Meet 5 of India's Leading Hijabi Influencers

Anah Shaikh

 

“I joined Instagram when I was 19, with a private account and just 50 Followers. I have always loved dressing up in hijab-outfits. Seeing all the love my posts were receiving, I decided to go public within a year. Soon, brands started approaching me and initially, until I amassed 21k followers, I’d work for everyone for free! Today, I earn more than `50,000 per post, which makes me immensely proud of  how far I’ve come. My focus is to create unique, inspirational content, that breaks stereotypes and shows the world that one can be fashionable in a hijab, too. Most people think that, being a hijabi, I don’t have any freedom in life, that I have to be locked up in the house and can’t work, etc. But all that couldn’t be further from the truth. Us hijabi women are just like other women: educated, ambitious, and working hard to chase our dreams.”

Sana Syed

 

 “It was in 2017, when I came across this post of a hijabi woman on my Insta feed. She  motivated me in so many ways—her style, make-up, lifestyle, and the fact that she was following her beliefs...it was an affirmation that I could pursue a career in the fashion industry, too, without losing myself. With my content, I also want to spotlight racism against women of colour. I’ve seen people shame others for their colour,  and sadly, most of them don’t even realise that they are being discriminatory. In the past, I’ve been laughed at because I wanted to be part of the glamour world, and many people would subtly say things like, ‘You should take care of your skin more if you want to be here’. In reality, what they meant was that I should magically become fair to fit in. It feels like society is trying to imply that dark-skinned people can’t have choices, and they just have to settle for what life offers to them, solely because of their colour. And that can scar you.”

Layba Ahmad

“Dressing modestly in a way that’s also stylish can be a struggle, especially when everyone my age wants to wear what Kylie Jenner is wearing. My aim is to show women that the hijab is not a hindrance to your fashion game; you can wear a hijab and still look stylish, by playing around with your outfit and accessories. By way of my content, I also stand for a major global cause: discrimination against women in hijab. When I initially started posting pictures in hijab, people weren’t used to it. Many said, ‘Oh, you looked more beautiful without the hijab’, or ‘Hey! You’re so young, why are you wearing a hijab already?’. But it is who I am. And I’m grateful to see those people changing their opinions, and accepting my choice. However, there are still some who are ignorant. Many glare weirdly, as if I’m a terrorist. I’ve been a ‘non-Hijabi’ as well, and I can tell you it does happen. I have felt the discrimination, especially at security checkpoints in metro stations or at the malls. Also, my best friend was asked to remove her burqa during our internship at a hospital, as ‘the patients might feel uncomfortable’. After we fought back, they decided to let us wear the burqa if we wore a lab coat over it, so that it wasn’t visible to the patients.” 

Sundus Syed

 

“I am a doctor by profession, and when I was in medical school, I used to watch a lot of YouTubers...Bethany Mota and Jackie Wyers were my favourites! Later, I started following hijab-clad influencers on social media, and was soon obsessed. Dina Torkia, for instance, made me want to wear a hijab, too! But for the longest time, I didn’t have the confidence to embrace it in public. I had been a non-hijabi for 24 years, and was worried about how people would react. And  even later, I’d wear loads of make-up, OTT heels, etc, with the hijab, to overcompensate for my insecurity. In 2020, after a personal loss, I decided to re-explore my relationship with the hijab. This time, I wanted to do it for the right reasons—for my faith, and for myself, and without worrying about how it’d make me look. And that changed everything! Today, I feel empowered as a hijabi woman. I want the world to know we don’t wear it because we are ‘oppressed’, we wear it out of choice... as our crown! Initially, people’s opinion did matter. But as I became more self-assured in the hijab, the need to be validated by others diminished, too. Interestingly, it’s the men who seem to have a lot to say. Often, and rather stereotypically, they can’t  digest the fact that a hijabi woman can be her own person...strong-willed and fierce. Some even try to school me on how I should wear my hijab! It used to disturb me earlier, but now I choose to focus on the immense love and support I get, instead.”

Nabeeha Fakih Sheikh

 

“The biggest challenge I faced while growing up was to keep up with trends while maintaining my religious beliefs and wearing the hijab. While there were some international bloggers I looked up to, I noticed a lack of representation in India. That inspired me to launch my Instagram account, to help other women express themselves within their faith and culture. And to empower them to embrace their imperfections with confidence. My posts are mix of fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and more. I believe in promoting realistic and relatable content, and strongly advocate self-love. The hijab can be a clear, visual identity-marker for Muslim women. So, often, we find ourselves subjected to stares, either curious or judgmental. This can be distressing. And with the growing Islamophobia around us, it can make you feel insecure as well. I also think the Indian influencer market still has a long way to go when it comes to normalising and giving equal opportunities to the hijab-wearing women.”