Hijab — Page 127
127 While guiding Ahmadi mothers towards their important responsibility of the good upbringing of their children, Syedna Hazrat Khalīfatul-Masīh V (may Allāh be his Helper) said that they need to train their daughters to observe Purda. Huzoor Anwar atba stated: “Mothers who are not mindful of their children’s dress from early childhood will not be able to control them when they have grown up. Some girls have such a physique that even at ten or eleven years of age, they appear to be fourteen or fifteen years old. If mothers do not teach such girls about Haya and dignity of dress, it will never develop after they have grown up. As a matter of fact, even if a girl does not appear physically mature, if you instill the seed of Haya in them from an early age, teach them that they are Ahmadis and cannot emulate the skimpy dress of people in this society—that they have to guide the world, act upon Divine teachings bestowed upon us—and that it is against the dignity of an Ahmadi girl to wear tight jeans with a short blouse, then slowly but surely this teaching instilled in their minds from an early age will start to take effect. Therefore, by the time they reach the age of maturity, they will automatically be drawn towards wearing the or scarf and a long coat. Otherwise, they will end up in the same condition as some girls regarding whom I receive complaints, both from here and other parts of the world, that they cover their heads and dress very appropriately when they come to the mosque and attend Jamā‘at events; but, when they go out elsewhere, they do not even have a Dupatta on their heads, much less a scarf. Hence, if mothers persistently draw attention of their girls—both through their own example and advice—and create awareness that our dress must be modest and that we possess a certain dignity, they and their girls will be saved from many difficulties. If we are not willing to make these minor sacrifices of our emotions, how can we offer major sacrifices?” (Address to Ladies, Jalsa Salana Canada, June 28, 2008, Al-Fazl International, July 15, 2011)