Niqāb
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"ruband"
redirects here. For the village in Iran ,
see Ruband, Iran.
Woman
wearing niqab in Syria
A niqab (Arabic: نِقاب niqāb , "veil" or "mask";
also called a ruband ) is
a cloth which covers the face as a part of
sartorial hijab.
It is worn by someMuslim women in
public areas and in front of non-mahram adult
males. The niqab is more commonly worn in the Arab countries of
the Arabian Peninsula such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman,
and the UAE.
Various forms of niqab are also worn in countries such as Afghanistan,Pakistan, Egypt,
some parts of Israel,
southern provinces of Iran,
and other areas with sizeable Muslim populations.
Because of the wide variety of hijab worn in
the Muslim world, it can be difficult to definitively distinguish between one
type of veil and another. 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.
Etymology
Women who wear the niqab are often called niqābīah ; this word is used both as a noun and
as an adjective. However, the correct form منتقبةmuntaqabah / muntaqibah (plural muntaqabāt / muntaqibāt ) as niqābīah is used in a derogatory manner (much as with ḥijābīah versusمحجبة muḥajjabah ).[1] Colloquially, women in niqab are called منقبة munaqqabah , with the plural منقبات munaqqabāt .
Overview
It is sometimes alleged that the face-veil
was originally part of women's dress among certain classes in the Byzantine Empire and
was adopted into Muslim culture during the Arab conquest of the Middle East .[2] However, although Byzantine art before
Islam commonly depicts women with veiled heads or covered hair, it does not
depict women with veiled faces. In addition, the Greek geographer Strabo,
writing in the first century AD, refers to some Persian women veiling their
faces;[3][not
in citation given] and the early third-century Christian
writer Tertullian clearly
refers in his treatise The
Veiling of Virgins to some
pagan women of "Arabia" wearing a veil that covers not only their
head but also the entire face.[4] These primary sources show that some
women in Arabia and Persia
Niqab in
Islam
Rationale
There is a difference of opinion amongst
scholars in Islam whether the niqab is an obligatory form of hijab or if it is
merely permissible or cultural. The niqab has continued to arouse debate
between Muslim scholars and jurists both past and present concerning whether it
is fard (obligatory), mustahabb(recommended/preferable),
or cultural.[8] Many
Muslims use the justification for Niqab, that a woman's awrah in front of unrelated men is her
entire body including her face and hands.[9][10][11][12] [13][14][15][16][17]
Muslim women in several countries, including Saudi Arabia
The claimed rationale of the niqab comes from
the Qur'an and Hadith.
It was known that the wives of the Prophet Muhammad covered themselves around men they did
not know. However the Quran explicitly states that the wives of the Prophet are
held to a different standard.[21] It is claimed that under Islam the
niqab is a requirement for all women, since womanhood is mentioned along with
the wives of Muhammad in the Qur'anic dictat to cover.[22] The following verse from the Qur'an is
cited as support for this:[23]
"O Prophet! Tell
your wives and your daughters, and the believing women, to draw their cloaks
(veils) over their bodies. That will be better that they should be known (as
respectable woman) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful."[Quran 33:59 (Translated by Ahmed Ali)]
This verse was in response to harassment on
the part of the "hypocrites",[24] although it does not clearly refer to
covering the face itself.
It is also argued by some Muslims that the
reasons for the niqab are to keep Muslim women from worrying about their
appearances and to conceal their looks.[23][25]
Hadith
The hadith (Arabic plural: ahādīth) are
narrations originating from the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad.
The Arabic word jilbāb is used in the following traditions:
§
Narrated Aisha: The woman is to bring
down her Jilbāb from over her head and [then place it] upon her face.
Bukhari:6:60:282, Sunnan Abu Dawud 32:4091
§
Narrated Aisha: The riders used to pass
by us when we were with the Messenger of Allaah in ihrām When they came near,
each of us would lower her Jilbāb from her head over her face, and when they
passed by we would uncover our faces. 1:1833
§
Narrated Aisha: Safwaan ibn al-Mu’attal
al-Sulami al Dhakwaani was lagging behind the army. She said, “He came to where
I had stopped and saw the black shape of a person sleeping. He recognized me
when he saw me, because he had seen me before Hijāb was enjoined. I woke up
when I heard him saying ‘Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon (verily to
Allaah we belong and unto Him is our return),’ and I covered my face with my
Jilbāb Sahih Muslim, 2:2770
§
Narrated‘Aasim al-Ahwal: We used to
enter upon Hafsah bint Sirīn who had put her Jilbāb thus and covered her face
with it, and we would say to her: May Allah have mercy on you. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): “And as for women past childbearing who do not
expect wedlock, it is no sin on them if they discard their (outer) clothing in
such a way as not to show their adornment” [al-Noor 24:60]. And she would say
to us: What comes after that (of the āyah)? We would say: “But to refrain (i.e.
not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them”. And so she said:
[Referring to, ‘But to refrain is better for them’], “It is to keep the Jilbāb.” Sahih al-Bukhari, []
§
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbās: Allah commanded
the believing women, when going out of their homes for some need, to cover
their faces from above their heads with their Jilbābs, leaving one eye(or both)
to see the path.[26]
§
From Asmā’ bint Abi Bakr, that she said, “We
are used to cover our faces from the men, and cut our hair before that in Ihrām
(for Hajj).[27]
§
From Asmā’ bint Abi Bakr, We would cover our
faces while we were Muhrim, and while doing that we would be with Asmā’ bint
Abi Bakr As-Siddeeq.[28]
§
From Ibn Abi
Khaythamah, We entered upon Umm Al-Mu’minīn on Yawm At-Tarwayah and
we said to her, ‘Oh Mother of the Believers! Here is a woman who refuses to
cover her face and she is a Muhrimah (in ihrām). So ‘Aa’ishah lifted her Khimār
from her chest, and covered the woman’s face with it.[29]
§
Narrated Aisha: "When (the Verse):
"They should draw their veils over their Juyubihinna," was revealed,
(the ladies) cut their waist sheets at the edges and covered their faces with
the cut pieces. Sahih al-Bukhari, []
§
Narrated 'Aisha: The Apostle of Allah
used to offer the Fajr prayer and some believing women covered with their
veiling sheets used to attend the Fajr prayer with him and then they would
return to their homes unrecognized Sahih al-Bukhari, []
§
Narrated Um 'Atiya: We were ordered to
bring out our menstruating women and veiled women in the religious gatherings
and invocation of Muslims on the two 'Eid festivals. These menstruating women
were to keep away from their Musalla. A woman asked, "O Allah's Apostle '
What about one who does not have a niqab?" He said, "Let her share
the veil of her companion." Sahih al-Bukhari, []
§
From Anas that the Muhammad said: And
if one of the women of Paradise looked at the earth, she would fill the whole
space between them the earth and the heaven with light, and would fill whatever
is in between them, with perfume, and the veil of her face is better than the
whole world and whatever is in it."Sahih al-Bukhari, []
§
Narrated Thabit ibn Qays : A woman
called Umm Khallad came to the Prophet while she was veiled. She was searching
for her son who had been killed in the battle. Some of the Companions of the
Prophet said to her: You have come here asking for your son while veiling your
face? She said: If I am afflicted with the loss of my son, I shall not suffer
the loss of my modesty. The Apostle of Allah said: You will get the reward of
two martyrs for your son. She asked: Why is that so, oh Prophet of Allah? He
replied: Because the people of the Book have killed him."Sahih al-Bukhari, []
Criticism
Sheikh Muhammad Sayyid
Tantawy, previous dean of Cairo's Al-Azhar University, called full-face
veiling a custom that has nothing to do with the Islamic faith. “The niqab is a
cultural tradition and has nothing to do with Islam.”[30] The decision came from an incident in
which he forced a school girl to remove her niqab during a visit to an Al-Azhar
school, when Tantawy reportedly said that he would call for an official ban for
the face veil in Islamic schools. Tantawy's decision stems from his views that
more younger Muslims have lost touch with traditional Islamic scholarship and
have come under the influence of extremist imams who have little or no formal
training in Islamic scholarship.
In Europe, the niqab is controversial, and it
has been banned in public in France ,
Belgium
Styles
.jpg)
A
woman wearing a niqab in Bayda, Libya
A
woman wearing a niqab in Monterey, California
There are many styles of niqab and other facial veils worn by Muslim
women around the world. The two most common forms are the half niqab and thegulf-style or full
niqab.
The half
niqab is a simple length of
fabric with elastic or ties and is worn around the face. This garment typically
leaves the eyes and part of the forehead visible.
The gulf-style or full
niqab completely covers the
face. It consists of an upper band that is tied around the forehead, together
with a long wide piece of fabric which covers the face, leaving an opening for
the eyes. Many full niqab have two or more sheer layers attached to the upper
band, which can be worn flipped down to cover the eyes or left over the top of
the head. Contrary to common belief, eyeveils do not generally restrict vision
any more than a dark pair of sunglasses would. While a person looking at a
woman wearing a niqab with an eyeveil would not be able to see her eyes, the
woman wearing the niqab would be able to see out through the thin fabric.
Other less common and more cultural or
national forms of niqab include the Afghan style burqa, a long pleated gown
that extends from the head to the feet with a small crocheted grille over the
face.[1] The Pak Chador is a relatively new style from Pakistan
Other common styles of clothing popularly
worn with a niqab in Western countries include the khimar,
a semi-circular flare of fabric with an opening for the face and a small
triangular underscarf. A khimar is usually bust-level or longer, and can also
be worn without the niqab.
It is considered a fairly easy form of headscarf to wear, as there are no pins
or fasteners; it is simply pulled over the head. Gloves are also sometimes worn
with the niqab, because many munaqabāt believe no part of the skin should be
visible other than the area immediately around the eyes or because they do not
want to be put in a position where they would touch the hand of an unrelated
man (for instance, when accepting change from a cashier).
Most munaqabāt also wear an overgarment (jilbab, abaya etc.) over their clothing, though some
munaqabat in Western countries wear a long, loose tunic and skirt instead of a
one-piece overgarment.
[edit]In different countries
An Iranian Arab wearing
a niqab inBandar Abbas, southern Iran
Woman
in Saudi Arabia wearing
a niqab
Woman
in Yemen wearing a niqab
A
woman wearing a niqab in the United Arab Emirates
[Egypt
The niqab in Egypt has
a complex and long history. On 8 October 2009, Egypt 's
top Islamic school and the world's leading school of Sunni Islam
Iran
The Niqab was traditionally worn in Southern Iran from the arrival of Islam until the end of the Qajar era.
There were many regional variations of Niqab, which were also called Ruband or Pushiye.
The 20th century ruler, Reza Shah, banned all variations of face veil in 1936, as
incompatible with his modernistic ambitions. Reza Shah ordered the police to
arrest women who wore the niqab and to remove their face veils by force. This
policy outraged the clerics who believed it was obligatory for women to cover
their faces. Many women gathered at the Goharshad Mosque in Mashhad with their faces covered to show their
objection to the niqab ban.[33]
Between 1941 and 1979 wearing the niqab was
no longer against the law, but it was considered by the government to be a
“badge of backwardness." During these years, wearing the niqab and chador
became much less common and instead most religious women wore headscarves only.
Fashionable hotels and restaurants refused to admit women wearing niqabs. High
schools and universities actively discouraged or even banned the niqab, though
the headscarf was tolerated.[34]
After the new government of 'Islamic
Republic' was established, the niqab was not enforced by officials.
In modern Iran province of Khuzestan still
wear niqab.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi women are not required by law to wear
the niqab. However, in cities such as Riyadh, Mecca, Medina and Abha many women observe niqab as tradition.
Women may be harassed by the religious police if they do not cover their faces. Dammam and Jeddah,
as the most liberal cities of Saudi Arabia, are exceptions.
The Saudi niqab usually leaves a long open
slot for the eyes; the slot is held together by a string or narrow strip of
cloth.[35] Many also have two or more sheer
layers attached to the upper band, which can be worn flipped down to cover the
eyes. Although a person looking at a woman wearing a niqab with an eyeveil
would not be able to see her eyes, she would still be able to see out through
the thin fabric. In 2008, the religious authority in Mecca [36]
According to Saudi Arabia
§
Women must cover their entire body, but
they are allowed to expose one or both eyes in necessity.
§
Women should wear abaya and a headscarf thick enough to
conceal what is underneath, and the abaya should be loose-fitting.
§
Women should not wear brightly coloured
clothes or clothes that are adorned so that they may attract men's attention.[37]
Syria
1,200 niqab-wearing teachers were transferred
to administrative duties in the summer of 2010 in Syria because the face veil was undermining
the secular policies followed by the state as far as education is concerned.[38] In
the near future, other ministers are expected to do the same as Ali Saad, the
Syrian Minister of Education.[38] Also,
in the summer of 2010, students wearing the Niqab were prohibited from
registering for university classes. The ban was associated with a move by the
Syrian government to re-affirm Syria
On 6 April 2011 it was reported that teachers
would be allowed to once again wear the niqab.[40]
Yemen
Since antiquity, the Arab tradition of
wearing the niqab has been practiced by women living in Yemen.[41] Traditionally,
girls begin wearing veils in their teenage years.[42] [43] Acceptance of the niqab is not
universal in Yemen
Enforcement,
encouragement and bans
Enforcement
Covering the face was enforced by the Taliban regime with the traditional Afghan
face veil called the burkha.[45] While
some women appeared to embrace the coercive rules, others protested.
Non-governmental enforcement of niqab is
found in many parts of the Muslim world. In Saudi
Arabia , all Saudi Muslim women are required to wear theniqab in cities such as Mecca , Medina and Taif.
In other cities such as Dammam and Abha, women are not required to wear it by
law but it remains de facto obligatory. In southern cities also, most women
observe niqab. The Saudi niqab usually leaves a long open slot for the eyes;
the slot is held together by a string or narrow strip of cloth. In 2008, the
religious authority in Mecca
Politics
The niqab has had a significant role for
women in the West Bank during the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. Many Palestinian women, especially students, have worn
white niqabs during protests against Israel Gaza
Sultaana Freeman gained
national attention in 2003 when she sued the U.S. state of Florida for the right to wear a niqab for her
driver's license photo.[50]However, a Florida appellate court ruled that there
was no violation in the state requiring her to show her face to a camera in a
private room with only a female employee to take the picture, in exchange for
the privilege of driving.[citation
needed]
In 2005, a non-Muslim student at Eastern Michigan University United States
The niqab is outlawed in Tunisia.
In Turkey,
where the overwhelming majority of the population is Muslim, the traditional
womenswear in cities at the turn of the twentieth century was called çarşaf (an outer garment similar to the
Iranian chador) which
would be accompanied by a piece of semi-transparent clothing to cover the lower
face, called peçe.
Although this combination is still being worn in some localities, the practice
of covering the face has largely died off. In Turkey
In February 2010, an Arab country's
ambassador to Dubai had his marriage annulled after discovering that his bride was cross-eyed and
had facial hair. The woman had worn a niqab on the occasions that
the couple had met prior to the wedding. The ambassador informed the Sharia court that he had been deliberately deceived
by the bride's mother, who had shown him photographs of the bride's sister. He
only discovered the problem when he lifted the niqab to kiss his bride. The
court annulled the marriage, but refused a claim for compensation.[52][53][54]
Europe
Main
article: Islamic dress in
Europe
.jpg)
Woman
in Bosnia and Herzegovinawearing a niqab, c. 1906
Although the burqa is a more emphatic symbol,
the niqab has also been prominent in political controversies on Islamic dress
in Europe .
In socialist
Yugoslavia wearing the niqab or forcing women to wear it were
forbidden in order to prevent the subjugation of women to men.
The niqab is very common in
The Netherlands government
plans a legal ban on face-covering Islamic clothing, popularly described as the
'burqa ban', which includes the niqab.[56]
On 29 April 2010, the Belgian Chamber of Representatives adopted a
law prohibiting people to wear "attire and clothing masking the face in
such a way that it impairs them to be recognizable". The penalty for
violating this directive can run from up to 14 days imprisonment and a 250 euro
fine. Even though there is no direct mention of the burqa or niqab, this
decision practically does prohibit its use in public spaces. This new law has
spurred a lot of anger amongst members of the traditional Islamist community.
In the United Kingdom, comments by Jack
Straw, MP started a national debate over the wearing of the
"veil" (niqab), in October 2006. This was further inflamed by
extensive media coverage of the case of Aishah Azmi, a teaching assistant in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, who lost her appeal against suspension from
her job for wearing the niqab while teaching English to young children whose
first language is different. It was decided that being unable to see her face
prevented the children from learning effectively. Azmi argued that it was
helping the children understand different people's beliefs.[57]
On 13 July 2010 France's lower house of parliament
overwhelmingly approved a ban on wearing burqa-style Islamic veils. The legislation forbids
face-covering Muslim veils in all public places in France
In 2012 in Norway ,
a professor at the University of Tromsø denied a student's use of niqab in the
classroom.[58] The
professor claimed that Norway
North America
United States
The niqab in its extreme forms is uncommon in
the US U.S. state of Florida Florida
Canada
Elections Canada, an independent agency responsible for elections and referendums, stated that Muslim women can cover their faces
while voting. The decision was criticized by all major political parties of
Canada
More recently the Conservative Government has
introduced legislation which would bar Muslim women from voting if they show up
at polling stations with a veiled face. This law was proposed in the wake of
the Government's recent dispute with Elections Canada, which has refused to bar
people with veiled faces from polling places.[citation
needed] The
niqab became an issue in the 2007 election in Quebec after it became public knowledge that
women wearing the niqab were allowed to vote under the same rules as electors
who did not present photo ID, namely, by sworn oath in the presence of a third
party who could vouch for their identity. The chief electoral officer received
an overwhelming number of complaints that this policy was too accommodating of
cultural minorities (a major theme in the election), and had to be accompanied
by bodyguards due to death threats. All three major political parties were
against the policy, with the Parti Québécois andAction
démocratique du Québec vying
for position as most opposed. The policy was soon changed to require all voters
to show their face, even if they did not carry photo ID. However, Quebec
In October 2009, the Muslim Canadian
Congress called for a
ban on burqa and niqab (though not the hijab), saying that they have "no
basis in Islam."[64] Spokesperson
Farzana Hassan cited public safety issues, such as identity concealment, as
well as gender equality, stating that wearing the burqa and niqab is
"a practice that marginalizes women."[64]
In December 2011, Citizenship and Immigration
Minister Jason Kenney announced
a policy directive that Muslim women must remove niqabs throughout the
citizenship ceremony where they declare their Oath of
Allegiance.[65]
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