In Islam, dress codes are known as a hijab, a term that relates to the concept of modesty and involves both behavior and clothing (see Q. 24:31). In the Quran, it relates to concepts of literal and metaphorical sense of separation, security, and coverage. The term has subsequently lost its original meaning and now generally indicates the veil of a Muslim woman or the concept of gender separation. In Islam, the dress rule for female Muslims is modesty. The term hijab implies “cover”, “screen” or “curtain”, referring both to the particular shape of a veil worn by some Muslim women and to the humble Islamic clothing in particular. Modest dress code is open to a variety of interpretations. Some female Muslims prefer to wear clothes that cover the whole body including the face, leaving only their their eyes exposed, although there is no Quranic text to require this. “Hijab” is the name for the most common headscarf that most Muslim women prefer to wear, and it covers the head and neck, but leaves the face open. This scarf is available in different colors and shapes, and most times its color compliments the woman’s clothes. The “Niqab” is a mixture of a head cover and a scarf that protects the whole face of a woman apart from her eyes. It flows down to the middle of the back to cover the hair, and it can flow down to the front at the middle of the chest. It is most common in Arab countries, and it is more tied to culture than to a religious requirements. Most scholars agree that the hijab is compulsory, but only a minority say this about the niqab. “Burqa” covers the entire body from top to bottom. It is the most strict of all Islamic types of head covering. The “Chador” is an exterior, generally black, body-long garment worn primarily by women in Iran. Buttons or fasteners do not protect it at the front, so the women keep it closed with their hands.
