I want to cover my face, but I have faced opposition from my father, on the grounds that the custom of hijab is not prevalent in our village. What should I do?

Question:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good. She says: I am a regular listener to the program *Nur 'ala al-Darb*, and through the program I have seen that the honorable scholars frequently urge women to observe the Shari'ah-prescribed hijab. So I wanted to put on the hijab, meaning the face covering, especially since I do not want to anger Allah the Exalted, and I hope to be committed to the noble Book of Allah. But I have faced opposition from my father, on the grounds that the custom of hijab is not prevalent in our village, and that women do not wear the hijab, neither in our village nor in the neighboring village. What should I do? I cannot stay at home, because I will be going out to school, if Allah wills.

Answer:
The Shari'ah-prescribed hijab is not a matter of custom; rather, it is a Shari'ah ruling that must be observed, even if it contradicts the custom of the country, and even if the father is not pleased with it. This is a Shari'ah ruling that must be observed, even if the father or anyone else is not pleased with it, and even if it contradicts the custom of the country. So you must commit to the hijab in obedience to Allah and His Messenger, so that, if Allah wills, you may be a good role model for others in this country. You will then receive the reward, and the reward of those who follow your example. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever introduces a good practice in Islam will have the reward of it and the reward of everyone who acts upon it, without anything being deducted from their rewards." And you must be patient. You will face blame from people, even from those closest to you, but you must be patient and seek reward from Allah. Yes.