Ali Dawah - VOGUE HIJABI MODEL LEAVES INDUSTRY

00:00:00.580 She didn't need to be a Muslim woman to remind me to get it together. 1.00

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00:00:25.080 Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh brothers and sisters and dear friends.

00:00:27.480 But, very important topic to be discussed today.

00:00:30.320 Sister Halima Aydan, a Somali sister, who, like many young people, be it men or women, male or female,

00:00:39.420 who go on a journey where they sometimes make mistakes and they learn from those mistakes.

00:00:43.960 And the best of sinners are those who repent, brothers and sisters.

00:00:48.540 So we're going to go through her Instagram story which was sent to me.

00:00:52.420 And we just want to react to it and learn some lessons.

00:00:54.980 Because recently I've been reading a book called Beauty Sick.

00:00:58.960 And it correlates beautifully with the sister's decision.

00:01:02.160 May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless her. 0.97

00:01:03.800 I didn't really know much about her, but let's get straight into it inshallah.

00:01:07.120 And here we go.

00:01:07.940 Yep, so this was her story.

00:01:09.260 I screen recorded it.

00:01:10.680 So the first thing that she put here was,

00:01:12.640 What a literal queen. 1.00

00:01:15.620 Rukaya Ahmed Aydan.

00:01:17.400 My mum asked me to quit modelling a long time ago.

00:01:20.420 I wish I wasn't so defensive.

00:01:22.560 Sis was literally the only person who had the purest intentions for me. 0.64

00:01:25.940 The advice she gave me was,

00:01:27.740 Deen over dunya.

00:01:30.020 And her stance has never changed.

00:01:32.620 Hoyo, in Somali Hoyo means mum.

00:01:35.400 Hoyo and our Hoyos, our mothers,

00:01:38.740 Are always those who always stand behind us.

00:01:42.480 No matter what mistakes we make.

00:01:44.580 So may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless her mother and all the mothers.

00:01:48.580 Because they go through so many sacrifices for us.

00:01:51.180 And may Allah bless all of them, wallahi.

00:01:52.640 And like one scholar said,

00:01:54.580 Half of the nation are female and they give birth to the other half. 0.98

00:01:59.060 Let's carry on.

00:01:59.600 So this picture she says,

00:02:02.060 Another theme I'm noticing is that my faith was the strongest around my family.

00:02:05.320 Just look at that jilbab. 0.99

00:02:06.720 So this is,

00:02:07.640 The sister on her story is telling,

00:02:09.300 Well she's on her story,

00:02:10.620 Instagram story,

00:02:11.260 She's giving us her story of her hijab.

00:02:14.220 Story.

00:02:14.840 Three stories?

00:02:15.900 In a sentence.

00:02:21.060 Okay, so she's expressing how she felt strong.

00:02:23.780 Like had the actual hijab on at those times.

00:02:26.440 So let's go on to the next one.

00:02:27.760 A group picture.

00:02:28.460 So there's four nuns.

00:02:29.700 I don't know if they're nuns,

00:02:31.320 But all these people who do fancy dresses and dress up as nuns. 0.58

00:02:34.580 But anyways,

00:02:35.340 Heck, it was on point here too,

00:02:36.620 Because I still knew who I was.

00:02:38.460 Deep.

00:02:39.920 Next one.

00:02:40.480 Genuinely the last time I was truly happy and content with my hijab journey.

00:02:45.120 Okay, so she's genuinely coming from the bottom of her heart.

00:02:49.340 Okay, this picture is of a young person that looks up to her.

00:02:52.440 And she's posting that as something that she looks up to.

00:02:57.840 And it goes,

00:02:59.380 And this is her statement to the young sister.

00:03:01.560 May Allah bless her.

00:03:02.500 Look at her hijab. 1.00

00:03:04.080 MashaAllah, so beautiful.

00:03:05.380 Like the one I used to wear.

00:03:07.260 She's talking about,

00:03:08.300 Sister Halima is talking about this young sister here.

00:03:11.140 And look at the representation I gave to her.

00:03:14.400 Deep down sis, can't relate.

00:03:16.440 Honestly, same goes for me.

00:03:18.520 SubhanAllah.

00:03:19.740 One thing that we admire and we don't see much of,

00:03:22.740 Is those who come up,

00:03:24.320 Come out.

00:03:25.300 Whoever you might be, male or female.

00:03:26.520 Come up, come out and say,

00:03:27.680 You know what?

00:03:28.760 What I did was wrong.

00:03:30.280 And acknowledge that.

00:03:31.300 Rather than justifying it.

00:03:32.840 And this is something that should be admired and looked up to.

00:03:35.980 Next one.

00:03:37.140 So this one is, as you guys can see on the screen.

00:03:39.340 I used to justify a lot.

00:03:41.020 Wow.

00:03:41.720 Wallahi, I didn't even know.

00:03:42.520 I was just talking about justification.

00:03:43.520 That just came up.

00:03:44.580 SubhanAllah.

00:03:44.900 I used to justify a lot.

00:03:46.540 As we ever needed these brands to represent hijabis.

00:03:49.740 They need us.

00:03:51.100 Never the other way around.

00:03:52.580 But I was just so desperate back then.

00:03:54.460 For any representation.

00:03:55.700 That I lost touch with who I was.

00:03:57.380 Okay, I don't need my glass to read this.

00:03:58.700 So I'm just going to turn it in.

00:03:59.560 Because I can read close up.

00:04:02.020 He cannot read!

00:04:04.680 Yeah.

00:04:05.200 So now this is very interesting.

00:04:06.440 So they get her to do modelling.

00:04:08.200 And she's got jeans over her head. 0.70

00:04:11.040 In a hijab sense. 0.67

00:04:12.580 And then, this is what she says.

00:04:15.140 But.

00:04:16.400 The captain obviously says, find your style.

00:04:18.920 But this isn't even my style.

00:04:20.620 Never was.

00:04:22.000 Why did I allow them to put jeans on my head? 0.76

00:04:25.540 When at the time I had only ever worn skirts and long dresses.

00:04:28.760 This is deep.

00:04:29.560 She's saying, I don't even wear jeans.

00:04:31.520 As trousers.

00:04:32.640 And they're making me put it on my head.

00:04:34.980 That's deep, you know.

00:04:35.800 Like, what she's saying is deep stuff.

00:04:39.000 And this picture.

00:04:40.580 I went back to my hotel room.

00:04:41.660 And just sobbed after the shoot.

00:04:42.960 Because deep down, I knew this wasn't it.

00:04:45.260 But was too scared to speak up.

00:04:47.000 Also, very common struggle when you are the first to do something.

00:04:50.160 Like, what was that hideous green grass thing on my head?

00:04:53.920 I don't know.

00:04:54.780 Okay, I don't know what it is.

00:04:55.820 But there you go.

00:04:58.080 I should have just politely declined this.

00:04:59.660 Because where is the hijab? 0.98

00:05:01.380 Subhanallah.

00:05:01.780 You know, you can see.

00:05:04.700 And when I was talking about the book.

00:05:06.340 It's called Beauty Sick.

00:05:07.460 And I recommend every single sister.

00:05:09.720 Please, please.

00:05:10.400 If I had the money, I would buy it for all of you guys.

00:05:12.480 But I don't.

00:05:13.400 Buy the book.

00:05:14.480 The book is so, so important.

00:05:16.700 I can't remember the person who wrote it.

00:05:19.220 But she says there was 200,000 girls interviewed.

00:05:22.440 Over 40 countries.

00:05:24.140 And she was saying that 90% of them were not happy with one part or another of their body.

00:05:30.740 Can you imagine that?

00:05:31.820 She was talking to girls that were so skinny. 0.98

00:05:34.400 So skinny in her book.

00:05:36.000 Yeah, this.

00:05:36.680 I'm not talking about this.

00:05:37.340 In her book.

00:05:38.600 That they would starve themselves.

00:05:40.780 They would eat certain little, like, things.

00:05:43.680 Whatever it may be.

00:05:44.500 Crisps or snacks or whatever.

00:05:45.760 Just so the brain signals the stomach. 0.86

00:05:48.260 Like, yeah, you're full.

00:05:49.540 Just so.

00:05:50.080 Like, look at the enslavement.

00:05:51.280 And this is the reason why so many women come to Islam. 1.00

00:05:54.200 Why?

00:05:54.780 But you need to think to yourself. 0.99

00:05:55.700 Why is it that Islam is represented as the barbaric religion that beats the wife and kills her and all that kind of madness? 1.00

00:06:02.720 But most of the women that come to Islam, most of the people that come to Islam are females from the Western nations. 0.71

00:06:08.460 What is forcing them to come to Islam?

00:06:11.800 Because the enslavement that they are in, the invisible shackles that they have to carry day in, day out.

00:06:17.580 You can't go outside without makeup.

00:06:19.920 You have to look a certain way. 0.99

00:06:20.920 The society has made you feel more ugly and ugly. 0.94

00:06:23.260 And you need to look a certain way and dress up certain like this and look like that and do your hair. 0.97

00:06:29.040 Spending hours in front of a mirror. 0.73

00:06:30.740 You think you're fat.

00:06:31.700 You're subhanallah. 0.99

00:06:33.760 Wallahi.

00:06:34.400 The stress.

00:06:36.100 The, the, the.

00:06:36.900 Can you imagine living like that?

00:06:39.460 Botox.

00:06:39.880 I need to get my lips done.

00:06:40.960 I need to get this done. 0.84

00:06:41.720 Muslim sisters are falling for this today. 1.00

00:06:44.180 I know the struggle is real.

00:06:45.240 I can never relate how the hijab is. 1.00

00:06:47.500 Hats off to you guys.

00:06:48.900 Literally.

00:06:49.700 But the thing is, brothers and sisters and sisters who are watching this.

00:06:53.260 Wallahi.

00:06:54.380 Be free.

00:06:56.020 You would only find, we're all enslaved to something.

00:07:00.060 You only find true freedom when you enslave yourself to the one that has created you.

00:07:04.060 That's the reason why when you wear the jilbab, you're not objectified or sexualized.

00:07:08.440 This is even though some feminists will disagree with it. 1.00

00:07:10.420 Because when a man is talking to you, he's talking to you.

00:07:13.060 Not talking to you.

00:07:14.960 Or whatever else is present there.

00:07:17.580 Brothers and sisters, the hijab is there to uplift women.

00:07:21.080 Now this doesn't mean that Allah has legislated that.

00:07:23.560 Allah didn't say, women cover up because men can't lower their gaze.

00:07:26.920 No.

00:07:27.660 Men have to lower their gaze regardless of how you dress.

00:07:30.400 The point is that it's there to uplift and honor you.

00:07:33.420 And you're not a sexual object.

00:07:35.840 Let's carry on.

00:07:36.340 So I took what you all said to heart and probably misinterpreted it as well.

00:07:41.300 I remember wanting to be the hot hijabi as if that didn't just defeat the whole purpose. 1.00

00:07:45.340 A hot mess is what it was truthfully.

00:07:49.920 SubhanAllah.

00:07:50.400 Bless her for her honesty.

00:07:51.080 Looking back now, I did what I said I would never do.

00:07:54.840 Which is compromise who I am in order to fit in.

00:07:57.020 Thank you, Hoyo.

00:07:58.000 Thank you, Hoyo, for never giving up on me.

00:08:00.280 If I continued down this path, I would have definitely lost my hijab completely.

00:08:03.880 Hoyo.

00:08:05.120 We respect you.

00:08:06.680 Big up.

00:08:07.360 May Allah bless you, auntie.

00:08:09.260 From UK to America, wherever you are.

00:08:12.860 May Allah bless you.

00:08:13.940 Wallahi.

00:08:14.620 For never giving up on your daughter.

00:08:16.780 Regardless of what others said.

00:08:19.500 And in this picture, it says, I don't know if it says, eww, child, the confusion was real on this day.

00:08:25.280 I fought my entire team, I fought my entire team to wear this look.

00:08:29.480 And even Denise was like, this isn't the real you.

00:08:32.940 Who's Denise? 1.00

00:08:33.480 We're going to find out who Denise is.

00:08:34.520 It's very interesting.

00:08:35.800 That's how rebellious I was feeling at the time.

00:08:38.020 The pressure was getting unbearable and I'm sad to say I went through a period of representing the hijab.

00:08:43.320 This is Vogue magazine, yeah?

00:08:44.760 She said she had to delete this off my page because honestly this wasn't representation, this was mockery.

00:08:50.380 And I am so sorry I was too young and naive to see it back then.

00:08:53.440 But at the time I justified it because look, it's Vogue Arabia.

00:08:57.500 But wrong is wrong no matter how hard you try to convince yourself.

00:09:00.700 May Allah bless you, sister.

00:09:02.220 SubhanAllah.

00:09:02.600 How many people that we have today who use the hijab, you know, and justify it, you know, to sales or reach fame or whatever, etc.

00:09:13.800 SubhanAllah.

00:09:14.340 And this is the saying, you know what, this is not the hijab we know. 0.95

00:09:18.460 May Allah bless her.

00:09:19.800 And here, also never again taking a job that will require me to change my scarf style just to show off a necklace.

00:09:24.420 I'm a hijab wearing woman.

00:09:26.220 I can wear rings and bracelets but what do I need a necklace for? 0.97

00:09:32.880 And this one it says, I really thought, damn, I did that. 0.59

00:09:35.240 Not even realising how much I was hurting the little hijabi I used to be by now showing the world. 0.96

00:09:40.060 A new standard for hijab that could be comfortable with.

00:09:42.660 Essentially erasing my hijab completely. 0.95

00:09:44.860 That caption should have read, boo boo the clown. 0.97

00:09:48.500 SubhanAllah. 0.85

00:09:48.880 Look how hard she's criticising her own self because she understands the damage, brothers and sisters.

00:09:53.880 And sometimes when we're given these opportunities as sisters or brothers, whatever it may be,

00:09:57.580 when a big brand comes, Armani came to me and says, yeah, you have to do this but you just need to cut your beard.

00:10:02.960 Get lost, bruv.

00:10:03.860 Bounce yourself.

00:10:04.520 I don't care if you're Armani, flipping Gucci, Parada. 0.98

00:10:08.040 I don't give a damn. 0.65

00:10:09.480 When your iman comes first, you do not look up because you don't feel inferior. 0.89

00:10:14.220 Oh my gosh, Armani came to me.

00:10:15.240 Oh my gosh, you've got gin inside you, you need rakiya, what are you bugging out for? 1.00

00:10:20.660 Because it's a big company.

00:10:22.340 And that's what happens.

00:10:23.460 We hear it, we feel inferiority complex.

00:10:25.560 Yeah?

00:10:26.100 This colonial mind.

00:10:27.300 Oh, you know, no, I need to.

00:10:28.980 SubhanAllah.

00:10:29.800 And this is what's happening.

00:10:31.240 Do not, brothers and sisters, because what happens is Allah will humiliate you with that very thing that you put before him. 0.96

00:10:37.920 Here, this is a very powerful one.

00:10:39.520 This is so powerful.

00:10:40.860 Denise that she was talking about is that girl in the back. 1.00

00:10:43.260 Look how, shock of her face, yeah?

00:10:46.800 And sister Halima herself had missed it.

00:10:48.680 Because Denise has been with me since day one of my career.

00:10:51.600 And looking back, sis really had my back always.

00:10:54.780 She tried to talk to me out of so many looks, but I was too busy trying to look cute and feel accepted.

00:11:01.360 Her face says it all.

00:11:03.140 And she didn't need to be a Muslim woman to remind me to get it together. 0.99

00:11:10.000 Let's read that again. 0.75

00:11:11.000 She didn't need to be a Muslim woman to remind me to get it together. 1.00

00:11:17.560 How many times do you see non-Muslims looking at hijabis in haram relationships or whatever it may be or doing things and they're thinking, you're not supposed to do that. 0.88

00:11:25.820 Your religion doesn't teach you that, right?

00:11:27.360 And non-Muslim telling you. 1.00

00:11:30.840 Deep.

00:11:31.200 Now, I started off so strong, but no worries, I'm coming back.

00:11:36.020 May Allah keep you firm, sister, inshallah.

00:11:38.460 Subhanallah.

00:11:39.300 And wallahi, Islam on us. 1.00

00:11:41.460 Look at that, mashaAllah. 0.66

00:11:42.400 Wallahi, it's absolutely amazing.

00:11:44.380 And she says, yeah, Halima, what was your reasoning?

00:11:47.440 But honestly, I'm glad that I went through all the confusion.

00:11:49.260 Because now I can warn you guys about where I went and where I made the wrong turns.

00:11:53.140 She's telling you sisters out there.

00:11:55.300 She made these mistakes.

00:11:56.580 Don't do the same.

00:11:58.180 Don't go there and learn your lesson.

00:12:01.580 She's done it.

00:12:03.420 And here she's talking about this is where I went right.

00:12:05.880 Getting to meet other fellow hijabis doing remarkable things and breaking stereotypes.

00:12:09.400 That's it.

00:12:10.380 You know, just because, you know, you don't need to fit into this culture, this society.

00:12:15.640 As a hijabi woman, you can do so much.

00:12:17.520 I don't understand why people feel like it's all about beauty.

00:12:20.260 If you read the book, The Beauty Sick, you will see that she says that a woman only known for beauty, 1.00

00:12:26.500 Is that all you're known for?

00:12:29.320 Can you imagine?

00:12:30.160 As a woman, the only thing you're known is about your beauty. 0.57

00:12:32.600 Oh, you're taking good care of your hair, skin, this or that.

00:12:36.120 Wallahi, wallahi.

00:12:38.080 If we gave, if our sisters, if our sisters gave 10% of the effort they give on their skin, 0.95

00:12:45.620 their eyebrows, their hair, their lens that go in their eye, the Botox, the gym to look this,

00:12:52.920 which colour hijab, this clothing, that, wallahi, the effort that they go through.

00:12:58.120 And so do brothers.

00:12:58.940 But I'm just talking on this specific topic.

00:13:00.000 If we gave 10% of that to our soul.

00:13:07.080 And, nearly finishing off, diversity.

00:13:10.020 Where?

00:13:10.440 I was too afraid to ask back then, but not today, Satan. 0.92

00:13:13.680 Plus, bring back the smiles because you all made us look like half-dead, soulless gremlins. 0.80

00:13:19.180 Subhanallah.

00:13:20.240 And I'm going to finish off with this, brothers and sisters, because I think this was very, very powerful. 0.99

00:13:25.000 And we've got some idiotic person here saying, 0.99

00:13:27.660 Please don't take advice from your mum. 1.00

00:13:29.120 She's not educated.

00:13:30.020 You just stopped your own bag.

00:13:31.380 You could have built generational wealth.

00:13:33.400 Sad.

00:13:34.380 When somebody's whole happiness and motivation, objective in life,

00:13:39.140 is to think that money makes you happy, 1.00

00:13:40.880 you'll have idiotic comments like this. 1.00

00:13:42.520 To think that money is going to bring you happiness. 1.00

00:13:45.440 And this is a brilliant reply from Sister Halima

00:13:47.700 to someone, I don't know who it is,

00:13:50.280 maybe someone in the industry.

00:13:53.180 You all had, and we'll finish on this,

00:13:55.120 you all had four years to learn about me.

00:13:57.000 And why did you never remind me once to FaceTime my mum?

00:13:59.660 Or even ask for yourself.

00:14:01.120 Why did you guys make me feel like I had to abandon my mum?

00:14:03.760 You put your whiteness into my brand. 0.77

00:14:06.000 You whitewashed my hijab. 0.86

00:14:07.600 I came to you at my most vulnerable,

00:14:09.100 and you used it to control me and basically ride my coattail all the way to the bank.

00:14:13.500 But I found my real hijab.

00:14:15.100 Say thank you for Allah.

00:14:16.220 Say thank you.

00:14:16.960 So thank you for allowing me to wake up finally.

00:14:19.700 La ilaha illallah.

00:14:21.300 Alhamdulillah.

00:14:21.860 Wallahi.

00:14:22.940 And like we said before, brothers and sisters,

00:14:25.620 she has come to the realization, subhanallah,

00:14:28.680 and how she was in a vulnerable state and was taken advantage of.

00:14:32.200 And this happens in all kinds of industries.

00:14:34.580 Pornography industry, you name it. 1.00

00:14:36.400 They take advantage of you, give you all these promises,

00:14:39.580 use and abuse you, and then bye-bye.

00:14:41.920 Don't need you anymore. 1.00

00:14:42.840 Next, please.

00:14:43.420 Brothers and sisters.

00:14:45.980 We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to bless Sister Halima's mum, Hoyo.

00:14:49.680 And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to keep Sister Halima firm. 0.95

00:14:54.520 And I ask every single one of you guys, please, sisters, read the book, Beauty Sick. 0.96

00:15:01.000 You are all beautiful in your own way.

00:15:04.220 Do not let this society make you feel ugly.

00:15:08.480 Do not try to reach a standard that you're never going to reach.

00:15:13.460 You're never going to reach it.

00:15:14.540 Never.

00:15:15.500 Be happy with yourself.

00:15:17.220 Find true freedom within yourself.

00:15:19.040 Connect yourself to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. 0.93

00:15:20.960 Because indeed with the remembrance of your Lord, of Allah, do hearts find peace.

00:15:27.520 We are created in this way.

00:15:29.500 Nothing.

00:15:30.620 Brothers and sisters.

00:15:32.100 As in this life with all these materialistic things, Allah is telling us that only with the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace.

00:15:38.360 Same as when we go into Jannah, we're going to seek Allah's face. 1.00

00:15:41.820 And when Allah shows His self to us the way He feels His majesty, that's going to be the most amazing thing.

00:15:48.640 Nothing in Jannah is going to be equivalent to that.

00:15:50.720 So just in this dunya, we seek Allah's pleasure.

00:15:56.020 And that is what brings us absolute happiness.

00:15:58.200 Brothers and sisters, Allah is promising that to us in Jannah.

00:16:00.240 When you're going to have everything you want, but seeing Allah's face and seeking His face. 0.74

00:16:05.660 SubhanAllah.

00:16:06.880 Till next time.

00:16:08.220 Assalamualaikum.

00:16:09.660 Wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.

00:16:10.780 Please send this video to Sister Halima.

00:16:12.600 May Allah bless her.

00:16:13.780 Inshallah.

00:16:14.400 And yeah, goodbye.

Ali Dawah - November 26, 2020

VOGUE HIJABI MODEL LEAVES INDUSTRY

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