My Personal Take on Wearing the Gamboo3a/Shambassa Pouf/Camel Hump Hair Clips

I wrote this originally as a comment on Ange's post but I wasn't logged into ILOVEHISHMA. I tried wearing Gamboo3a and I wanna speak from my own experience of wearing it even where it is the norm, and from my Islamic research.

I don't think they are haram (in that I am not qualified to make that kind of fatwa) but could be, since rasoolulah cursed women who had camel humps on their heads. I have read the ahadith and find that I personally (while certainly not a Shiekh) believe they are makruh---strongly disliked and could be haraam. Some say the hadith says to the side of the head. I have read the original Arabic and am good with directions and it says on top of the head [as the majority of the Ulema agrees).... soooo... I mean I used to wear them before I started taking my hijab away from culture and style ect, and getting at its core before injecting my personal style back into it, but I live in the Gulf and have interviewed men, both good and bad muslims about the clips. None actually like the shambasa/Gamboo3a itself, as it contorts the head, but all of them mentioned that they found or thought of the girls who wore them as being somewhat, er, sexier or easier, or less Islamic in general. Which I mean, is bogus, but in Islam we aren't supposed to purposely appear contrary to Islam or do anything that associates us with something haraam ect. I mean, we don't sit and eat with those who are drinking alcohol in Islam, because then we are associated with the sin of doing so. If committing taburruj (attracting attention [and Gulf men have told me they attract their attention regardless whether or not they find the clip itself attractive]) is haram, then associating one's self with an act largely regarded as tabarruj even by the majority of the male population (from my non Muslim father from the West to Gulf guys of all walks of Islamic adherence), is a similar act to sit drinking soda with a bunch of people sucking back booze. *I know I could say, if I don't wear it in UAE I'll be the odd one out and that will attract attention to, but same goes for wearing abaya/jilbab in the West. I have to remind myself, did I convert to Islam, or a culture?*








I stopped wearing them now alhamdulilah, and wish I had resisted that trend when I was in Emirates, but peer pressure you could say lol, got to me, and I tried it. Whether you wear it cone on top, or above the earline to the back, both have a "hump" effect that is purposeful. If your hair is just like that it isn't on purpose ect, but the intention of getting a hump was not favourable to Rasoolulah so it isn't to me;). I mean, I see so many women who suit that hadith, saying they have hump like camels and they are dressed but naked. i.e their abaya is flung open to revealing clothes or skin tight in the first place and the camel hump hijab is there, and this hijab style leads others astray because it is close to jilbab and khimar, but it isn't, and takes people farther away from the true hijab of the sunnah very easily if you are not careful. Do any hadith talk about women from the Sahaba (who even had long hair) having bumps of any kind on their heads?. I mean, abayaat have to be loose, the hijab has to cover the chest and all the hair (and you need a super long hijab to accomplish that WITH Gamboo3a) believe me. I never see girls do it right without gashwa or something over their gamboo3a. Everyone says the intention is good, but why then do I see so few examples of modest makeup, modest loose fitting abaya, and khimar that covers all the neck, chest, hair and body when worn with this style? I know some sisters do it well but they are THE VERY SMALL MINORITY (I have seen only 2 sisters in real life out of thousands wearing Gamboo3a), but the origin of the style was not Islamic or even having hijab in mind, and that is why I personally reject it and urge other sisters to do so as well. I don't want to associate myself with something that did not actually have a good intention at the core of its initial influence.


Anyways, that's just my take on it. My reasons. I am probably going to get sistas calling me extreme and what not but then, I don't care. I wish I hadn't worn the Gamboo3a ever, and so I am just sharing that in case it is useful to ya'll in anyway:)

Comments

Umm Aaminah said…
Salaam sis. I think a little volume under the hijab looks nice but alhamdulillah my hair generally does that job for me. ;-)

When I was in UAE I saw a girl who looked like she had another head on top of her head. I'm not joking. I always try to be respectful and not stare but come on! It was soooo obtrusive and definitely didn't look nice

I just kept walking, wondering "What is she thinking?". :-D
samara said…
SO CAUSE YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND ABOUT THE GAMBOOA YOU CAN ACT ALL PREACHY AND HOLIER THAN THOU?? FIGURES i NEVER LIKED YOU ANYWAY GLAD YOU ARE OUT OF VIC
StylishMuslimah said…
Perfect logic, couldn't agree more. So many girls do this at my university and I think it looks tasteless and it just screams "look at meee!!". Hardly the essence of hijab :S

Salam :)
Pixie said…
samara: lol, use ur real name coward. Glad I'm out Vic away from so-called Muslimahs like you anyways, whoever you "really" are. I never advocated earing the gamboo3a to anyone. I tried it in UAE is all, because it kep my scarf from sliding off my head and because I hadn't investigated it thoroughly Islamically.
Pixie said…
Umm Aaminah: Wa alaikom e salaam sis, yeah, I like volume but I do it with the hijab, you know, loosely draping and pinning a layer ect.
Pixie said…
Stylish Muslimah: Honestly, before I asked men about it, besides the hadith, I couldn't make up my mind. Because I knew men thought it was ugly I dismissed it as tabaruujj. But whike they think it is ugly, they admitted they found the woman who wore it to attract their attention more to other things beyond the shape just because of the shape lol. Then I was like, hmmmm, let's research the hadith a little further. It wasn't one that I heard any Shiekhs in khutbahs go into so I had to read a little more.
Gail said…
Assalaam waliekum.

My thoughts are if insha'allah these "clips" are so fashionable, so beautiful or whatever: why not wear them "outside of the hijab".
I mean nothing is wrong with an over-sized,gaudy,puffy,flashy hair-bow attached to the OUTSIDE of the hijab, right?
Unfortunately, the intention falls short of the product in this case because no Muslimah would want to be seen with such a hair-bow OUTSIDE of her hijab and I have seen the gambooa worn w/o the hijab. It looks retarded, like a bad 80s flashback.
LoL I know myself that I have worn gamboo3a's that were WAY to big ( I thought it looked cool) but I finally found a size that didn't make it look like I have a mountain on my head :-D I know MANY ppl (women AND men) believe gamboo3a is haraam but I prefer to wear a little clip to keep the shayla (in my case, niqaab and ghashwa) sitting & feeling comfy on my little head.

AND I cannot stand the turtle-head look NOOOOOO WAAAAAY X-D

Anyways, whether we agree or disagree if wearing shambassa it's such a small issue so I am not gonna get into a huge debate about it. Allah knows what is in each of our hearts :-)

@ "Samara" wow look at you -- can't even use your real name you must be one of those girls i was talking about in Victoria who just looooove talking trash to ppl but are so afraid of losing your "good little Muslimah" image... why don't you come out and say your real name - I will be visiting Vic soon with my little group maybe we can "get together" and then see how tough you wanna act then ;-)
Anonymous said…
Salaam alaikum,

I wear one, but it's definitely not to attract attention or anything like that. I just think it looks better than having a flat hijab.. Plus I'm pretty sure Khaleeji men know it's a gamboo3a and not your hair since their sisters/mothers likely wear it.
Anonymous said…
looks retarded hahaahahaah
wow... such haters :'(

Im curious though sis.. what was the origin of these things (and I dont say that to sound nasty.. I just cant remember what they are called lol)
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
slmz Pixie =)

i have noticed the strangest thing: your posts always seem to come at just the right time for me. i have always thought that the flower clips were doubtful, but recently i have been VERY tempted by them( i even went so far as to buy one =/ )

so anyway JazakAllah for helping me renew my resolve. i am so sorry about this nastiness with people from Vic (wherever that is, my geography is baaaad), their actions are really not cool, not Islamicly, not in anyway.

love and duas

Ayesha Parrot-Monkey
Fatima Jane said…
i think they look so wierd! Esp that huge hump style.. it actually freaked me out the first time i saw it. I thought maybe the girl didn;t realise that her hairstyle made her look like a conehead when she wore hijab.

later i learned that girls wear them to look that way..

go figure!

i don't know if its haram, but its just bad taste.
Majda said…
I feel like this along with anything else in Islam is about moderation. Having a huge attention seeking hump is obviously defeating the purpose of hijab but I see no problem with one that is tastefully worn. I wear one, but my own hair is very thick and long so it really doesn't do too much that my hair wouldn't do besides hold it in place, not that I'm making excuses. I just really think it's about intention. Doing anything purposely to seek sexual attention defeats the point of hijab. This applies to the shabassa or anything else. As for me, I can't stand the "turtle head" look lol.

As for Samara: Seriously?
Gail said…
I dont think it's a point of wearing the gambooa tastefully or even that men know that it's a gambooa, it's the fact that Muhammad pbuh warned about & prohibited the Muslims from such manners.
And the horrible part is that the people urging this fashion are Muslim women.
Anonymous said…
Tried it made my head hurt i was like peace out gamboo3a
Anonymous said…
Salam sister,
i understand your post about the flower clips and i agree with your opinion of them, my mum and i wore them for a short time after we came back from a holiday in Dubai, but we stopped alhamdulillah.
One thing that makes me anxious is that i put my hair in a bun before putting on hijab, and since my hair is quite thick mashaAllah, i dont really need any clips or big hair scrunchies to make my bun look huge or anything. is it wrong to put your hair in a bun? its not a flower clip sized bun or really huge or anything...does that come into the category of the camel hump thing?? it really makes me feel confused because i dont want to do the wrong thing but leaving my hair down in a hijab makes some skin problems come back at the back of my neck and ears because of the heat and hair irritation...
i would really appreciate an answer jazaakAllah!
:)

Much love,
Maryam from England.
Gail said…
Asalaam waliekum.
@Anonymous:

It's all about intention.
The intention of the camel hump hijab is to be fashionable so women wear the gamboosa to purposely add that volume. The intention of putting your up in a bun is to make your hijab easier to put on, to make yourself comfortable and to protect your hair. There is nothing wrong with wearing your your in a bun. It's your natural hair and some sisters have thick voluminous hair so there is no harm in their hijab not being flat.
Shimaks said…
This is a very good post. I agree with you. It's true that Muhammad S.A.W. does not condone camel-hump hijab.
Shimaks said…
Salam!

I wanted to ask you this. How do I pronounce Gamboo3a?

Gam-boo-ah?
Gamboo-three-ah?
Why is there the number 3?

Sorry for asking. Just that I'm interested with hijab. Thank you ^_^