Discover the meaning of the term Al-ḥjab (حجاب) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 3 min readEverything that veils what you seek; and with the people of truth: the impress of the cosmic forms upon the heart, barring acceptance of the Truth's self-disclosure.
In language (in Persian: burda). Anything you seek other than God Most High is, to the masters of the wayfaring, a veil. They said too: the hijab is the impress of the cosmic forms in the heart, barring acceptance of the Truth's self-disclosure. Fine is Sa'ib's saying.
Veiling, because it prevents seeing; applying hijab to the amulet is a common metaphor, for what they claim in it of warding harm from the sick. (Al-Ifsah fi Fiqh al-Lugha, 1/549). Al-hajj: in language, the intent to visit; the poet said: they pilgrimage to the house of gold-gilded Zamzam. Al-Khalil said: it is the frequency of intent; the road was named mahajja for the frequency of coming and going; and the Law reserved it, in its consecrated sense, for intending the House of God Most High to perform the rites there. One says al-hajj with fatha of the ha and al-hajj with kasra of the ha: the first is the masdar, the second the noun. The day of the greater pilgrimage is the day of sacrifice, and the day of 'Arafa. It is reported: 'the 'umra is the lesser pilgrimage'.
An organ like skin, running from the head of the colon toward the back and joining the belly's cavity.
Everything that veiled the sought object, or barred reaching it; hence the veiling is called hijab, for barring sight, and the doorkeeper hajib, for barring entry. Its origin is a body intervening between two bodies, then it was used in meanings: it is said poverty is a veil between a man and his want, and disobedience a veil between servant and Lord.
What by which one veiled between two things, so it is a hijab; and the woman's hijab: veiling her person or her gaze from strangers.
﴿وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌۭ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱلْأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌۭ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلًّۢا بِسِيمَىٰهُمْ ۚ وَنَادَوْا۟ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ﴾
« And between them will be a partition, and on [its] elevations are men who recognize all by their mark. And they call out to the companions of Paradise, "Peace be upon you." They have not [yet] entered it, but they long intensely. »
Surah الأعراف : 46
﴿وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حِجَابًۭا مَّسْتُورًۭا﴾
« And when you recite the Qur'an, We put between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a concealed partition. »
Surah الإسراء : 45
﴿فَٱتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًۭا فَأَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًۭا سَوِيًّۭا﴾
« And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man. »
Surah مريم : 17
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَدْخُلُوا۟ بُيُوتَ ٱلنَّبِىِّ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَـٰظِرِينَ إِنَىٰهُ وَلَـٰكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَٱدْخُلُوا۟ فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ وَلَا مُسْتَـْٔنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكُمْ كَانَ يُؤْذِى ٱلنَّبِىَّ فَيَسْتَحْىِۦ مِنكُمْ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَسْتَحْىِۦ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ ۚ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَـٰعًۭا فَسْـَٔلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَآءِ حِجَابٍۢ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُؤْذُوا۟ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَن تَنكِحُوٓا۟ أَزْوَٰجَهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦٓ أَبَدًا ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكُمْ كَانَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَظِيمًا﴾
« O you who have believed, do not enter the houses of the Prophet except when you are permitted for a meal, without awaiting its readiness. But when you are invited, then enter; and when you have eaten, disperse without seeking to remain for conversation. Indeed, that [behavior] was troubling the Prophet, and he is shy of [dismissing] you. But Allah is not shy of the truth. And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. And it is not [conceivable or lawful] for you to harm the Messenger of Allah or to marry his wives after him, ever. Indeed, that would be in the sight of Allah an enormity. »
Surah الأحزاب : 53
﴿فَقَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَحْبَبْتُ حُبَّ ٱلْخَيْرِ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّى حَتَّىٰ تَوَارَتْ بِٱلْحِجَابِ﴾
« And he said, "Indeed, I gave preference to the love of good [things] over the remembrance of my Lord until the sun disappeared into the curtain [of darkness]." »
Surah ص : 32
﴿وَقَالُوا۟ قُلُوبُنَا فِىٓ أَكِنَّةٍۢ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَآ إِلَيْهِ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِنَا وَقْرٌۭ وَمِنۢ بَيْنِنَا وَبَيْنِكَ حِجَابٌۭ فَٱعْمَلْ إِنَّنَا عَـٰمِلُونَ﴾
« And they say, "Our hearts are within coverings from that to which you invite us, and in our ears is deafness, and between us and you is a partition, so work; indeed, we are working." »
Surah فصلت : 5
This term appears in 7 verses of the Quran.