Why do Muslim women wear scarves over their hair and/or faces?
Islam stresses the relationship between body and mind. In covering the body one shields the heart from impurities. Men are instructed to restrain or avert their eyes from women, and women are expected to wear loose outer garments and to cover their heads and bosoms. Men are also instructed to dress modestly and to keep the area between the navel and the knee covered in public. There is no law in Islam that punishes a woman for not wearing a veil and according to Islamic law a man has no jurisdiction in forcing a woman to wear a veil or hijab. He can, if he has some authority over a woman (as a husband or father or brother) admonish, request, and in the case of a father to require it of his daughter, but absolutely no right in actively forcing a woman to adopt the hijab. However women are strongly advised to veil themselves as appropriate to maintain their honour and dignity. The ultimate goal of veiling is righteousness of the heart. The purpose of hijab (veiling) in Islam is primarily
