Concept of hijab and niqab in arab countries Research Paper

Concept of hijab and niqab in arab countries - Research Paper Example The use of the niqab and the hijab in Arab countries may be explainable through delving into the history of their use and the justifications thereof. Of all the types of headscarf won by Muslim girls and women, the hijab is the most common. Its coverage of the body involves the head and neck but excludes the face (Ad-Darsh, and Siddiqi, 2003). The scarf may be of different colors to match the outfit the lady dons. Another headdress in common use among Muslim women is the niqab. The niqab not only covers the head but also covers the whole face, save for the eyes. It covers up to the mid-back and mid-chest. The veil is most common in Arab countries. Of the two, most scholars are in agreement that the hijab is obligatory whereas only a few think that the niqab is obligatory (Ad-Darsh, and Siddiqi, 2003). There are claims that the origin of the niqab may have been the Byzantine Empire where it was a form of dress among women in certain classes. Muslims then adopted it during the Arab conquest in the Middle East (Eltahawy, 2015). Many claim that the rationale of the niqab is within the Quran and Hadith. Hijab refers to the obligation to be modest in dressing. According to many Muslims, the Quran requires modesty by both men and women when in public. Many scholars quote the Quran to draw a justification for the use of both the niqab and hijab as an obligation (Asser, 2006). One such verse is Quran 24:31. In the verse, the faithful women have an obligation to cover their private parts and desist from exposing their beauty unless it is unavoidable. Their scarf should also cover their bosom. However, others claim that the Quran does not make the niqab obligatory. For them, only the hijab is obligatory. Proponents of the niqab as being an obligatory claim that in Quran 33:59, Prophet Muhammad instructs his wives, daughters and believing women that it is necessary for them to cover themselves with outer garments. Scholars, therefore, use the