The
taqiyah (also spelled
tagiya; /
ALA-LC:
ṭāqīyah,
Urdu,
Hindi "topi"; /
ALA-LC: “ṭopī”) is a short, rounded
skullcap. They are often worn for religious purposes; for example,
Muslims believe that
Muhammad used to keep his head covered, therefore making it
mustahabb (i.e., it is commendable to cover the head in order to emulate him). Muslims often wear them during the five
daily prayers.