Why Scarves???

People have often come to me and asked why my hair or head is always covered,especially people who have had little or no interaction with muslims or those with a lesser understanding of Islam. So, inspired by a particularly very inquisitive friend of mine I want to give an extensive answer to the question "WHY SCARVES?". Reasons beyond the stereotypes and ignorance of the media. Here's our side of the story; The main and only reason that matters to most muslim women and men alike is that it was ordained by Allah, just like prayers,honouring thy father and mother,fasting etc were also ordained. As such I'd tell you its benefits
. ...... Benefits of the scarf.....
. Identity-Another paramount reason is identity. A muslim should be identified as one and not mistaken for some other. No one would have to ask "are you a muslim?" when it's obvious you are. .Modesty and respect- Covering the hair,head and body gives a woman more respect and makes her less susceptible to flirts and unserious men(I mean who needs them anyway). You can ask any average Nigerian chick who has ever gone out dressed like a 'Hajia' what I mean, I bet she knows. .Gaze- As morally upright as Islam is,it definitely understands how hard it is for the men to keep their eyes to themselves(if you know what I mean),so it says "Hey! All women who believe, cover up yourselves to help the men keep their minds and actions clean to help them lower their gaze". Imagine a world where the only hair,legs and figure your husband ever has to see is yours! Wouldn't that be something? no competition,no insecurity, just you. .Possession- As Africans, we believe in spirits,ghosts and extraterrestrial beings. Some religions also believe in demons, basically beings that live amongst us that we can't see. Islamically, non of these exists but we do believe in Jinns (story for another day) these are beings that live among us,with free will like humans, born to worship as well and more importantly with the ability to possess humans through the head and feet especially at night. If you live in Northern nigeria then the gist of jinns is surely not new. This sort of possession can be avoided by merely covering your head and wearing shoes when outside. Covering your hair is a small price to pay for your sanity and free will don't you think? .Mystery and style -Then there's my two personal favourites the mystery and style. Have you ever been walking and a girl covered up passes you by and you take a whiff of her very gentle perfume and all you want to do is get a glimpse of the face? Yeah that's the mystery PS *to unravel the mystery behind a woman,a man would keep coming for more* .And the style? Don't get me started on this aspect! A scarf can turn you from urban nice girl to sophisticated chic girl,the patterns,colours,fabric *whew! fabulousity! No matter who you are or how you want to wear it, maybe on your neck, as a bow,a turban, it always turns out perfect. You can't deny the imprint of the scarf in the fashion industry. Even the men can't get enough of it. So, go get yourself a scarf today!:) .