A piece of religious cloth completely changed her life. It brought her the inner peace she had ceaselessly longed for but had kept eluding her. She was in love with the very same hijab that many Western countries have effortlessly tried in vain to outlaw.
For many years now, it has become a source of discomfort for anti-Islam crusaders but for Tendai Luwisi, it was more than a blessing. After accepting an invitation from a local imam to attend the official opening of a mosque in Mutare, Zimbabwe’s third-largest city, she observed unique dressing from some guests at this function.
“I saw women wearing a hijab, it inspired me I then tried it and it looked well on me so I said to myself why I must try this. Why can’t I go to the church was just asking myself. So from that day, I converted to Islam,” she said.
As someone who had lived both worlds, having been in the music industry, she says the hijab gave her a sense of dignity and pride.
“People are respecting me because of wearing the hijab. I fell in love with the scarf the first time I started wearing it. I want to tell my sisters out there that hijab is good,” she emphasized.
Unapologetic choice
Since embracing Islam, Tendai changed her name to Zahra to appreciate the beauty and peace Islam has brought her.
“During my time when I was doing music, I was promised to go out of the country for tours in countries like United Kingdom and Canada through my music but nothing came out. I did not even go there.
But by the time I embraced Islam, to tell you the truth Allah worked wonders in my life, I was taken to Tanzania to advance my studies,” said Zahra.
A calling that started way back
Zahra, who grew up in a Christian family of five, stopped going to church when her parents died. She joined another church later but would soon leave as she ‘wasn’t enjoying the way they prayed’.
When the spiritual path seemed not to yield any fruits, Zahra embarked on a musical expedition. She joined a local afro-jazz musical outfit as a lead vocalist and guitarist.
“I used to go on stage people ululating some lifting me up on stage, you know how musicians dress just to make the fans happy,” she said.
Growing up in the township, she used to hear adhan from a local masjid, but the call to prayer went through her ears as nothing out of the ordinary. It never meant a thing to her.
“We used to call them Machawa (a term used to describe Muslims in that part of the country) not knowing that they are Muslims. We used to hear the adhan when were at our parents as it is close to a mosque near. I didn’t know that one-day adhan will call me to Islam and be a Muslim one day,” she said.
Hijab emissary
Since her coming into Islam, Zahra has been involved in some dawah projects that seek to educate Muslim women on the importance of hijab.
Umm ul Khayr, the Deputy Director of Muslimahs 4 the Nation, a non-governmental organisation which supports underprivileged women in Zimbabwe said Zahra’s story will urge Muslim women to preserve their identity.
“Her story will encourage other women to wear the hijab and assist us in our initiatives to raise awareness and distribute,” she said.
Umm ul Khayr said Zahra’s coming to Islam through admiring the hijab, shows the positive effects of the headscarf on the outer world.
