Modesty

  • Modesty plays a vital role in character building. It restrains a man from behaving in an undesirable manner. It also acts as a shield against immoralities. It holds the key to piety. It is related by Zaid Bin Talha that the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said:

    "Every religion has a distinctive quality and the distinctive quality of Islam is modesty."

    This Hadis shows that in every faith, some particular aspects of moral behaviour receives importance and an extraordinary emphasis is leid on it; in Islam modesty is of fundamental significance as the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said:

    "Modesty is a part of Faith."

    The word, modesty, in common use, signifies that a man should abstain from indecent acts. However, in the terminology of the Quran and the Hadis, it is used in a wider sense. In Islam, it stands for a feeling which is intolerant of everything that is not desirable or produces disgust in a person.

    Faith and modesty are so closely related to each other that either both will be present in an individual or community or none of the two would be present. It is related by Abdullah bin Umar that the Prophet of Allah said:

    "Modesty and Faith exist together and when one of them goes out, the other too goes out."

    The rule of modesty is prescribed for both men and women that is, to lower their gaze and not stare at each other as the Quran says:

    "Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty........" (24:30)

    "And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty....." (24:31)

    Modesty is not to be observed only in relation to human beings. The Almighty Creator comes first. No one can be more unfortunate that the person who, knowing that Allah sees and hears all that he does and speaks, feels no shame in saying dirty and deplorable things in His presence. If the sense of modesty is alive and active in a person, his life will not only be clean in the sight of his fellowbeings but also in the eyes of Allah. The primary requirement of modesty is that a person should feel disgusted everything that is displeasing to Allah. Therefore, he should abstain from it.

    It is related in Tirmizi that once the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) observed while speaking to his Companions:

    "Practice modesty towards Allah as it ought to be practiced towards Him."

    The proper way of observing modesty towards Allah is that you take care of the head and all the ideas and notions that are contained in it, and should take care of the belly and all that is contained in it (i.e., protect the mind against evil thoughts and the stomach against unlawful food).

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