Modesty (In the light of Quran and Hadith)

Background

Modesty is an English word of Arabic word haya which is derived from the word hayat (Life). Some synonyms of the words are shyness, self-respect, bashfulness,  shame, honor and humility.

Aim

Our aim is to be informed about modesty based on quran and hadith. We also learn about the importance of modesty in islam as well as our personal life.

Question to be discussed

What is modesty?

Who has to be modest?

What are the importance of modesty in the light of quran and hadith ?

Teaching of our discussion

Discussion         

What is Modesty?

It is freedom from vanity and showiness. It is decency and self-control in speech, manner, dress and total attitude and behavior towards life. It is shyness, simplicity and humility about our abilities and actions.

Who will maintain Modesty?

Modesty is for both male and female. It isn't only for women as many people have the misconception. The sphere of Modesty in Islamic morality is so vast that it encompasses all aspects of human life.

Why will we maintain modesty?

• Allah (SWT) loves Modesty. We know this by the following hadith: "Surely Allah (is One who) has Modesty and is the Protector. He loves Modesty and people who cover each other's faults." (Bukhari)

• Modesty itself is a greatness of Islam as our Prophet (saw) indicated: "Every way of life has a native character. The character of Islam is Modesty." Or "Every deen has an innate character. The character of Islam is modesty (Modesty)." (Abu Dawood)

• Modesty only brings good and nothing else. Our Prophet (saw) said: " Modesty does not bring anything except good." (Bukhari)

• Modesty is a very clear indication of our Iman. As the Prophet (saw) had mentioned to the Ansar who was condemning his brother about being shy: "Leave him, for Modesty is (a part) of Faith." (Bukhari)

• Modesty leads us to PARADISE. As the Prophet (saw) told us: " Modesty comes from Iman; Iman leads to Paradise. Obscenity comes from dislike; and dislike leads to the fire." (Bukhari)

Importance of modesty in Islam

The Muslim woman is beautified by her modesty in dress and manners, and guarded against indecent looks and behavior - even though she may be different from everyone else around her.

Modesty is dignity, grace and ornamentation of a believer, given by the All-Wise Beneficent Allah (SWT), for the benefit of the Muslims and all mankind.

Abdullah bin Musalm reported, God's Messenger as saying, Modesty is a part of the teachings of the previous prophets, and anyone who lacks it may do whatever he likes.

We are living in this so called free society, in which our Islamic standards of purity and modesty face the continual threat, and can easily be destroyed altogether, if we don't adhere to, the important part of Islamic morality which is modesty.

Verses of Quran about Modesty

Surah Al-Araf; verses 26,  31

26. হে বনী আদম!  তোমাদের শরীরের লজ্জাস্থানগুলো ঢাকার এবং তোমাদের দেহের সংরক্ষণ ও সৌন্দর্য বিধানের উদ্দেশ্যে আমি তোমাদের জন্য পোশাক নাযিল করেছি। আর তাকওয়ার পোশাকই সর্বোত্তম। এই আল্লাহর নিদর্শনগুলোর অন্যতম, সম্ভবত লোকেরা এ থেকে শিক্ষা গ্রহণ করবে।

31. হে বনী আদম! প্রত্যেক ইবাদাতের সময় তোমরা নিজ নিজ সুন্দর সাজে সজ্জিত হও। আর খাও ও পান করো কিন্তু সীমা অতিক্রম করে যেয়ো না, আল্লাহ সীমা অতিক্রমকারীদেরকে পছন্দ করেন না।

Surah Al-Ahzab; Verses  59

59. হে নবী! তোমার স্ত্রীদের, কন্যাদের ও মু’মিনদের নারীদেরকে বলে দাও তারা যেন তাদের চাদরের প্রান্ত তাদের ওপর টেনে নেয়। এটি অধিকতর উপযোগী পদ্ধতি, যাতে তাদেরকে চিনে নেয়া যায় এবং কষ্ট না দেয়া হয়। আল্লাহ ক্ষমাশীল ও করুণাম

Surah An-Nur; Verses 30, 31

30. নবী ! মু’মিন পুরুষদের বলে দাও তারা যেন নিজেদের দৃষ্টি সংযত করে রাখে এবং নিজেদের লজ্জাস্থানসমূহের হেফাজত করে । এটি তাদের জন্য বেশী পবিত্র পদ্ধতি । যা কিছু তারা করে আল্লাহ তা জানেন ।

31. আর হে নবী! মু’মিন মহিলাদের বলে দাও তারা যেন তাদের দৃষ্টি সংযত করে রাখে এবং তাদের লজ্জাস্থানগুলোর হেফাজত করে  আর তাদের সাজসজ্জা না দেখায়, যা নিজে নিজে প্রকাশ হয়ে যায় তা ছাড়া । আর তারা যেন তাদের ওড়নার আঁচল দিয়ে তাদের বুক ঢেকে রাখে। তারা যেন তাদের সাজসজ্জা প্রকাশ না করে, তবে নিম্নোক্তদের সামনে ছাড়া স্বামী,বাপ,স্বামীর বাপ, নিজের ছেলে, স্বামীর ছেলে, ভাই, ভাইয়ের ছেলে, বোনের ছেলে, নিজের মেলামেশার মেয়েদের ,নিজের মালিকানাধীনদের,অধীনস্থ পুরুষদের যাদের অন্য কোন রকম উদ্দেশ্য নেই এবং এমন শিশুদের সামনে ছাড়া যারা মেয়েদের গোপন বিষয় সম্পর্কে এখনো অজ্ঞ । তারা যেন নিজেদের যে সৌন্দর্য তারা লুকিয়ে রেখেছে তা লোকদের সামনে প্রকাশ করে দেবার উদ্দেশ্য সজোরে পদক্ষেপ না করে। হে মু’মিনগণ! তোমরা সবাই মিলে আল্লাহর কাছে তাওবা করো, আশা করা যায় তোমরা সফলকাম হবে

Verses about Modesty in Hadith 

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And haya (This term "haya" covers a large number of concepts which are to be taken together; amongst them are self respect, modesty, bashfulness, and scruple, etc.) is a part of faith." Sahih Al Bukhari #1.8

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: offensiveness disfigures everything and modesty (haya') enhances the fascination of everything. Transmitted by Tirmidhi. #545

Narrated AbuUmamah: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, modesty and inability to speak are two branches of faith, but obscenity and expressiveness are two branches of duplicity." Transmitted by Tirmidhi. #1234

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "Coarse talk does not come into anything without disgracing it, and modesty does not come into anything without adorning it." Transmitted by Tirmidhi. #1253

Narrated AbuHurayrah: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "modesty is part of faith and faith is in Paradise, but obscenity is a part of hardness of heart and hardness of heart is in Hell." Transmitted by Ahmad and Tirmidhi. #1313

Narrated AbuAyyub: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: There are four characteristics 

(which may be called) the Sunnahs (the practices) of the messengers of Allah: modesty, but some say, circumcision, the use of perfume, miswak and marriage. Transmitted by Tirmidhi. #140

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "Avoid being naked, for with you are those who never leave you except when you are relieving yourselves and when a man has intercourse with his wife; so observe modesty before them and honour them." Tirmidhi transmitted it. #929

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "(The Prophet) Moses was a shy person and used to cover his body completely because of his extensive shyness. One of the children of Israel hurt him by saying, 'He covers his body in this way only because of some defect in his skin, either leprosy or scrotal hernia, or he has some other defect.' Allah wished to clear Moses of what they said about him, so one day while Moses was in seclusion, he took off his clothes and put them on a stone and started taking a bath. When he had finished the bath, he moved towards his clothes so as to take them, but the stone took his clothes and fled; Moses picked up his stick and ran after the stone saying, 'O stone! Give me my garment!' Till he reached a group of Bani Israel who saw him naked then, and found him the best of what Allah had created, and Allah cleared him of what they had accused him of. The stone stopped there and Moses took and put his garment on and started hitting the stone with his stick. By Allah, the stone still has some traces of the hitting, three, four or five marks. This was what Allah refers to in His Saying: "O you who believe! Be you not like those Who annoyed Moses, But Allah proved his innocence of that which they alleged, And he was honorable In Allah's Sight." (33.69) Sahih Al Bukhari #4.616

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "Moses was a shy man, and that is what the Statement of Allah means: 'O you who believe! Be not like those who annoyed Moses, but Allah proved his innocence of that which they alleged and he was honorable in Allah's Sight.' " (33.69) Sahih Al Bukhari #6.323

Narrated Abu Said Al Khudri: The Prophet was more shy than a virgin in her separate room. And

if he saw a thing which he disliked, we would recognize that (feeling) in his face. Sahih Al Bukhari 8.128.139

By 

H  Kabir