The Simple Muslimah and The Complicated Careers : Peep Before You Leap

by Nisaar Y. Nadiadwala

Amongst the most dangerous things that can happen to many girls stepping into a career zone.

She will think that she can control her self and protect herself from haraam even if she studies and works  with males, communicates with males, share jokes with males, goes to canteen and picnics with males….just because she wears a hijab and a scarf so she is safe.

There are certain careers essential for women and medical zone and teaching being one them, yet they  are not without dangers because the learning environment teaches you many other things too .. those things which you dont pay your fees for, nor it is  part of your syllabus.

It comes in the form of being ‘look cautious’, smart at jokes or responding to jokes, ettiquette of laughing , sitting, exchanging gifts and gift cards and demanding parties from class mates……A girl is exposed to the latest fashions and realises that her looks, her face, her style and the colour  of her dresses needs to be updated. Even a simple girl wants  complicated looks.

This causes a shift in her attitude towards herself specially  her Islamic way of life she has come from.

An environment that enveloped her from all the glitter of being watched and graded by males, a cloud that shaded her from all the heats of competitive looks will now seem to her like a cage depriving her freedom to fly.

Yet I say that these two are the need of of our community so some females who are firm in deen and have a strong religious background  should go ino them but with a little caution

In fields like Information Technology it is only intelligence that is needed but a grade in beauty will lift your popularity index as compared to the other girls in the class.

It continues even when she joins  a company where she is in a micro minority sorrounded by males.

Lengthy working hours to finish the tasks and late nights to fix up net work problems are important part of the job profile. She will keep on disconnecting her phone repeatedly every time her husband or children disturb her. Poor fellows only wanted to know if she is coming early and cooking food or should they order from hotel. The only thing she gets is a fat salary to buy luxuries for herself and branded expensive beauty products  designer’s dresses are  some  of them, and some time birthday cards with flowery words of love and affections for her husband and children , which come from the pens of professional writers and not from her heart.Replace IT with Engineering or CA , the rules and the rulers  of studying and working places remain same.

There are certain careers like MBA  where looks and styles are essential chapters of your syllabus. . She has to learn the art of persuading customers and please them and bargain hard for her company. If you see it from a little different angle, she is not only marketing the product or the services of her company but marketing herself in the office. Students have to give presentations to audience standing before them, looking into their eyes, without feeling shy and bashful other wise it is counted as  lack confidence.

Those natural attributes that  fetch you more marks in the book of Allah will now sit in the column of  liablities and barriers towards  prosperity.

Your shy and  modest Islamic nature, that is declared to be a part of Emaan in every book of hadith, will gradually say to you good bye..

After all an A-plus in Maths and Sceince indicates that you are intelligent in those subject only but in real life there are subjects in which are grading is done by Allah only and Haya is one of them.

Meanwhile you will still continue to wear an abhaya with  a scarf, fearless of any threat to your modesty from any side.  Any takers of my Advice?

Or as Prophet Saleh said when he looked at his dead people devasted by the wrath of Allah:

O my People! I gave you sincere advice but Alas! You do not  love  sincere advisors…..

Surah al-Ar’af ch 7,verse 79

Auhtor: Nisaar Nadiadwala speaksn write on socio-educational issues from Islamic perspective. he can be reached at nisaar_yusuf@yahoo.com