Hijab facts for kids

Hijab generally refers to clothing such as the veil and the headscarf, worn by Muslim women and girls as a symbol of modesty

An Iraqi girl wearing Hijab

Adolescent Muslim girls wearing hijabs at an Iftar meal in New Jersey

Hijab (حجاب) is the Arabic word for "to cover", and in general, means to be modest.

The word is used in particular to mean clothing which covers a woman's chest, head and hair. This is often done in Islam for females over the age of puberty. It is worn in the presence of adult males outside their immediate family. It may also be worn in front of adult non-Muslim female outside their immediate family

The Arabic word used to specifically mean this is "khimār" (خمار). This "veil" can come in several different types, such as an ordinary veil (which only covers the head), and a niqab or burka, which covers the entire body. There are many styles to wear. Muslim men must also observe standards of modest dress.

The Quran has no requirement that women cover their faces with a veil, or cover their bodies with the full-body burqa or chador.

Related pages

Images for kids

Women wearing hijabs
A young Tuareg woman in Mali wearing a hijab.
Moroccan girls wearing the hijab.
Women wearing tudungs (the Malay term for hijab) in Brunei
Bahraini women wearing the hijab.
A Somali woman in Somalia wearing the hijab.
Queen Rania of Jordan is among Muslim women that alternate between wearing and not wearing the hijab.
Women wearing hijabs in Sindh, Pakistan.
Muna AbuSulayman wearing a hijab.
Muslim women in northern Nigeria wearing hijabs.
Iranian woman in Isfahan wearing a hijab.
Emine Erdoğan wearing a türban.
A Muslim woman in Yemen wearing a niqab.
Greek bronze statuette of a veiled and masked dancer, 2nd–3rd century BC.
Pre-Islamic relief showing veiled Arab women, Temple of Baal, Palmyra, Syria, 1st century CE.
Roman statue of a Vestal Virgin.
Young woman from Nablus in a hijab (c. 1867-1885).
A model displaying a fashionable hijab at "Moslema In Style Fashion Show" (show for Muslim women apparels) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Taekwondo medalists from Spain, Britain, Iran and Egypt at Rio Olympics, 2016.