About
Posted on June 13, 2010
Peace! Fifteen years ago, I started calling myself “HijabMan.” Dissatisfied with the community of Muslims surrounding me, I donned this new moniker to attract attention and created a web site chronicling my struggles as a first-generation American Muslim of South Asian descent. But a lot has happened since then… read more
A Little History
Idthkar Allah, “Remember God” commands the graffiti at the end of one of the tunnels that ease the passage from Al-Azhar mosque to Khan al-Khalili bazaar. I used to crave those tunnels, despite their eerie feel. They provided both a cool refuge from the sweltering Cairo summer as well as recording studio-like acoustics for the blind Qur’an reciters who sat in them. The recitation of the revelation would embrace me each time I passed through. It was hard to let go until the day I looked up and found a reminder. Idthkar Allah.
My name isn’t HijabMan, but you are free to call me that. At 14, I began this site as a way to reflect on the sights I’ve seen, the people I’ve met, and my life as a whole. Now, over a decade later, HijabMan has expanded to include expressions of my own creativity through a shop full of products, wedding and event photography services, and a blog. It functions, quite literally, as a forum through which I can discover and pursue what I love and maintain friendships with people all over the world— some of who I still haven’t met. It should go without saying that I am thankful for all of this, and for all of you.
Right around the time I finished my Bachelor’s degree, I mentioned on this blog that I wished to be a spiritual leader of a mosque, and so I began on that path, deciding to live in Syria for a little bit, in search of some sacred knowledge. If you can call self-knowledge sacred, well then that is what I found. I thought a lot about what I would be best suited for, On my return to the US, I landed what I like to call my ‘holding pattern’ job as a technical support specialist at a small legal services company. It was there that I stayed for 3 years until I was laid off due to the worsening U.S. economy. Ultimately the pink-slip was for the best, and I knew it. In fact, when my boss told me I was being laid off I started laughing happily. She was confused, but glad that I was taking it so well!
The positivity paid off, and I used the free time to leverage the network I had built (and continued to build) through this web site to become a wedding photographer. Within a few short months, I had made enough of a name for myself that a couple flew me to Malaysia to photograph their wedding.
“The Wheel weaves as The Wheel wills,” as they say, and I just happened to meet my wife and daughter at the wedding of that same couple. I ended up moving to Malaysia for a year to be with them, and now we’re back in the States a year and a half later. We’ve just bought a house, and I’m in love with my [relatively] new roles as husband and father.
You may use my writings, if proper credit is given to me with a link back to hijabman.com. If you do happen to use one, let me know. I’d be curious to know where it has been.
Content
I hope to make hijabman.com a resource center. My passions are many and varied, you’ll see that reflected in the posts.
On my approach to islam
“But as for those who strive hard in Our cause -We shall most certainly guide them onto paths that lead unto Us: for, behold, God is indeed with the doers of good.” (Qur’an 29:69)
Namely, the word “Islam” is used in the Holy Qur’an with a deeper dimension than a creed to be compared to other creeds, or a set of social or cultural customs and traditions of certain societies who carry this label. Rather, Islam in the Holy Qur’an points to a living Truth that transcends names, labels, languages, and/or religious affiliations. – The Book Of Character
If you walk into your average mosque, you’ll hear, “Islam is a way of life!” And then they’ll go on to tell you the “islamic” way of blowing your nose. They see Islam as a way of life in the “It-Tells-You-How-To-Do-Everything!” kind-of way. I do not see it that way.
For me, being a muslim means to being a champion for all good, just causes on Earth. Read more about my approach. I highly recommend that you do so, since this approach is the reason hijabman.com exists.
Recognition
HijabMan is also referenced in:
How Does It Feel to Be A Problem?: Being Young And Arab In America by Moustafa Bayoumi
Encyclopedia of Muslim-American history: Volume 1 by Edward E. Curtis
Osama Van Halen by Michael Muhammad Knight
From Imam to Cyber-Mufti: Consuming Identity in Muslim America by Saminaz Zaman
American Muslims: South Asian Contributions to the Mix by Karen Leonard (full article)
Support This Site
You can support this site in a number of ways. The easiest, of course, is to become a member of the community by participating!
Another way you can support us is by helping us financially. You can do this in a number of ways, the first of which only involves you clicking! 1. Click on the advertising links you see in the sidebar or throughout the site. 2. Buy some advertising space for your blog or business (It is cheaper than you think!). 3. Buy a book or merchandise through one of our amazon affiliate links 4. Buy a hijabman.com product. 5. Make a donation.
