Hi Mona, isn't she pretty! Mashallah
Mona doing her thing!
Mona and I got to chat about what inspired her to start her own business. You can read it for yourself in her own words.
“What inspired you to do that?” A common question posed to the creators, developers and dreamers of
the world. I suppose I have been
inspired many times in my life. Each time it stemmed from a different place. It
was either, a deep place within me, force acting upon me or a combination of
both. Wherever the inspiration came from, it was strong enough to influence a
change in my life. I am often asked why I decided to start an online hijab
store when I already had a career as an elementary school teacher. Why would I step so far out of my expertise?
Honestly, I did not realize I was building my
business while it was happening. It was kind of an accident. In teacher terms,
it is like starting an assignment with a pretty good idea. You work on it
carefully but you are just looking at the functional concept of the assignment
and getting it done on time; no extras. Then you keep working on it, adding a
little here and there. Next, a friend or family member sees you working and
starts to give you ideas and guidance. Finally, to your surprise you have this
incredible A+ assignment that you cannot wait to show off to the world. That assignment for me was Modern Hejab.
I should back up enough to tell you about
what first got me to this “assignment”. I started wearing hijab in December of
2008. My decision to wear hijab came after a great deal of internal
exploration. I had taken a great deal of time and care to understand where I
belonged in the large Muslim world. I had begun to ask questions to understand
my religion beyond its pillars. I wanted to understand what it really meant to
be a Muslim. Although I was a born Muslim, it always puzzled me that the
concept choosing to be a Muslim was foreign to almost everyone I knew. Why
would you choose to be something you already are? My desire to be a Muslim or
not was never a question. It was deeper than that. I wanted to make a conscious
decision to be a Muslim so I would live it, breathe it and represent it to the
best of my ability. I made sure I was 100% convinced of Islam and all that
being a Muslim was. I was ready now to put my faith forward for the world to
see. I was ready to wear my hijab as helmet as a proud and dedicated soldier of
my God and my religion. I knew that I would be dodging words and comments like
I had seen my mother do numerous times. I had seen her criticized and
questioned about every aspect of her faith, yet she never wavered nor ever
doubted what she believed in. I wanted to do the same.
Of course the choice to wear hijab was a
journey on its own! I, like many other 22 year olds was vain. That’s the most
honest way of saying it. I liked my hair
and I was not ready to cover it up. I didn’t want to change the way I dressed. Unfortunately,
to add to my vanity, I hadn’t seen enough examples of mohajabat that dressed
well and took care of themselves. I thought I had to be frumpy and I couldn’t
have fashion and faith at the same time. “Fashion” and “Muslim” were not two
words often, or ever for that matter used in the same sentence. I simply didn’t have enough role models to
show me that I could still be me, and be true to my faith. After spending
endless amount of time, going into my mother’s room, putting on the hijab,
walking around the house, then putting it back, I asked myself: “Why do I keep
taking it off?”. Knowing the fears I had and the hesitation I experienced in
starting to wear hijab, I knew that I was surely not alone. Whatever fears I
had, other young women had too and I wanted to find a way to bring together
fashion and faith.
Thus began the journey to start to Modern
Hejab. Initially, it was just going to be a small basement business. I wanted
to encourage and inspire other young women to wear hijab. I wanted them to see
the beauty and freedom that hijab offers. I wanted them to see how their faces
would glow when showcased in a lovely scarf. I wanted them to see how Allah
makes us more beautiful with our hijab because all you can see is our faces, no
other distractions.
Like any assignment, it started small; very
basic. Then, with some time, and passion and lots of help, it grew little by
little to encompass more than I could ever have imagined. I never pictured
myself making hijab tutorials, although I had watched hundreds of them. I never
pictured myself doing radio or newspaper interviews, although I always admired
the strong women who did. I thank God
every day for bringing me this assignment. For like most assignments; you learn
the most when you least expect to. It’s a matter of keeping your heart and mind
open for all the possibilities and remember to take a few risks too.
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