In modern usage, hijab generally refers to various head coverings conventionally worn by many Muslim women. It is similar to the tichel or snood worn by Orthodox Jewish women, certain headcoverings worn by some Christian women, such as the mantilla, apostolnik and wimple, and the dupatta worn by many Hindu and Sikh women. Whilst a hijab can come in many forms, it often specifically refers to a scarf wrapped around the head, covering the hair, neck and ears but leaving the face visible. The use of the hijab has been on the rise worldwide since the 1970s and is viewed by many Muslims as expressing modesty and faith; it has also been worn for purposes of adornment. There is a consensus among Islamic religious scholars that covering the head is either required or preferred, though some Muslim scholars and activists point out that it is not mandated.
A Tunisian woman wearing a hijab
Women wearing tudongs (the Malay term for hijab) in Brunei
Women wearing chadors in Iran
Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani education activist and 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate wears a head scarf.
Islamic veiling practices by country
Various styles of head coverings, most notably the khimar, hijab, chador, niqab, paranja, yashmak, tudong, shayla, safseri, carşaf, haik, dupatta, boshiya and burqa, are worn by Muslim women around the world, where the practice varies from mandatory to optional or restricted in different majority Muslim and non-Muslim countries.
Two mannequins; one to the left wearing a hijab on the head and one to the right veiled in the style of a niqab.
Egyptian storekeeper in Cairo wearing a hijab
A group of Moroccan women wearing headscarves and veils
Female art students in Afghanistan