Preserving Haya/Modesty in Today's World

By Muhammad Aslam al Hindi

 

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rehmatullahi Barkatuhu

Haya itself is derived from the word hayat which means life. This term covers a wide number of concepts. In English, it may be translated as modesty, shyness, self-respect, bashfulness, shame, honour, humility, etc. It’s like an ornament of which beatifies a girl, a piece of jewel that no money can buy, no shop can stock and no tailor can stitch, it’s taught, passed down, learned and practised, it’s an art form which is mastered through Islam, of one of the basic needs which a woman/man should possess, to be a modest Muslimah/Muslim :

Narrated by Abu Huraira (Radiyallahu Anhu): The Prophet(Peace be upon him) said, "Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya is a part of faith." {Reported by Imam Bukhari}

Modesty is part of our character, a part of our faith, something we should be proud to have attained.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu): The Prophet (Peace be upon him) passed by a man who was admonishing his brother regarding Haya and was saying, "You are very shy, and I am afraid that might harm you." On that, Allah's Apostle(Peace be upon him) said, "Leave him, for Haya is (a part) of Faith."

{Reported by Imam Bukhari}

Now the above hadith is also a form of proof that "shyness" is not just something regarding women but also an attribute that believing men should have, for it is an indication if their fear of Allah and an indication of the value of their Deen, but my thread is emphasising on the girls, the women of today.

There are two forms of Haya, inner and outer:
■ Inner:

Ø  Speech

Ø  Actions

Ø  Langauge

Ø  Mind

■  Outer:

Ø  Dress Code

Ø  Walk

Ø  Gaze

Haya and Imaan are interdependent; therefore either they both exist together or they both perish. Thus, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) has said in one hadith, "When there is no haya left, then do as you please."

This hadith means that do as you please and wait for Allah’s punishment to strike.

Abdullah ibn Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) narrated that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:"Indeed haya (modesty) and Iman are Companions. When one of them is lifted, the other leaves as well."

{Narrated by Imam Baihaqi}

Today vulgarity and all its ingredients have become a common place even among well-known Muslims in the zeal of imitating the disbelievers. It is these people who have been struggling to bring Muslim women out of Hijab into immodesty and indecency. They have adopted the lifestyles of the disbelievers more than the traditions of the Prophet (Peace be upon him).

And Indulging in indecency for so long has killed the sense of modesty (haya) which Islam had commanded them to preserve.

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Haya and Trustworthiness will be the first to  go from this world; therefore keep asking Allah for them."

{Narrated by Imam Baihaqi}

Narrated on the authority of Anas bin Malik(Radiyallahu Anhu), the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "When lewdness is a part of anything, it becomes defective; and when hay’a is a part of anything it becomes beautiful. "

{Reported by Imam Tirmidhi}

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty……."

(Surah Noor, 30-31)

In the 21st century,the social media generation has exploded, obliterating the ounce of decency left in the Muslim society, now shamelessness has reached an all new heights.

In such situations,here are some guidelines to safeguard your modesty.

1. Value your decency, your modesty, your manners as this is what beautifies a woman/man.

2· Do not indulge in vain or immoral talk.

3· Do not inject foul/bad words to make yourself more acceptable to the modern society.

4· If people do not appreciate your decency, then it is them at fault and you need to find new friends who do appreciate the value of modesty, decency, and good manners.

5· Change your friends, not your good habits, because bad friends, can become bad habits and can lead to destruction of the soul.