In some Arabic and Western countries, the word hijab refers to a Muslim woman’s head and body covering.  But in the world of Islam, it can be given the broader meaning of modesty, privacy and morality.  The headscarf or veil is referred to as a khimar in the Qur’an.

The Qur’an states.  “And say to the faithful women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it.”  The term hijab is not used in the Qur’an to refer to a specific article of clothing. Hijab refers to a spatial screen that separates or supplies privacy. 

Most agree that the basic requirements of dress for Muslim females, except when in the presence of mahram, are that her body be covered and she will walk and dress in a way which will not attract sexual attention to her.  In many Muslim cultures, pre- pubescent girls are not called upon to wear a hijab.  There is no single age agreed upon, when a woman of Islam should begin wearing a hijab.  In many Muslim countries it is puberty that is the dividing line.

There are women who choose to wear a style that is more restrictive than the local traditions of Islam may require.  This is possibly a sign of Islamic enthusiasm and or piety.  There are those Western converts to Islam who take their enthusiasm to an extreme.  They even refuse to show their faces for identity photo purposes even though they can face a fine and or a jail sentence as a consequence of their refusal.

When a Muslim woman is in private and in the presence of mahrams, the rules regarding hajib are relaxed.  In the presence of her husband, what is important is the shared liberty and contentment between an Islam husband and his wife.

The tradition of wearing a veil or hajib, was rare among the Arab tribes before the rise of Islam.  It originated in the Byzantine Empire and then extended to the Arabs.  In some Islamic Arab countries, hajib is a custom with a more cultural than religious meaning.  It is a belief of Islam that is centered upon physical and psychological morality. That is why hijab is more than just a manner of dressing; it is a way of life for a Muslim woman.