Core sense — a veil, a covering; a partition, or barrier; the diaphragmgenerated
1[The veil, or curtain, was let down over the women]—ضُرِبَ الحِجَابُ عَلَى النِّسَآءِ
A thing that prevents, hinders, or debars; a thing that veils, conceals, hides, covers, or protects, because it prevents seeing. Also a thing, or body, that comes between two things, or between two bodies, which is [said to be] the primary meaning: a partition, a bar, a barrier, or an obstacle. Sometimes applied to ideal things. Plural جُجُبٌ.
[He has prayers that rend the veils]—لَهُ دَعَوَاتٌ تَخْرِقُ الحُجُبَ
[There is no veil, or obstacle, to the prayer of the wronged]—مَا لِدَعْوَةِ المَظْلُومِ حِجَابٌ
[He who gets sight and knowledge of the veil falls into that which is behind it]—مَنِ ٱطَّلَعَ الحِجَابِ وَاقَعَ مَا وَرَآءَهُ
From a tradition: when a man dies, he falls into what is behind [one of] the two veils, that of Paradise and that of Hell. Or, according to some, اِطَلَاعُ الحِجَابِ means the stretching out of the head [and looking over the veil]; for one who examines a thing stretches out his head to see what is behind the veil, or covering.
[God forgives the servant (His creature) as long as the precluding event has not happened]—إِنَّ ٱللّٰهَ يَغْفِرُ لِلْعَبْدِ مَا لَمْ يَقَعِ الحِجَابُ
In another tradition, a saying of Moḥammad. الحجاب here means dying in the belief in a plurality of gods, as though one were precluded from true belief by death.
[Inability is a bar between a man and his desire]—العَجْزُ حَجَابٌ بَيْنَ الإِنْسَانِ وَمُرَادِهِ
[Disobedience is a bar between the servant and his Lord]—المَعْصِيَةُ حِجَابٌ بَيْنَ العَبْدِ وَبَيْنَ رَبِّهِ
1.1figurative · مجاز — inferred
Hence, in the present day, a written charm or amulet, generally worn in a case (called بَيْتُ حِجَابٍ) hung on the right side by a string passing over the left shoulder, or on some other part of the person.
Plural of multitude حُجُبٌ; of paucity أَحْجِبَةٌ and حِجَابَاتٌ.
1.2figurative · مجازwhat comes between the heart and the rest of the جوف; the piece of skin between the heart and the belly—حِجَابُ القَلْبِ
A thin piece of flesh, resembling a piece of skin, in the interior of the body, between the two sides, coming between the lungs and the قصب. [In the K القَصَب, but this is clearly a miscopying for القُصْب, the lower intestines; for the حجاب is the diaphragm, or midriff.]
Or حَجَابُ الجَوْفِ in the same sense; as also حَجَابُ الكَبِدِ.
Or حِجَابُ القَلْبِ means a certain fat that clothes the heart. AHeyth, in art. شغف. [Or it means, or also means, the septum cordis: see قَلْبٌ.]
Plural حُجُبٌ.
[Fear rent open his midriff: or his septum cordis]—هَتَكَ الخَوْفُ حِجَابَ قَلْبِهِ
1.3figurative · مجاز — inferredIt (the sun) became concealed by the horizon—تَوَارَتْ بِٱلْحِجَابِ
Occurring in the Kur-án [38:31], and in a tradition.
The horizon, because it terminates the view.
1.4figurative · مجازHe sat in the shade of the mountain—قَعَدَ فِى ظِلِّ الحِجَابِ
A mountain; or an elevated part of a mountain.
1.5figurative · مجاز — inferred
The place where a [stony tract such as is called] حَرَّة ends.
1.6figurative · مجاز — inferred
A tract of sand uniformly continuous, and long.
1.7figurative · مجاز — inferred
The light of the sun; or the tract, or side, of the sun; or [like حَاجِبٌ] a side, or part, of the sun.
Qur’ānic occurrences حِجَاب 5 shown of 7
17:45
وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًاWhen thou dost recite the Qur'an, We put, between thee and those who believe not in the Hereafter, a veil invisible:
19:17
فَٱتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّاShe placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.
38:32
فَقَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَحْبَبْتُ حُبَّ ٱلْخَيْرِ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّى حَتَّىٰ تَوَارَتْ بِٱلْحِجَابِAnd he said, "Truly do I love the love of good, with a view to the glory of my Lord,"- until (the sun) was hidden in the veil (of night):
41:5
وَقَالُوا۟ قُلُوبُنَا فِىٓ أَكِنَّةٍ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَآ إِلَيْهِ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِنَا وَقْرٌ وَمِنۢ بَيْنِنَا وَبَيْنِكَ حِجَابٌ فَٱعْمَلْ إِنَّنَا عَـٰمِلُونَThey say: "Our hearts are under veils, (concealed) from that to which thou dost invite us, and in our ears in a deafness, and between us and thee is a screen: so do thou (what thou wilt); for us, we shall do (what we will!)"
42:51
وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِن وَرَآئِ حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِىَ بِإِذْنِهِۦ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِىٌّ حَكِيمٌIt is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with Allah's permission, what Allah wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise.
Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.
Show Lane's original text
[A thing that prevents, hinders, debars,or precludes:] a thing that veils, conceals, hides, covers, or protects; (S, Msb, K TA;) because it prevents seeing, or beholding: (Msb:) a thing, (A, K,) or body. (Msb,) that intervenes (A, Msb, K) between two things, (A, K,) or between two bodies; which is [said to be] the primary signification; (Msb;) [a partition, a bar, a barrier, or an obstacle:] and sometimes applied to ideal things: (Msb:) pl. جُجُبٌ . (A, Msb, K.) You say, ضُرِبَ الحِجَابُ عَلَى النِّسَآءِ [The veil, or curtain, was put, or let down, over the women]. (A, TA.) And لَهُ دَعَوَاتٌ تَخْرِقُ الحُجُبَ [He has prayers that rend the veils]. (A, TA.) And مَا لِدَعْوَةِ المَظْلُومِ حِجَابٌ [There is no veil, or obstacle, to the prayer of the wronged]. (A, TA.) It is said in a trad., مَنِ ٱطَّلَعَ الحِجَابِ وَاقَعَ مَا وَرَآءَهُ [He who gets sight and knowledge of the veil falls into that which is behind it]: i. e., when a man dies, he falls into what is behind [one of] the two veils, that of Paradise and that of Hell: (ISh, TA:) or, accord. to some, اِطَلَاعُ الحِجَابِ signifies the stretching out the head [and looking over the veil]; for he who examines into a thing stretches out his head to see what is behind the veil, or covering. (TA.) And in another trad., a saying of Mohammad, (TA,) إِنَّ ٱللّٰهَ يَغْفِرُ لِلْعَبْدِ مَا لَمْ يَقَعِ الحِجَابُ [Verily God forgiveth the servant (his creature) as long as the precluding event shall not have happened]: الحجاب here meaning the dying in the belief in a plurality of gods: (K, * TA:) as though one were precluded from true belief by death. (TA.) One says also, العَجْزُ حَجَابٌ بَيْنَ الإِنْسَانِ وَمُرَادِهِ [Inability is a bar between man and his desire]. (Msb.) And المَعْصِيَةُ حِجَابٌ بَيْنَ العَبْدِ وَبَيْنَ رَبِّهِ [Disobedience is a bar between the servant and his Lord]. (Msb.) [Hence, in the present day, A written charm or amulet; generally worn in a case (called بَيْتُ حِجَابٍ ) suspended, on the right side, by a string passing over the left shoulder, or on some other part of the person: pl. of mult. حُجُبٌ , and of pauc. أَحْجِبَةٌ and حِجَابَاتٌ .] [Hence also,] A thin piece of flesh, (K,) resembling a piece of shin, (TA,) in the interior of the body, between the two sides, intervening between the lungs and the قصب [in the K القَصَب , but this is evidently a mistranscription for القُصْب the lower intestines; for the حجاب is the diaphragm, or midriff]: (K, TA:) and حِجَابُ القَلْبِ , (A,) or حَجَابُ الجَوْفِ , (S,) signifies [the same; as also حَجَابُ الكَبِدِ ; (see خِلْبٌ ;)] what intervenes between the heart and the rest of the جوف ; (S;) the piece of skin that intervenes between the heart and the belly: (A, TA:) or حِجَابُ القَلْبِ signifies a certain fat that clothes the heart: (AHeyth, TA in art. شغف :) [or it signifies, or signifies also, the septum cordis: see قَلْبٌ :] pl. حُجُبٌ (A, TA.) Hence the saying, هَتَكَ الخَوْفُ حِجَابَ قَلْبِهِ [Fear rent open his midriff: or his septum cordis]. (A, TA.) The horizon: [because it terminates the view:] so in the phrase, تَوَارَتْ بِٱلْحِجَابِ It (the sun) became concealed by the horizon; occurring in the Kur [xxxviii. 31], and in a trad. (TA.) A mountain: (A:) or an elevated part of a mountain. (K.) You say, قَعَدَ فِى ظِلِّ الحِجَابِ He sat in the shade of the mountain. (A.) The place where a [stony tract such as is called] حَرَّة ends. (K.) A tract of sand uniformly continuous, and long. (K.) The light of the sun: or the tract, or side, of the sun: (K, TA:) or [like حَاجِبٌ ] a side, or part, of the sun. (TA.)