If and when a Muslim female person reaches the age of puberty, covering the body including the hair becomes an obligation. Some parents ask their daughters to cover their hair earlier than this age so that they can get used to the practice. For women, the essential area of their bodies to be covered is the whole body excluding the face, hands and the feet. Men are also required to cover essential parts of their bodies from belly to the knees in a modest way. As long as this obligation is fulfilled, the actual dress type or colour is optional and left to the individual. The types of dressing that are seen in the media are only are a reflection of their cultural setting. Other more elegant dressing is also seen in many parts of the Muslim world.

In daily life, most women, whether they are Muslim or not, cover most parts of their bodies anyway. Even without covering the hair, 95% of this requirement is achieved most of the time. Covering the face is not a requirement of Islam. Some women might chose to do so as an expression of greater piety. Cultural customs are also the cause of such a practice in countries such as Iran and Afghanistan, where this practice is more prevalent.

It is important to note that the requirement to cover the hair has lower level of importance in comparison to faith and the practice of the five pillars of Islam such as the prescribed prayers and fasting. Not covering the hair or not feeling ready to practice this requirement should and does not prevent a woman from having faith in God and choosing Islam as a religion. It certainly does not prevent a woman practising other more important aspects of Islam.

The famous boxer Muhammad Ali summarises the essence of this requirement very well narrated by his daughter in the book More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali's Life Lessons Through His Daughter's Eyes. When Muhammad Ali sees his daughters wearing revealing clothes, he sits them on his lap and says, "Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them." He looked at me with serious eyes. "Your body is sacred. You're far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too."