A niqab (Arabic: نِقاب "veil or Mask"; also called a ruband) is a cloth which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of sartorial hijāb. The niqab is most common in the Arab countries of the Arabian Peninsula such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the UAE. It also worn in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel and other areas with sizeable Muslim populations.
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 منتقبة muntaqabah (plural muntaqabāt) as "niqābīah" is used in a derogatory manner (much as with "hijābīah" versus محجبة muhajabah).
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 burka covers the whole body from the top of the head to the ground.
A niqab (Arabic: نِقاب "veil or Mask"; also called a ruband) is a cloth which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of sartorial hijāb. The niqab is most common in the Arab countries of the Arabian Peninsula such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the UAE. It also worn in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel and other areas with sizeable Muslim populations.
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 منتقبة muntaqabah (plural muntaqabāt) as "niqābīah" is used in a derogatory manner (much as with "hijābīah" versus محجبة muhajabah).
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 burka covers the whole body from the top of the head to the ground.