A hijab, also spelled ḥijāb (/hɪˈdʒɑːb/, /hɪˈdʒæb/, /ˈhɪ.dʒæb/ or /hɛˈdʒɑːb/;[1][2][3][4] Arabic: حجاب, pronounced [ħiˈdʒæːb] or [ħiˈɡæːb]), is a veil that covers the head and chest, which is often worn by Muslim women beyond the age of puberty in the presence of adult males outside of their immediate family as a form of modest attire. According to some interpretations, it may also be worn in the presence of adult non-Muslim females outside of their immediate family. The hijab can further denote any head, face or body covering worn by Muslim women that similarly conforms to a certain standard of modesty. It can also be used to refer to the seclusion of women from men in the public sphere, or it may embody a metaphysical dimension – Al-hijab refers to "the veil which separates man or the world from God".[5] In fact the word "veil" derives from a Latin word which means much the same as hijab.
Most often, the hijab is worn by Muslim women as a symbol of modesty and privacy. According to the Encyclopedia of Islam and Muslim World, modesty in the Quran concerns both men's and women's "gaze, gait, garments, and genitalia."[6] The Quran admonishes Muslim women to dress modestly and cover their breasts and genitals.[7] Most Islamic legal systems define this type of modest dressing as covering everything except the face and hands in public.[5][8] These guidelines (for covering of the entire body except for the hands, the feet and the face) are found in texts of fiqh and hadith developed after the revelation of the Quran but, according to some, are derived from the hijab ayahs in Quran.[6] The Quran mandates Hijab for both men and women, the word "hijab" does not mean headscarf, but cover. The Quran states "tell the believing men to lower their gaze (in the presence of women), this is better for them", and for women "tell the believing women to put their khumur over their bosoms". The word "khumur" is often omitted when the quote is referenced, and the word is the actual word used in the Quran, which, by all Arabic translations means "a veil worn by a women to cover her head", and the second part of the verse, "over their bosoms" indicates women should cover their breasts in the presence of men who are not their immediate relatives.[9]
The term hijab in Arabic literally means “a screen or curtain” and is used in the Quran to refer to a partition. The Quran tells the male believers (Muslims) to talk to the wives of Muhammad behind a curtain. This curtain was the responsibility of the men and not the wives of Muhammad. This leads some to claim that the mandate of the Quran to wear hijab applies to the wives of Muhammad, not women generally.[10][11] Αlthough hijab is often seen by Westerners as a tool utilized by men to control and silence women, the practice is understood differently in different contexts.[12] Conservative Muslims assert that applying the concept of Gheerah (protective jealousy) and enforcing the wearing of the hijab preserves a Muslim man's honor and helps to fulfill his requirement to be the protector of his womanfolk.[13][14]