Footsteps With No Sound: The Silent Rebellion of a Modern Muslimah
For being a true Muslimah, you need to be independent.
Footsteps With No Sound: The Silent Rebellion of a Modern Muslimah
For being a true Muslimah, you need to be independent.
Photo by Imad Alassiry on Unsplash
There was a girl on the road, covered from head to toe. She might have been sweating inside, but who could tell? All the world saw was a moving silhouette of fabric. Her gender, race, caste, and beauty were all hidden beneath those layers. She moved quickly, her footsteps making no sound at all.
When she crossed me, she left behind nothing but beautifully scented air. If she caught anyone's eye, it wasn’t just for a fleeting second; everyone stared in a sort of positive bewilderment. They looked blank, confused, and somehow disappointed. A girl in a khimar, her face completely hidden, navigating the admission section of one of India's largest institutes of technology and sciences.
The only person completely unbothered was the girl herself. She didn't even pause to ask a question. She kept moving forward, driven by goals clear only to her, while the crowd around her froze.
Before we move ahead, let me tell you that this girl is none other than the writer of this piece.
Beyond the Fabric
This story isn’t about facing weird responses at school or college. To be honest, I’ve never really faced them—and even if I did, I wouldn’t care what strangers have to say. When it comes to a woman, her clothes unfortunately always become the center of gossip.
If she wears a hijab, she’s "suppressed." If she enters a pageant, people objectify or body shame her. A saree is labeled "outdated," western dress - asking for them and as for a bikini—let’s not even go there.
I refuse to give a damn about what people say. I wear my khimar, burqa, or hijab with confidence and strength, as if it is the only choice I have ever made.
And that is exactly the point we need to talk about.
Many Muslim women receive comments about their hijab, while many others choose not to wear one at all. The difference isn't in the religion itself, but in how we practice it.
I wear the hijab because it is a part of my deen (faith); it is what my religion asks of me.
It is also what my country, India, allows me to do. There are no laws against wearing a hijab, burqa, or niqab here. You are free to practice your faith.
So, I do. And many girls like me do the same.
The Internal Battle
Photo by Umar ben on Unsplash
The real challenge arises when girls find it incredibly difficult to wear the hijab in modern, academic, or professional spaces. Ironically, the issue rarely stems from the place or the outsiders—most of the time, they don't judge at all. The judgment comes from our own people. It comes from families, neighbors, and relatives who are Muslims themselves. They present unfair ultimatums:
"Either you go to college and be modern, or you stay at home and be a good Muslim girl."
As a student of both science and Islamic studies, I refuse to accept this false dichotomy. Islam does not mandate that women must stay hidden at home, forbidden from gaining knowledge or achieving independence.
Imagine a woman whose child has a 104-degree fever. Is she supposed to sit idly and wait for her husband to come home before taking the child to a doctor? Of course not.
Islamic history is rich with stories of strong, independent women:
Maryem (PBUH): Stood strong and raised her child entirely alone.
Mother Aisha (RA): Widowed at a young age with no children, she became one of the most prominent, revered scholars and sources of Islamic jurisprudence.
Mother Hajar (RA): Left alone in the desert, her desperate search for water became a foundational, timeless ritual performed by millions during Hajj today.
Fatima al-Fihri (d. 880) - Founder of the University of al-Qarawiyyin in 859 CE which holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest continually operating, degree-granting educational institution in the world.
The list is much longer. For reference, I'm adding the link to another beautifully written article.
To All the Girls Striving Alone
This isn't just ancient history; it is happening right now. Every day, hijabi girls are fighting battles just to exist in these spaces.
If you ever come across a Muslim girl owning a stage, navigating an unusual career path, or standing alone in a massive crowd, just know she likely got there on her own. She has fought immense, unseen battles, and she is still fighting them.
It might sound unsettling to some, but this is our reality. To be a true Muslimah in this world, we often have to embrace being the ajnabee (strangers) that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) spoke of.
Ultimately, this isn't just about Muslim women. It is about every single girl claiming her rightful place at the top tiers of every industry. I know it wasn't easy for you. Not at all.
To all the girlies out there navigating spaces that weren’t built for us: whether you are owning a stage, sitting in a boardroom, or walking alone through a crowded campus—I see you. We are all fighting different versions of the exact same battle.
They will try to box us in, judge our clothes, and set conditions on our dreams. But we didn’t come this far to play by someone else’s rules.
Photo by Ropiudin Yahya on Unsplash
I fiercely believe in our right to be independent. We enter this world alone, and we will leave it alone. So how can we let anyone else dictate how we live in the middle? We only get this life once. So to every girl reading this:
Let us live. Let us fight. Let us fall, and let us strive together.
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