the Muslim woman herself.

It's been almost three years now since Allah (SWT) guided me to the light of
Islam, and took me away from the darkness of disbelief. Even though strangers
tend to speak to me in loud, slow English, and always ask, "aren't you hot in all
that,"

I have found the hijab to be the most liberating part of my conversion.

I adjure my Muslim sisters to reclaim the hijab. It is your right and an intrinsic
part of your Islamic identity. Do not allow the Satan, Jinns and humans, to
enslave you to your desires, egos and vanity, when Allah (SWT) in His Mercy, has
given you the keys to freedom. As Muslims, we must lovingly submit to the will of
our Creator, and let the whispers, taunts and ill intentions of the creation be of no
consequence to us.

And what greater act of submission can there be for a true Muslim woman than
the saying of the faithful believers when they are called to Allah (SWT) and His
Messenger (SAW) to judge between them, is only that they say, "We hear and we
obey." By doing this, Allah (SWT) will increase us in faith and make our way easy
for us (Insha-Allah). As true servants of the Lord of the worlds, we have no choice
but to follow whatever orders He (SWT) has given us. As we are slaves, when our
Lord says go there, we should go, and when He (SWT) says come here, we
should come, with no hesitation whatsoever.

Let us strive then to be true servants of Allah (SWT) by doing our best to carry
out His injunctions to the best our our abilties (Insha-Allah). Let us commit
ourselves to not falling prey to the beckoning of the larger society to be among
the "liberated women," but let us work to be among the "believing women,"
Insha-Allah!

Tips for Beginning to

Wear Hijab
Introduction

One of the most difficult decisions many Muslim sisters face is the decision to start wearing
hijab. This is certainly true for reverts, but may also be true for sisters whose families or even
whose cultures are not particularly observant. As a revert myself, I have been through the
whole thing. I would like to offer some advice that I hope inshallah will be helpful to sisters
who are considering wearing hijab but find that something is holding them back. If you don't
think that you need to wear hijab, try "Why Should I Wear Hijab?" instead.
Learning About Hijab

The first step is to learn about hijab. There is so much information out there and unfortunately
much of it seems to be conflicting. Although most of what you see agrees that the sister must
cover everything but her face and hands, some groups say that it is fard to cover everything
but the eyes. Meanwhile, certain other groups are dedicated to claiming that covering the hair
is not obligatory. It is very easy to get confused. And there are other questions. What is a
jilbab? Is it fard to wear one? What do all the names mean?

I have spent about two years researching these issues for myself and I have written several
articles that set out what to the best of my knowledge are the correct rules of hijab. Each of
these is linked below for you to look at.

Special Focus on Hijab - This is a section in a larger article. It explains where the ruling on
covering everything but the face and hands comes from, and the conditions of the headscarf.
It also refutes the claims of those who say that covering the hair is not fard.

Evidences for Jilbab - The jilbab seems to be the forgotten obligation of hijab. This article
presents dalils from Quran and Sunna, and opinions of many scholars, to show that wearing a
jilbab is fard, and it also discusses the conditions and rules of the jilbab.

Examining the Dalils for Niqab - In this article I examine the dalils that are presented by those
who claim that niqab is fard and I show that these are not as compelling as they seem at first.
I am actually a strong supporter of the opinion that niqab is mustahabb and sunna but I do not
believe that it is fard and I believe that saying that it is fard is to introduce into the religion an
obligation that Allah SWT and the Prophet (sAas) did not.

Bonus: See my Glossary of Hijab Styles.

For your convenience, I present a brief guide to the rules of dress for the Muslim sister for
different situations.

1) Around her husband, a sister may dress however she chooses. There are no restrictions
on what the husband can see or touch.

2) Around the mahram relatives, women, and children (a complete list of exemptions is given
in Surah an-Nur ayah 31), a sister should cover her awra. There are different opinions on the
extent of this. The most sensible that I have seen is from the upper chest to the knee. This
includes the region that is also awra in men (navel to knee) and extends upwards to cover the
woman's bosom, which is a special concern for her. Display of the hair, arms, lower legs and
feet, is universally agreed to be halal for this category.

3) Around non-mahram men, a sister must cover all of her body except her face and her
hands. The face is the circle of the face only and does not include the ears or any of the hair.
Just think about what you wash in wudu. The covering of the hair, neck, shoulders, and upper
chest must specifically be accomplished by the khimar (headscarf). The arms, torso, and legs
should be covered by loose, opaque clothing that obscures the shape of the figure. A long-
sleeved blouse and a jumper, a long loose tunic and a long skirt, or shalwar kameez are all
examples of what is acceptable. As well, most scholars say that the feet must be covered with
socks and shoes although a few scholars allow the wearing of sandals.

4) Outdoors and in open public places (such as the market or the masjid), a sister must wear
a jilbab as an outergarment, that is, over her other clothes. If she is wearing a khimar, then
the jilbab only needs to cover from the shoulders to the ankles, such as a long coat. If she is
not wearing a khimar, then the jilbab should cover the head and neck as well.

The above rules set out what you need to wear in each situation in order to be observing
correct hijab.
Note: Most sisters, including myself, approached hijab in several stages. Usually the first
stage is the modest clothing such as the blouse and jumper, tunic and skirt, or shalwar
kameez. The second stage is to add the headscarf (properly called khimar). The third stage,
often taken much later after reading up on the dalils, is to add the jilbab when outdoors. In the
way of things, I expect that most sisters who are reading this have already adopted the
modest clothing and are worried about the khimar.

Deciding to Wear Hijab

This is where the difficulties usually come in. For many sisters, it truly is a jihad. I remember
very vividly how scared I was the first day I put on the headscarf and went out into public. As
long as you are just wearing the modest clothes, nobody has to know that you are a Muslim.
Once you complete your hijab with the headscarf, you are suddenly announcing to everyone
who sees you that "I am a Muslim". Here is some advice based on my own experiences.

Wear it for the sake of Allah SWT

Various statements are made about why you should wear hijab, such as for modesty or for
protection, but the real reason that we wear hijab is that Allah SWT has commanded it.
Whenever anyone asks you, why do you dress like that, that's the only answer you need to
give them.

Allah SWT is the source of everything we have, our existence, our life, our capability, even our
goodness. If He ever stopped sustaining us, we would vanish in that instant. If He ever took
away what he gives us, we would never have even a speck of it. If we worked for millions of
years, we could never repay Him for all that He has given us. And yet He does give it to us,
and all He asks in return is that we do our best to obey what He has commanded us. Surely
wearing hijab is a very small thing that you can do for Him compared to what He does for you!

Wear it for the hope of Jannah

Allah SWT makes tests for us in this world. He makes things difficult for us. He wants to see if
we will remember Him, if we will have faith in Him, and if we will trust in Him. These qualities
are what is meant by "sabr".

Allah SWT does not lose the work of anyone, ever (see Surah Ali Imran ayah 195). Even if it
seems like nobody is paying attention to you or notices or appreciates good things that you
do, Allah SWT has seen them, and He will not forget them. Even when it seems like the whole
world is against you, Allah SWT is always there for you when you turn to Him. Remember
this.

Allah SWT always wants the best for us and in His wisdom He knows why each thing that
happens to us is in fact best for us. When it seems like everything is going wrong and life is
just one disaster after another, it is easy to forget this and to become bitter and skeptical. Yet
we must remember always to have faith that Allah SWT knows best why He has willed this for
us, and we must always ask Him only "Make me pleased with what You have willed for me".

This world we live in, although it seems at times to be the only real thing, is actually fleeting
compared to the Hereafter, which is better and more abiding. The trials of this world will seem
as fleeting as a nightmare when seen from the Hereafter, and the pleasures of this world will
also seem as fleeting as a dream when seen from the Hereafter. It's our happiness in the
Hereafter that we should be most worried about attaining, because it is what will last forever;
and it's our suffering in the Hereafter that we should be most worried about avoiding, because
it also will last forever.
Allah SWT has promised Jannah to those who remain steadfast in their faith in Him and who
trust in Him. The more difficult it is for you to have sabr, the greater the reward for it. So what
will it be? Ease in this world, and perhaps the eternal sufferings in Hell? Or difficulty in this
world, and inshallah the eternal bliss of Jannah? Let's face it, the old cliches are true: there's
no such thing as a free lunch and you can almost never have your cake and eat it too. We've
all got to face difficulties some time. Better by far that they be in the world than in the
Hereafter.

So that's what you should set your mind to. Yes, it's difficult to wear hijab. You may be
rejected by your family or your friends, you may face harassment and persecution or be fired
from your job. These are very scary thoughts. But if you have sabr and keep trusting in Allah
SWT, I swear to you sister, this is the path to Jannah, and when you look back on the Day of
Qiyamah you will know that it was worth it and have no regrets.

Wear it today and trust in Allah SWT for tomorrow

What do I mean by that? What I mean is that you should take it one day at a time, or even
one outing at a time. Sometimes the future seems to stretch on forever and ever and you
don't think you can make it that long. You want to give up before you even begin.

So sometimes the best thing to do is to keep you mind focused on what is immediately at
hand. Allah SWT will take care of the future. If you have to go out to the market, then
concentrate on being able to wear hijab just for this activity and on getting through it. If you do
get through it and nothing bad happened, then give thanks to Allah SWT for making it easy for
you, and turn your mind to your next outing.

Or if you have to go out to school or work, then concentrate on being able to wear hijab just
for this one day and on getting through it. And give thanks to Allah SWT when you have made
it, and turn your mind to the next day.

Eventually the outings will turn into days and the days into weeks, and the weeks into months.
One day you will realize that you have been wearing hijab for quite a long time and it isn't
really as bad as you feared, and Allah SWT helped you get through it. Don't be ashamed.
Sometimes it is like this. The most important thing is to have sabr and keep your trust in Allah
SWT always.

Wear it and spite the shaytan

My dear sister, the worries and fears in your mind are the whisperings of the shaytan. He
wants to talk you out of obeying Allah SWT.

It is very easy to keep going around in circles in your mind and to dwell on all the things that
could go wrong. I know that I myself have a tendency to do this, I put it off and I dither and I
wait for "the perfect time". If I let myself, I would never do anything at all!

So the thing you have to remember is that you do not need to be perfect in iman to wear
hijab. If perfection were a qualification, where is the sister who could wear it??

You must also not fall into the trap of thinking that you should wait until all your worries and
fears have disappeared. They never will! Trust me on this, sister.

True courage is going ahead to do what's right even though you are still nervous and scared.
So don't listen to the shaytan. Ignore the worries and fears he whispers into your mind. Tell
him that you will not let him keep you from obeying Allah SWT and you will not let him rule
your life.

Make the decision to wear it

Once you have come to know in your heart that you must wear hijab, then you have to set a
day and

JUST DO IT

This is the only way. Set a day and when that day comes, you have to do it. Don't back down.
Don't give up. Do it.

Offer salat al-istikhara. Make du'a. Make lots of du'a. Do not stop making du'a. Ask Allah SWT
to give you strength. Ask Him to make it easy for you. Ask Him to help you. He will, I swear it
to you. He is always there for you when you turn to Him. Remember how much He has given
you, how everything that you have, even your very existence, is due to Him. Remember that
He deserves this from you. Remember the promise of Jannah. Remember that remaining
patient and faithful through difficulty now may lead to Jannah, inshallah. Even if bad things
happen, keep these thoughts in your mind. Don't worry about tomorrow. Just concentrate on
getting through today, and leave tomorrow to Allah SWT until it gets here.

That's how you do it.

Final Words of Encouragement

I have been wearing hijab since September 1999. I do not regret it. I have never for one
instant regretted it. I do not regret it even one iota. Inshallah, you will discover that you feel
the same. Even within a few months I came to feel that I would not be properly dressed if I
went out not wearing hijab. This is when you know that you have made it!

Never feel that you are alone, or that you are the only one who is scared and worried and
nervous. Just about every other sister who has travelled down this road has gone through the
same things. I know I have. Your sisters are here for you. We have been where you are. We
are encouraging you and cheering you on. We know what it takes because we had to find that
in ourselves too. We are praying for your success just as we prayed for our own.

Come and join us.

Allah does not burden a soul except what it can bear. For it is what it has earned,
and upon it is what it has made due. "Our Lord and Sustainer, do not condemn us if
we forget or do wrong. Our Lord and Sustainer, do not put a burden on us like the
burden You put on those who were before us. Our Lord and Sustainer, do not put a
burden on us that we cannot endure. And blot out (our sins) and forgive us, and be
gentle to us. You are our Protector. So help us against the rejectors." (Surah al-
Baqarat ayah 286)