Since I’ve been in the Middle East, I’ve seen all sorts of varieties of niqab. Here is an example of one style I have often seen on the streets of Cairo.
One of the major goals of niqab is for women to not draw attention to themselves. Despite efforts of draping tons of material from their heads or wearing many many layers in scorching temperatures, it seems like the presence of niqabis is still known in society. Still yet, it is possible to get a sense of their form. One can tell the difference between skinny niqabis, heavy set niqabis, tall niqabis, and short niqabs, top heavy niqabis and, at times, those with wide child bearing hips. I can often tell if a niqabi is young or old, and many times whether she is wealthy or of a lower social economic status. Niqabis still draw a lot of attention. And in certain parts of Cairo, such as Abbas al Akkad street men try to pick niqabis up assuming they are street walkers.
In a long conversation about purdah, seclusion, gender segregation, and niqab, a young woman finally proposed a cloaking device for niqabis. You know, the kind that Frodo had in the lord of the rings.
While we know that the technology has not been developed, two scientists have theorized that cloaking devices are possible. Check the articled out here. There is growing evidence that wealthy women from the Gulf are investing in the development of new technologies, as well as high end clothing lines. Perhaps the technology has already been developed. Maybe next time when you spot that Khaliji princess at the club, she’ll throw on that Frodo cloak so you can’t recognize her….
Margari Aziza 
BismillaharRahmanirRahim
as-salaamu ‘alaikum. I pray you and your loved ones are healthy, strong in faith and love for the Holy Prophet (may Peace and Blessings be upon him). You wrote,
The only problem is, in the club, the environment doesn’t look like a dusty mountainside. So what would the cloak mask into, a bar-stool, a disco ball or better yet maybe a half naked woman? Oof, I guess that kinda defeats the purpose, eh 😉
Nice to see you back.
-Saifuddin
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LOL
Salam, acid, not-so-angry sister 🙂
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Of course that would be haram as well. It would allow for all sorts of vice. Women could sneek where they wanted to. Men could “cloak” with women and then could be around unrelated men without people being able to see.
What about adultery? Why you could have relations outside of marriage and since both parties could be “cloaked” there wouldnt been the witnesses needed to convict under Shar’ia.
Nah………even if they came up with it, it would be banned.
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as salaam alaikum
i’d like to see some of the medium-end clothing find its way back here. think about it.
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Salaams Sis:
Nice to see you back!
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OH, you in Cairo? Say hello to my cousin Yusef!
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as salamu ‘alaykum
I’ve always understood the purpose of veiling differently. Of course you stand out. Every human being does. There are things you can do to stand out more, and yeah in our time you stand out as a niqabi, no doubt. But the real purpose of veiling is to be recognized as mu’minaat. So there is this purpose to be known as that. It may seem so lost in todays controversial world, but picking up Tafsir Ibn Kathir, and other tafasir, makes this point quite clear.
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