"Ruband" redirects here. For the Iranian village, see Ruband, Iran. A niqāb or niqaab (/nɪˈkɑːb/; Arabic: نقاب), also known as a ruband (Persian: روبند), is a long garment worn by some Muslim women in order to cover their entire body and face, excluding their eyes. It is an interpretation in Islam of the concept of hijab, and is worn in public and in all other places where a woman may encounter no