First of all, we’d like to clarify that Hijab is a duty Allah Almighty prescribed for the Muslim woman, and she has to comply with that order and show her sincere faith in Allah, for He says: “And it becometh not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair.” (Al-Ahzab: 36)
Muslim parents should bring up their children according to the teachings of Islam. Parents have to make their children get used to doing the obligatory duties and avoiding haram (unlawful) things before puberty, so that it will not be too hard for them to adhere to Islamic rules after they reach puberty. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Train your children to pray when they are seven years old and smack them if they do not do so when they are ten, and separate them in their beds” (Reported by Abu Dawud).
From an early age, daughters should be taught that hijab is an ordinance from Allah to protect their chastity. When a girl reaches puberty she is obliged to do all the obligatory duties and to avoid all haram things. One of the obligatory duties is wearing hijab.
Sheikh Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Ash-Shinqiti, Director of the Islamic Center of South Plains, Lubbock, Texas, states: “Parents should keep trying and frequently make du’a’ for their daughter; the best du’a’ parents can make for their children is the one mentioned in suratal-ahqaf: “O my Lord! so order me that I may be grateful for Thy favours, which Thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may work the righteousness that will please Thee: and admit me, by Thy Grace, to the ranks of Thy righteous Servants.” (Al-Ahqaf 46: 15)
And the one mentioned in suratal-furqan: “Our Lord! grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous.” (Al-Furqan 74: 25)
Few practical tips that may help parents:
1. don’t push her so much as people who are born and raised in US don’t like this approach;
2. try to make her get involved with friends that wear hijab as peer pressure might help in this regard, as people in this age listen to their friends more than they do to their parents;
3. the mother should give her example of wearing the hijab all the time, and the daughter will never forget that forever.”