Key difference: Niqab and abaya are two different kinds of clothing that are available to Islamic women. A niqab or ruband is a part of the sartorial hijab and covers only the face. It is a form of a veil that covers the face including the ears and the hair. The headpiece may even cover some, if not all of the neck and chest area. An abaya can be described as a long robe or cloak, usually black in color. It is worn over the clothing and tends to cover the whole body. The styles of abaya vary, many often contain embroidery of some sort, while some may or may not include a hood.

Niqab and abaya are two different kinds of clothing that are available to Islamic women. Islamic women wear these cloths as a form of protection. They also act as a sign of modesty. Many claim that this clothing is decreed by the Islamic religion, culture and norms. Hence, many are times women are forced to wear these clothing in front of men by the social norms, elders and peers. However, many women choose to wear these clothing to represent their own belief in their religion and culture. They are worn by Muslim women as a symbol of modesty, privacy, and morality.

A niqab or ruband is a part of the sartorial hijab and covers only the face. It is a form of a veil that covers the face including the ears and the hair. The headpiece may even cover some, if not all of the neck and chest area. The niqab has a split in the eye area, which leaves the eyes uncovered. However, some niqabs may have a cloth mesh covering the eye area. The niqab can be attached or tied to the woman’s head by laces or by clips.

There are two main types of niqab: the half face niqab and the full face niqab. The half face niqab covers only the lower part of the face, leaving the forehead uncovered. The full face niqab covers the whole face with only slits for the eyes.

An abaya can be described as a long robe or cloak, usually black in color. It is worn over the clothing and tends to cover the whole body. The styles of abaya vary, many often contain embroidery of some sort, while some may or may not include a hood. It can be said that an abaya is a type of a traditional hijab. Hijab here refers to the Islamic rules of covering up.

The abaya is usually made of georgette or other soft, flowing polyester fabrics. It has a front crossover opening and can be just pulled over regular clothing. It is often paired with a hijab and/or a niqab. Hijab here is the scarf which covers the head. The abaya is most common in the Islamic cultures on the Arabian Peninsula; however it has been readily adopted in other parts of the world.

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