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| niqab | |
|---|---|
| Name | Niqab |
| Type | Face veil |
| Material | Cotton, polyester, silk |
| Region | Arabian Peninsula, South Asia, North Africa |
| Introduced | Early Islamic era (contested) |
niqab
The niqab is a garment worn by some Muslim women that covers the face, leaving the area around the eyes visible. It intersects with debates involving Islamic law, gender, identity, and state regulation, and has been discussed in contexts involving figures such as Muhammad, Ibn Taymiyya, Muhammad Abduh, Sayyid Qutb, Gamāl ʻAbd al‑Nāṣir, and institutions like Al-Azhar University, Dar al‑Ifta al‑Misriyyah, Council on American-Islamic Relations, and the European Court of Human Rights. Its use varies across societies, influenced by religious scholarship, colonial histories, and modern political movements associated with actors such as British Empire, Ottoman Empire, French Third Republic, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan Movement.
The term derives from Arabic roots related to covering and concealment and is discussed alongside terms such as those used by Ibn Manzur, Al-Fihrist, and lexicons compiled under the patronage of Suleiman the Magnificent. Scholarly works by Edward Said, Bernard Lewis, Marshall Hodgson, and Fatema Mernissi examine linguistic shifts from classical Arabic lexica to colonial-era ethnographies addressing garments like the burqa, chador, hijab, and niqab. In modern legal and media discourses, courts and legislatures—such as cases adjudicated by the Supreme Court of Canada, rulings from the European Court of Human Rights, and statutes in the French Fifth Republic—have shaped official terminologies distinguishing the niqab from related garments.
Historical sources citing facial veiling appear in chronicles associated with the early caliphates, biographies of Muhammad's companions, and classical jurists such as Al‑Shafi'i, Abu Hanifa, Malik ibn Anas, and Ibn Hazm. Debates over veiling practices evolved through periods including the Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate, and reforms under the Ottoman Empire; encounters with European powers like the British Raj and French colonialism produced ethnographic records by travelers such as Gertrude Bell and administrators like Lord Curzon. Twentieth‑century nationalist and reform movements—represented by figures like Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Reza Shah Pahlavi, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and activists in Egyptian Feminist Union—further reshaped public practices and legal frameworks concerning face veiling.
Jurisprudential opinions on face veiling are found in the schools of Sunni Islam—Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i, Hanbali—and in Shia Islam scholarship by figures linked to institutions such as Najaf and Qom. Prominent jurists and modern scholars—Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Muhammad Abduh, Rashid Rida, Ali al‑Sistani, Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, Tariq Ramadan, and Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi—have produced divergent rulings, reflected in fatwas issued by bodies like Al-Azhar University, Dar al‑Ifta al‑Misriyyah, and national councils such as those in Indonesia and Malaysia. International organizations and human rights bodies including United Nations Human Rights Committee and Amnesty International have engaged with religious arguments in adjudicating freedom of religion and expression.
Practices vary widely across the Arabian Peninsula, Levant, North Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. In regions under the influence of monarchies such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, face veiling has been more visible, while republics like Turkey and Tunisia have imposed restrictions at different times. South Asian forms intersect with sartorial customs traceable to the Mughal Empire and leaders like Aurangzeb; North African practices reflect Berber and Arab interactions documented in studies involving Ibn Khaldun. Diaspora communities in countries including France, United Kingdom, Germany, United States, Canada, and Australia adapt practices under local legal regimes and social norms.
Legal treatment of face veils ranges from protection under religious freedom provisions to prohibitions in public institutions. Notable legal moments include rulings by the European Court of Human Rights, legislation in the French Fifth Republic (2004 and 2010 laws), policies in the Kingdom of Belgium and Netherlands, and constitutional challenges in cases before the Supreme Court of Canada and Constitutional Court of Spain. International dialogues involve organs like the United Nations Human Rights Council and national ministries of interior and education in states such as India, Indonesia, and Egypt.
The niqab figures in debates involving feminist movements, secularism, nationalism, multiculturalism, and security policy. Activists and theorists from groups such as Feminist Majority Foundation, Women Living Under Muslim Laws, and scholars like Saba Mahmood, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Hanafi Feminists, and Leila Ahmed have contributed diverse perspectives. Political parties and leaders—from Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders to Justin Trudeau and Angela Merkel—have addressed the issue in electoral and legislative arenas, while human rights NGOs monitor impacts on liberty and discrimination.
Niqaabs are produced in materials including cotton, polyester, silk, and blends, with regional tailoring styles linked to ateliers in cities such as Riyadh, Dubai, Karachi, Cairo, Istanbul, and Dhaka. Styles range from single‑piece face panels to versions paired with headscarves and abayas, jilbabs, or thawbs, and are reflected in textile industries influenced by trade routes historically used by merchants of Aden, Basra, and Alexandria. Contemporary fashion designers and retailers in markets like Jeddah, Kuala Lumpur, London, and New York City offer variations that engage with branding, modest fashion movements, and consumer law in jurisdictions including United States Federal Trade Commission and European Commission.
Category:Islamic clothing