حجاب

حجاب (hejâb) is, on paper, a word for “covering” or “veil.” In modern Iran the word also names a body of law, an enforcement apparatus, and a protest movement that no learner can responsibly skip.

What it means

The neutral dictionary sense of حجاب is “covering, screen, partition, veil.” In Islamic religious vocabulary, hejâb refers to the requirement that a woman cover her hair and body in the presence of non-mahram men. In modern Iran the word covers three different things at once: a religious concept, a legal dress code, and a political flashpoint. Persian distinguishes حجاب (the broad concept of covering) from روسری (rusari, headscarf), چادر (châdor, full cloak), and مقنعه (maqna’e, school veil). Hejâb is the umbrella term; the others are specific garments.

How to use it

• حجاب اجباری (hejâb-e ejbâri) “compulsory hijab”
• حجاب اختیاری (hejâb-e ekhtiâri) “optional hijab”
• بدحجاب (bad-hejâb) “improperly covered” (regime label for women out of compliance)
• بی‌حجاب (bi-hejâb) “uncovered, without hijab”
• حجابش رو رعایت می‌کنه (hejâb-esh ro re’âyat mikone) “she observes hijab” (colloquial)

Cultural context

The political weight of حجاب in Iran is documented and ongoing. Compulsory hijab was introduced in 1979 and codified into law in 1983, requiring all women in public to cover their hair and bodies regardless of religion or belief. Enforcement runs through the گشت ارشاد (gasht-e ershâd) or “Guidance Patrol,” commonly translated as morality police, which detains women for dress code violations.

On 16 September 2022, Mahsa Jina Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, died in custody three days after being arrested by the morality police in Tehran for an alleged hijab violation. Her death triggered the Zan, Zendegi, Âzâdi (“Woman, Life, Freedom”) protest movement, the largest sustained anti-government protests in Iran since 1979. In 2024 the Iranian parliament passed the Hijab and Chastity Law, which expanded penalties for non-compliance, including fines, travel bans, and imprisonment.

Inside Iran the word حجاب is therefore not just religious vocabulary. Many Iranian women observe hijab by personal religious choice; many resist compulsory hijab by wearing it loosely or removing it in protest; many do both at different points in their lives. The word itself is neutral. The legal regime around it is not.

Related

You’ll see this word together with روسری (rusari) “headscarf,” چادر (châdor) “chador,” and مقنعه (maqna’e) “school veil.” For the full historical record, see our planned entry on Mahsa Jina Amini.