Who was the inventor of the burqa?

Contrary to popular belief, the burqa is instituted in the Islamic ahadith, quotes from and stories about the Prophet Muhammad, his wives, and his companions. We know from these stories that the Prophet's wives and many of the early Muslim women covered their bodies, including their faces, in this way, and Muslim women strive to imitate them, as they were the most Excellent in character. Furthermore, these stories tell us that certain Qur'anic verses were interpreted by these women as instruction to cover the face, not just the body. The practice however, dates from thousands of years earlier, to Jewish marriage practices. It is also the origin of the western wedding veil today.

Muslim women wear the burqa by choice, not by force, and find many benefits in doing so. The burqa provides the women with modesty, identity, and liberation. Those who wear the burqa place a high value on women's beauty, and believe it is not for anyone in the street to look upon, but rather to be preserved for those she is close to and loves. This modesty in turn protects the woman from sexual harassment and abuse. The burqa also identifies the woman as a Muslim, and one devout in her religion, an honorable and respectable woman. Women also find the burqa highly liberating, as it turns the focus from their outer appearance, to their inner self. Rather than being judged by for their sex appeal or sense of fashion, those who meet them can only judge them based on their intellect and character. It makes a clear statement that the woman's body is irrelevant, while her heart and mind are the true person.