Amal Hijazi's journey with the hijab: She wore it after recovery...and then took it off out of conviction

Retired Lebanese artist Amal Hijazi surprised her fans with a frank and insightful interview about her journey with the hijab. She revealed the motivations that led her to wear it and then remove it after eight years, stressing that her decision was not related to her cancer diagnosis, as some have speculated.

Amal Hijazi confirms: I didn't wear the hijab because of cancer... but after recovering. During a recent podcast appearance, Amal Hijazi explained that she didn't wear the hijab because of her illness, but rather after fully recovering from cancer, which she had been diagnosed with more than ten years ago.

She said: "I was receiving chemotherapy when I released 'Big Lie', and I didn't announce my illness at the time to protect the feelings of those who love me, and to avoid some people exploiting the situation."

She added: "There are people with sick mentalities who might rejoice in someone else's misfortune, but thank God, He healed me, and that was the greatest blessing in my life."

Decision to remove the hijab As for her decision to remove the hijab, Amal confirmed that it came after an internal journey filled with questions, reading, and contemplation, saying, "If the hijab were a clear divine command, God would have said, for example, 'O women, cover your hair.' But there is no explicit verse that states this explicitly. How can it be such an important command that is not clearly stated?"

She emphasized her complete respect for every veiled woman, believing that wearing the veil is a deeply personal decision and should stem from inner comfort, not external pressure.

She added: "If a woman is psychologically comfortable, she will love God more, be more compassionate towards her children, and be closer to people."

Amal Hijazi admitted that she didn't know much about religion in the past, confusing Quranic verses with Prophetic hadiths. However, after wearing the hijab, she embarked on a journey of in-depth learning and reading, discovering that "what God requires of us is a pure heart and the ability to help others."

First appearance without a veil and the message: "Welcome to life" Amal Hijazi sparked controversy months ago after she posted her first photo without a hijab on her official Instagram account, where she commented briefly: “Welcome to life.” Without clarifying at the time whether she was planning to return to art or intending to take new steps in her career.

This came after a video of her singing her famous song "Zaman" inside a store went viral, sparking a wave of questions and criticism.

Following the uproar, Amal Hijazi broke her silence and responded to the criticism with a Facebook post, in which she wrote:

"To all who may be concerned... I have not abandoned my morals, my honor, my love for God, my humanity towards the poor and the sick, nor have I abandoned my principles of which I am proud... nor have I abandoned my modesty. This is my religion, and this is how I will meet God, and nothing else."

The end of a long artistic career that began with "The Last Love" Amal Hijazi announced her final retirement from acting in September 2017, coinciding with her decision to wear the hijab, bringing an end to a 16-year singing career. This journey began with the release of her debut album, "Akher Gharam," in 2001, followed by "Zaman" in 2002, which achieved widespread success with songs such as "Aynak," "Romansiya," "Olly," and "Zaman."