The word · Law & life

حِجاب

Hijab

The covering a Muslim woman wears in public, most often a headscarf with modest clothing.

Also written · Hijaab · Hejab · Hicab · Purdah · Parda · Khimar · Jilbab · Niqab · Chador · Burqa · headscarf · veil · Islamic dress · scarf

The meaning

What Hijab means in Islam

The command to draw the khimar over the neckline stands in Surah al-Nur, directly after the command to believing men to lower their gaze; the outer garment, the jilbab, is in Surah al-Ahzab. The word itself means a screen or curtain, and in the Qur'an it usually means a barrier rather than a garment; the everyday sense of headscarf is later usage. The schools agree on covering the hair and body and differ over the face and hands.

Evidence · Editorial · Our own summary, drawn from the sources named