Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 86
86 Muslim identity. Here, the mother ’ s role is to nudge her daughter forwards gently and lovingly, yet firmly, and to pray constantly for Allah Almighty ’ s help in guiding her. Depending on the child ’ s personality and maturity, this process may be smooth sailing or take a bumpy course, but consistency and steadfastness on the mother ’ s part are crucial. It is very helpful for a young girl to have the company of her fellow Nasirat and not feel alone in this journey. If possible, mothers can arrange for their daughters to go out with other Ahmadi Muslim girls wearing hijab together to increase their confidence. Another helpful point is to make sure that girls understand why Purdah is prescribed for women. Sahibzadi Amatul Qayyum Sahiba, daughter of Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II (ra), once gave the following advice to a young girl. She told her that when one has something valuable, such as a beautiful jewel, one takes extra steps to protect it and keep it safe. She said that Allah Almighty has prescribed Purdah for girls and women because they are the jewels of every home and Purdah provides protection for them as they are special. There are some parents who actually discourage their daughters from observing Purdah at a younger age because they think they are too young, or they are concerned because they feel that they may be harassed in school or bullied because of their faith and attire. However, if a girl chooses to start covering her head with a headscarf or wear clothing which covers her body entirely, she should not be discouraged from doing so. The best way to ensure that our girls are not being bullied or taunted is for the parents to meet with the school principal and counselor to explain the religious mandate behind such a way of dressing. One area of concern may be the physical education class, which is usually mandatory for all students, and requires all students to wear shorts and T-shirts. However, schools will accept a modest dress code for Muslim girls and allow them to wear sweat pants if proper notification is given to the school administration ahead