Modesty

Hayaa

Now, what does Hayaa translate to and mean? Shyness, bashfulness, self-respect and most importantly, modesty.

All of these characteristics form part of what an ideal Muslim should aspire to be. Modesty is an innate characteristic of the religion of Islam. Not only should we aspire to be modest, act modest and dress modestly, but we should also strive to imitate the Sahabah RA.

But, your thoughts should also be modest. Because thoughts become actions. Anyway, modesty.

Your Hayaa,  it is a vital thing in Islam. Modesty prevents all sorts of things from happening to you. I know I once read something terrible and horrifying about a Muslim girl’s rape. The fault is very, very slightly hers. She walked home alone after dark, but sick and disgusting minded men who did not have one ounce of decency and self respect, raped her.

However, the fact that she was modestly dressed did not matter. They stole her innocence and degraded her and ate away her happiness. How could such sick minded, disgusting low lives do that? They had shamed her and made her feel suicidal. But how could they have lost their humanity to such a degree that they lost all sense of self control and respect?

Has humanity come to such a degree that they cannot tell the difference between animal and human? Have we really lost all sense of modesty? Of shyness and bashfulness?

Are we that disconnected from our Lord?

Modesty is an ingrained characteristic that should help us stay in touch with our human nature. Shying away from evil and anything that would cause displeasure to our Lord. But it goes more than that.

I know so many people who wear niqaab, the face veil, yet they have absolutely no modesty. What use is wearing the niqaab if you are yelling across the table? Is your voice not the part of your body which you should take caution in? Because a woman’s voice can lead to making men aroused and what not. It could lead to all kinds of unwanted trouble. So, when you wear niqaab, your voice should not be raised and heard by everyone in the room.

Furthermore, your modesty is quite an attractive trait. It shows that you value yourself and you do not appreciate being objectified in a manner to be lusted on and by  men. It shows that you are patient enough to wait for someone to appreciate your true worth, not just any fool who thinks that a girl who does not want to be modest is better. Easy to come, is easy to go.

But truly. Just think for a second. If you dress as you were instructed by Allah –where your body shape is not shown nor revealed, where your hair is covered and you have very little to no make up on. This would mean that you are taking every precaution so as not to incite and cause men to lust after you. And that precaution could mean the difference between gaining entry into heaven and hell.

So, the next time you want to do something or dress up, think about whether or not it is modest. Because it is better to be safe rather than sorry.