Different Hijab and Muslim Veiling Customs and Styles | Middle East And North Africa

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MEANINGS OF HIJAB

Iranian women
Islam teaches feminine modesty, and this is interpreted in different ways, from a women covering every inch of her body and face, to covering her hair and most of her body, to not dressing like a prostitute. “Hejab” (“hijab” , “Islamic Dress”) is a generic term for modest dress worn by Muslim women. The only parts of the body allowed to be exposed are the hands, feet and face. Sometimes “ hijab” is used to describe a scarf that wraps around the head. The hair is covered partly because it is regarded as erotic.

Hijab is the principle of modesty in Islam and includes behaviour as well as dress for both males and females. According to the BBC: “Hijab is an Arabic word meaning barrier or partition. In Islam, however, it has a broader meaning... The most visible form of hijab is the head covering that many Muslim women wear. Hijab however goes beyond the head scarf. In one popular school of Islamic thought, hijab refers to the complete covering of everything except the hands, face and feet in long, loose and non see-through garments. A woman who wears hijab is called Muhaajaba. [Source: BBC, September 3, 2009 |::|]

“Muslim women are required to observe the hijab in front of any man they could theoretically marry. This means that hijab is not obligatory in front of the father, brothers, grandfathers, uncles or young children. Hijab does not need to be worn in front of other Muslim women, but there is debate about what can be revealed to non-Muslim women. |::|

Websites and Resources: Islam IslamOnline islamonline.net ; Institute for Social Policy and Understanding ispu.org; Islam.com islam.com ; Islamic City islamicity.com ; BBC article bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam ; University of Southern California Compendium of Muslim Texts web.archive.org ; Encyclopædia Britannica article on Islam britannica.com ; Islam at Project Gutenberg gutenberg.org ; Muslims: PBS Frontline documentary pbs.org frontline

Different Types of Hijab and Veiling

Modesty rules are open to a wide range of interpretations. Some Muslim women wear full-body garments that only expose their eyes. Some cover every part of the body except their face and hands. Some believe only their hair or their cleavage is compulsory to hide, and others do not observe any special dress rules. |::|

“In the English speaking world, use of the word hijab has become limited to mean the covering on the head of Muslim woman. However, this is more accurately called a khimaar. The khimaar is a convenient solution comprising usually one, but sometimes two pieces of cloth, enabling Muslim women to cover their hair, ears and neck while outside the home. |Hijab, in the sense of veiling, can also be achieved by hanging a curtain or placing a screen between women and men to allow them to speak to each other without changing dress. This was more common in the early days of Islam, for the wives of the Prophet Muhammad. |::|

In some Muslim societies women cover all or part of their face with a veil or some other covering. These veils and head coverings scarves go by different names in different places. Girls generally begin wearing them after reaching puberty. Veiling also extends to behavior. Women instinctively cover their faces with their veils or head scarves when they speak. When a man enters a room they are in they instinctively turn away or cover their faces.

Figure-concealing garments often vary and have different names in different places. The “abaya” or “chador” is cloak that covers a woman from head to toe. It can be combined with separate pieces that covers the face — "nikab” — or a tent-like covering — “burqa”. The jilbab is a loose, dress-like out garment designed to cover the wearer’s clothes.

Different Veiling Customs

Niqab in Morocco

Islamic dress for women varies greatly from country to country and also region to region but the one thing that is constant is that at least the entire body is covered except for the hands and face. Many women cover themselves not because they want to are think it is right but rather because of family and cultural pressures to do so.

Different styles of veils include a red scarf worn with a black see-through chiffon cloth around the face worn in Cairo; a vivid green veil covering of red and gold floral print worn in Oman. Qatari women are said to favor veils made from silk while Arabian women favor blue cashmere and “Saudi crepe,” a new wrinkle-free material designed specifically for veiled women.

Traditionally girls began wear head scarves or covering themselves when the reached puberty and were eager to begin wearing such covering to show they were grown up. Customs, however, vary quite a bit from place to place and even family to family. In some cases girl start wearing covering not long after they are born. In other cases women don’t wear them until after they get married. In yet other cases women only cover themselves when they feel depressed or vulnerable or sense their death is imminent.

There are shops and sections in department stores that cater to women that conform to Muslim modesty norms. They sell “hijab” wedding dresses; long shapeless skirts, thick stockings, arm coverings, and head scarves and veils in a variety of shapes and colors. Perfume and make up are generally not sold at such places because of the Muslim belief that they are ostentatious.

See Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Other Muslim Countries.

Types of Muslim Headwear, Veils and Body Coverings

There are many different styles, colors and shapes of hijab including different ways of wearing it. Differences in headwear and body covering are often based more on cultural reasons than religious ones.

The strictest dress codes are generally found in Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf states and Afghanistan. Arab Women in Saudi Arabia in many cases are only allowed to venture on onto the streets dressed in black, wearing a headscarf called a shelagh and with their faces veiled by a niqab. The niqab is made out of one piece of material with a slit or two eye holes to enable the women to see. [Source: Ruth Gledhill, The Times, October 6, 2006 ^^]

Niqab is a combination of a head covering and scarf that covers all of a woman’s face except for her eyes. It usually flows down to the mid-back to cover a woman’s hair, and may flow down to the mid-chest in the front. It is most often worn in Arab countries, but an increasing number of Muslim women in the west are choosing to wear it. Although the majority of scholars agree that hijab is obligatory, only a minority of them say that the niqab is. [Source: Darshna Soni, Channel 4 News, October 22, 2013 |||]

Burqa is total head-and-body covering with only a grille for the eyes to see through.The terms niqab and burqa are often incorrectly used interchangeably; a niqab covers the face while a burqa covers the whole body from the top of the head to the ground. It is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It covers the entire face, including the eyes (with a mesh cloth to see through) and the body. |||

In Afghanistan the burqa can be in blue or other colours. It is made out of two pieces of material sewn together and fastened at the sides and in the middle. The eyes are not visible at all in a burqa, and the woman sees through a finely-woven grille at the front. On their bodies these women will wear an abayeh, a large black cloak with arm holes. ^^

Chador is a body-length outer garment, usually black in colour, worn mainly by women in Iran. It is not secured at the front by buttons or clasps, so the woman holds it closed These are long, loosely fitted garments worn by Muslim women to cover the shape of their bodies. They are often worn in combination with the hijab or niqab. Liberal Iranians will often wear western clothing with a headscarf only, while the stricter ones will wear the chador. |||

Abayeh falls down over their shoulders from their head, with a headscarf underneath covering their hair. It is common in Iraq. Beneath all this, however, they might wear very little, such as shorts and t-shirt when hot, or even a bikini. Sudanese and other Muslims wear a long sari-like garment known as the dhob or sob which covers the body and head at the same time. These can be of many colours and materials, the only requirement being that they are not transparent. Moroccans wear kaftans and headscarves. ^^

Shalwar Kameez , or trousers and tunic, with a headscarf. Has traditionally been Muslim worn by women of Bangladeshi and Pakistani. Men wear similar clothing the same name. These are often brightly coloured and made of anything from silk and cotton to synthetic materials. ^^

Headscarves can vary. One popular style is the al-amira, consisting of a cap attached to a tube-like scarf. It can be purchased for under $5.

Niqab

According to the BBC: “Niqab is the term used to refer to the piece of cloth which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women. Niqab is different from hijab. Hijab refers to covering everything except the hands and face. Niqab is the term used to refer to the piece of cloth which covers the face and women who wear it usually cover their hands also. It is worn by many Muslim women across Saudi Arabia and the Indian subcontinent and is worn by many women in the West. Historically, the veiling of the face was practised by many cultures before Islam and scholars say the adoption of its practice by Muslims was part of fitting into the society. [Source: BBC, September 22, 2011 |::|]

“Although the majority of scholars agree that hijab is obligatory, only a minority of them say that the niqab is. The scholars who do say it is obligatory are further divided by exactly what they believe needs to be covered. Some say that the eyes may be left unconcealed, while others say that everything must be concealed. However, those scholars who rule that niqab is not an obligation do not necessarily oppose those who choose to wear it. |::|

“The most authentic ruling according to the majority of scholars is that it is not necessary and, unlike hijab, there is no sin if it is not worn. Some of these scholars state that wearing the niqab as an act of extra piety, provided they do not believe it is an obligation, will be rewarded. |::|

Headscarves and Different Muslim Coverings

According to the BBC: “The word hijab comes from the Arabic for veil and is used to describe the headscarves worn by Muslim women. These scarves come in myriad styles and colours. The type most commonly worn in the West is a square scarf that covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear. 1) The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. It is worn with an accompanying headscarf.

2) The burka is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It covers the entire face and body, leaving just a mesh screen to see through. 3) The al-amira is a two-piece veil. It consists of a close fitting cap, usually made from cotton or polyester, and an accompanying tube-like scarf. 4) The shayla is a long, rectangular scarf popular in the Gulf region. It is wrapped around the head and tucked or pinned in place at the shoulders.

5) The khimar is a long, cape-like veil that hangs down to just above the waist. It covers the hair, neck and shoulders completely, but leaves the face clear. 6) The chador, worn by many Iranian women when outside the house, is a full-body cloak. It is often accompanied by a smaller headscarf underneath. [Source: BBC, September 22, 2011 |::|]

Men who Veil

Tuareg man

According to the BBC: “While the issue of Muslim women and the veil attracts a lot of publicity, it is often forgotten that there is also a tradition of men covering their faces. Fadwa El Guindi, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Qatar, said: “There is enough evidence that the Prophet himself covered his face ... when warriors were on horses and camels they covered their faces ... so we were missing a half of the story here when we focused too much on women, and by doing so we may have misunderstood even the meaning of women veiling.” [Source: BBC, September 3, 2009 |::|]

“The veil-cum-turban of the Tuareg tribes of North Africa is a sign of maturity. When a boy becomes a man, the cloth is wound around his face and head until only his eyes are visible. Its significance is both religious and cultural. Sufi mystics in Cairo continue a long tradition of veiling when they go into retreat, to isolate themselves from the world. And in the ancient religion of Jainism, both men and women cover their faces when entering their temple's inner sanctum. |::|

However, “Men are forbidden from dressing or acting like women, and vice versa, in hadith such as this one: “Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: Allah's Apostle cursed those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners) of women and those women who are in the similitude of men.” — Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 72, Number 773 |::

Feminine Modesty and Lingerie

Women can wear make-up and sexually alluring clothes, but only at home for the benefit of their husbands. There are a number of shops and street vendors in the Moski district of Cairo selling lingerie, sexy underwear, g-strings and plum-colored teddies. Some shops sell items from Victoria Secret and other Western companies as well as stuff produced by local designers. There are even lingerie fashion shows—albeit ones which only women can attend. The sales of one local design increased from $177,000 in 1986 and $3.25 million in 1996. [Source: John Lanaster, Washington Post, April 25, 1997]

One lingerie shop owner told the Washington Post, "Even the completely veiled people, they come and buy lingerie. It's not wrong if she wears it in private. Our religion is very forgiving about that sort of thing." One designer who has had much more success with racier stuff than conservative stuff said, "We came to the conclusion that the lady in Egypt, because' she's conservative during the day, the only time to show here feminine side is at night”.

One customer in a lingerie shop told the Washington Post, "I'm buying things mainly for my honeymoon, but I hope I can keep on wearing them afterward. I don't think I can bring my husband back or prevent him from leaving me by wearing such lingerie, but I want to enjoy my private life and make him happy. A 23-year-old checking out a chiffon nightgown said, "Seduction is fine as long a sit is between husband and wife, who love each other." A 35-year-old man said, "This nothing compared to what happened abroad in public, I have the right to see my wife as I wish to see here. Of it pleases me, why not?" Photographs of women from the Ottoman era were often of men dressed up as women. Because Muslim women were not supposed to be seen by men outside their families, photographers sometimes asked men to pose as women.

Burkinis, Swimming and Hijab

burkini

Relatively few Arabs know how to swim. In accordance with Islamic rules about modesty many people enter the water fully clothed. In the United States, community centers offer all-male and all-female swimming, scuba diving lessons, kayaking and underwater hockey. One American Muslim told the Washington Post, “Having faith does not mean we can’t have fun. And having faith doesn’t mean we have to conform to the larger culture, either.”

Women are encouraged to go swimming but they can’t wear a bathing suit at a beach or swimming pool where men are present. Traditional Islamic women go swimming in the sea fully clothed and with their head scarves on. The only part of their bodies are their hands, feet and faces. Describing what it is like to swim fully clothed, Norma Khouri, a Jordanian writer, wrote: “Sad and ludicrous—but all too familiar—is the sight of a woman struggling to stay afloat while her voluminous black dress billows around her despite her efforts to beat it back in the waves”.

Special bathing suits, dubbed Burkinis (as in “burqa” plus “bikini”). Are available for a number of sources. Some look like a long tee shirt with tights and balaclava head covering. They look more like graduation gowns. There are polyester versions that look like ill-fitting wet suits a couple sizes too big.

The first swim suit design for Muslim women was the tankini, introduced in 1997. Among the popular designs are ones made by Australian retailer Aheda Zanrtti and Splashgearsuits designed by California microbiologist Shreen Sabet. The cheapest ones are around $90. Most buyers get them online. Cancer victims, conservative Christian, senior citizens burn victims and women with sun-sensative skin have also bought them. Some conservatives have complained the new suits reveal too may curves.

France Bans Burkinis and Abayas

In June 2022, France’s top administrative court ruled against allowing body-covering “burkini” swimwear in public pools for religious reasons, arguing that it violates the principle of government neutrality toward religion. Associated Press reported: While worn by only a small number of people in France, the head-to-ankle burkini draws intense political debate in the country. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin hailed the ruling by the Council of State as a “victory for secularism.” Some Muslim women decried it as unfairly targeting their faith and their bodies, and based on outdated misconceptions about Islam. The city of Grenoble, led by a mayor from the Greens party, voted last month to allow women to wear burkinis in public pools after campaigning by local activists. The city also voted to allow women to swim topless, as part of a broader relaxation of swimwear rules. [Source: Associated Press, June 23, 2022]

The ruling was the first under a controversial law, championed by President Emmanuel Macron, aimed at protecting “republican values” from what his government calls the threat of religious extremism. Clothing rules in public pools in France are strict, for what authorities say are reasons of hygiene: caps are required, and baggy swim trunks or other voluminous clothing is generally banned. Wetsuits are not allowed in many pools too, as are some sun-protection suits.

For Fatima Bent of Muslim feminist group Lallab, Tuesday’s ruling is “a clear step backwards” that will further isolate women who cover their heads and bodies in public. While some Muslim women are forced by male relatives to cover themselves, she said, “Muslim women are not homogenous. (French authorities) look at Muslim women through a single prism.” She blamed a leftover colonial-era “fixation with the body of Muslim women by politicians who want to control them.” Grenoble’s decision about swimming topless has not been threatened in the courts.

In August 2023, France decoded to ban children from wearing the abaya, the loose-fitting, full-length robes worn by some Muslim women, in state-run schools, its education minister said. Reuters reported: France, which has enforced a strict ban on religious signs in state schools since 19th century laws removed any traditional Catholic influence from public education, has struggled to update guidelines to deal with a growing Muslim minority.

In 2004, it banned headscarves in schools and passed a ban on full face veils in public in 2010, angering some in its five million-strong Muslim community. Defending secularism is a rallying cry in France that resonates across the political spectrum, from left-wingers upholding the liberal values of the Enlightenment to far-right voters seeking a bulwark against the growing role of Islam in French society. "I have decided that the abaya could no longer be worn in schools," Education Minister Gabriel Attal said in an interview with TV channel TF1. "When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn't be able to identify the pupils' religion just by looking at them," he said. [Source: Reuters, August 28, 2023]

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons, except different types from WikiIslam

Text Sources: Internet Islamic History Sourcebook: sourcebooks.fordham.edu ; Arab News, Jeddah; “Islam, a Short History” by Karen Armstrong; “A History of the Arab Peoples” by Albert Hourani (Faber and Faber, 1991); “World Religions” edited by Geoffrey Parrinder (Facts on File Publications, New York); “Encyclopedia of the World’s Religions” edited by R.C. Zaehner (Barnes & Noble Books, 1959); Metropolitan Museum of Art, Encyclopedia.com, National Geographic, BBC, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Library of Congress and various books and other publications.

Last updated April 2024