# Why are people angry at a hijabi influencer who removed her hijab if it is her choice?

*The real problem: trading on a religious image you do not believe in*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/qdiqiwiz1my/s/2/
- Date: 2020-07-02 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Amena Khan (Pearl Daisy) Removes Hijab | Mufti Abu Layth (2:37–8:32)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdIQiwiz1mY&t=157s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/qdiqiwiz1my/

**Topics:** Social media; Hijab and niqab; Character and virtue

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The problem is not the hijab but duplicity: Mufti Abu Layth says building fame and income on a religious image one does not believe in is a double life that inevitably collapses, and he advises against living fake lifestyles.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth holds that the problem is not removing the hijab but presenting a religious image one does not believe in to gain money or status, and that such a double life inevitably collapses.

**Evidence, his words at 7:28:** “so the problem isn't that whether you want to wear hijab or don't wager don't worry who cares and the problem is not that is it an obligate it's your private choice the problem is presenting a fake image” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdIQiwiz1mY&t=448s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth repeats that she is a human being with the right to do whatever she wants, even to return with a punk hairstyle, but says there is a problem: contrary to what she says, in his account she played the religious card and rode the wave of hijab to become famous and rich, selling hijab as how a Muslim woman should present herself, and she did speak on religious matters on several occasions and promoted scholars. He mocks her statement that she never wore hijab in her personal life, saying nobody, not even the pro-hijab camp, demands it at home, and that such claims are what people make up when they have no argument left. He compares it to himself building a brand on wearing a thawb and talking about Islam, and says that as one of the first hijabi YouTubers she won contracts with companies such as, he thinks, L'Oreal, and made money on the back of that image. He is all for entrepreneurship, he says, but a double life cannot be sustained and comes crashing down, which is why he refuses to be fake himself despite people telling him to dress differently or stop posting about food. He understands why people are enraged, and says the problem is not whether one wears hijab, nor whether it is obligatory, but presenting a fake image one does not believe in to extract money or status, and he advises everyone against living such fake lifestyles.

## Sources and names cited

- Amena Khan (Pearl Daisy)
- L'Oreal
- hijab

## Transcript (machine tier, 2:37–8:32)

[2:30] removing the hijab i support but it's not that I support her but I support that fine nothing to me she is a human being who has the right to do whatever the hell she wants if she wants to come back with glow-in-the-dark green Punk hairstyle tomorrow it's her life she can do it that's absolutely fine but there is a problem some mercy I had belief a bit

[3:02] samasya this on the problem yeah problem the problem is that see contrary to what she's saying it's not true she has played the religious card and rode the wave of hijab to get famous and rich right so she used that now as human beings we use things you know we people are incredibly selfish they are self-centered

[3:41] she used hijab to kind of sell it as a this is how you do this is how a Muslim woman should represent herself now also it's not true that she never spoke on religious matters she actually did on several occasions she did she promoted scholars she spoke about things she spoke about these kind of things about where she I think she said in this interview and by the way I never used to wear hijab anyway in my personal life a cha-cha what I hope while sleeping or in

[4:19] the shower you mean you had yet her personal life girl who on earth said you need to sit at home worried now even the people who are prohi job don't say that yes eh you know this is when you haven't got an argument left you just make up so although I support autonomy I don't say people need to wait women need to you know go wearing hijab and they do this but look you have to base responsibility if you are going to use something like imagine now I use a

[4:57] thought and I always fashion a thawb and I speak about some Islamic issues and I speak about having Ria's Lamech a tire and I speak about certain things and then I make a brand and I cap because she was one of the first hijabi youtubers I believe and she was some kind of model she got some contracts with I think some companies like L'Oreal or some of the companies now she on the back of that fat you know promotes her product sells it makes thousands and thousands of pounds now I'm all for

[5:34] entrepreneurship I say do it but the problem is you see if you live a double life it is gonna come crashing down on you you won't be able to sustain duplicity this is why I sit here like this because when people say to me look Mufti you know I had somebody send me a message recently you don't love this you know you more than one person actually in the same week sending me a message ol

[6:13] Mufti I'd love to get you all right so okay mostly the way you dress it kind of people won't take you seriously I've had somebody else saying look mostly you know you do things you also you know you also do paneer tikka you know it's ICS as he is right the thing is that look I do but I see here because and this is why I say to these mallanna's don't be

[6:51] fake don't play this card because it will come crashing down and the same thing with all of these people who pretend because she's saying oh actually I never used to be like that ever I just gave the impression I was and you think well look well you gave the impression because it helped you financially and I get that so you kind of lived a double life but you can't then you can understand what people feel enraged and because people feel that cha-cha hunk of

[7:28] Awesome get a car so this are not nice you know so that's the that's the problem so the problem isn't that whether you want to wear hijab or don't wager don't worry who cares and the problem is not that is it an obligate it's your private choice the problem is presenting a fake image that you yourself don't believe in only to benefit from that like as a as a means to extract something from people whether it's money whether it's social status whether it's

[8:07] whatever and then live a duplicitous lifestyle and then crumbling under that eventually so this is why I would say to all of these people do not live these fake lifestyles it just simply is not worth it honestly that's my that's my point in

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment qdIQiwiz1mY/s/2. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/qdiqiwiz1my/s/2/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.