Hijabi

A mother-to-be had been sent down to the labour ward after the CTG showed some decelerations.
I had to ARM her fast, to see what the liqour colour was like. I sleeved up, grabbed the amniotic hook and ruptured the membrane.
"Aishah, this is the first time i get to see your elbow" cheong said, suddenly emerged out of nowhere. He knows it's part of the awrah, and he knows we are sensitive about it.
I froze, feeling like i was having a vaso-vagal attack.
"Oh no! now you have to marry him!Hahaha" Evelyn was laughing hard.
"I cannot have two wives," he smiled.
Sleeve down, i replied: "Next time dont make such statement, that's disturbing". And there's a sudden gush of feeling inside me, a feeling that only a muslim can understand.

Sometimes there are things that you just cant avoid. In NICU, conducting deliveries, and doing sterile procedures, we need to sleeve up to avoid contamination, reduce risk of cross infections, and avoid our sleeves being stained with blood and liqour. We had to do it when we had to do it, and I ask Allah His forgiveness for our shortcomings.
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For muslim women, working with male especially the non muslims is a challenge. We have to constantly remind ourselves our limitations and boundries, so that we will behave the way we should behave, and would be respected the way we should be respected. Most of them understand well. But some of them  naturally have some cracks in the head, unable to store informations in their long term memories the dos and don'ts in dealing with their muslim women counterparts.

"Dont touch!Dont touch.Dont touch.How many times do i have to tell you?You dont need to touch me just call my name"
"I dont touch your skin lah. Clothes only. You think you will get pregnant if i do this?" he laughed.
"Still,"
"Why i did this to Y*****,S****, they are ok with it?" quoting other muslim girls that seemed never being bothered. Wow, what an argument.
"We are...different" I dont know what else to say.
"Why different?"
I kept quiet. I shouldn't speak ill or pass my judgement on other people.

On the other occasions,
"Why do you have to cover up in our climate like this? This is from the Arab culture because they live in the desert, but you turn it to religion"
"Can you bathe in the swimming pool?"
"Your tudung wont prevent you from being raped"
"I see other women not wearing tudung, with skirt,i dont feel anything"
"What's the point of living if there is so many things you cannot do?"

Yes, we get questions and answers like that. But heads high, nah, we don't feel intimidated.

"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what [must ordinarily] appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you Believers! Turn all together towards Allah, that you may attain Bliss." (Qur'an 24:31)



I pray that Allah saves us from the evil of our desires, and soften our hearts.