Hijab

Hijab (Arabic: حجاب, romanized: ḥijāb, pronounced [ħɪˈdʒaːb]) refers to head coverings worn by Muslim women. Similar to the mitpaḥat/tichel or snood worn by religiously observing married Jewish women, certain headcoverings worn by some Christian women, such as the hanging veil, apostolnik and kapp, and the dupatta favored by many North Indian Hindu and Sikh women, the hijab comes in various forms. The term describes a scarf that is wrapped around the head, covering the hair, neck, and ears while leaving the face visible. The use of the hijab, voluntarily and involuntarily, has grown globally since the 1970s, with religious Muslims viewing it as a symbol of modesty and faith; it is also worn as a form of adornment. There is consensus among mainstream Islamic religious scholars that covering the head is required.

The term ḥijāb was originally used to denote a partition and was sometimes used for Islamic rules of modesty. The Qur'an never uses the word hijab (lit. 'barrier') to refer to women's clothing, but rather discusses the attire of women using other terms Jilbāb and khimār (generic headscarf).

There is variation in interpretations regarding the extent of covering required. Some legal systems accept the hijab as an order to cover everything except the face and hands, whilst others accept it as an order to cover the whole body, including the face and hands, via niqab. These guidelines are found in texts of hadith and fiqh developed after the revelation of the Qur'an. Some state that these guidelines are aligned with Qur'anic verses (ayahs) about hijab.

Islamic veiling practices vary globally based on local laws and customs. In some regions, the hijab is mandated by law, while in others, its use is subject to restrictions or bans.

Women currently face pressure from other people, schools, and world governments, western or otherwise, regarding their choice to wear or not wear the hijab.

The Arabic word hijab (Arabic: حجاب) (lit. 'curtain, cloth barrier') is the verbal noun originating from the verb ﺣَﺠَﺐَ (hajaba), from the triliteral root ح ج ب (H-J-B), which forms a large class of words mostly relating to concepts of hide, conceal, block. The term ḥijāb was originally used to denote a partition and was sometimes later used for Islamic rules of modesty. While one usage in the Quran refers to the curtain separating Muhammad's wives from visitors, other usages refers to a metaphysical barrier separating man or the world from God. The Quran does not use the word hijab for women's clothing, but uses other terms such as jilbab (as an outer garment recommendation) and khimar (for discussions see below) in various contexts. The word in Turkish expresses an emotional state, shame, that is not related to clothing.

A verse in the Surah Al-A'raf-26 gives the simplest and most fundamental purpose of dressing as covering one's ugly parts and emphasizes that fear of God is more important than covering oneself. There are seven verses in the Quran that refer in some way to women's clothing, and the two discussed below are ostensibly related to the form of clothing; The clearest verses on this topic are Surah An-Nur 24:30-31, telling both men and women to dress and act modestly, with more detail on women's position.

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their ornaments except what normally appears. Let them draw their veils over their chests, and not reveal their ˹hidden˺ adornments except to their husbands, their fathers, their fathers-in-law, their sons, their stepsons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons or sisters’ sons, their fellow women, those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, male attendants with no desire, or children who are still unaware of women’s nakedness.........