A niqāb or niqaab (نِقاب‎ niqāb), also called a ruband, is a garment of clothing that covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of a particular interpretation of hijab (modest dress). According to the majority of Muslim scholars and Islamic schools of thought, face veiling is a requirement of Islam; however a minority of Muslim scholars assert that women are not required to cover their face in public. Those Muslim women who wear the niqab, do so in places where they may encounter non-mahram (non-related) men.