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Modesty
الايمان بضع وسبعون، أو بضع وستون شعبة، فأفضلها لا اله الا الله، وأدناها اماطة الأذى عن الطريق، والحياء شعبة من الايمان
“Faith has over sixty or seventy branches. The highest of which is La ilaaha illah llaah, and the lowest of it is removing something harmful from the way. And modesty is a brach of faith.” (al-Bukhari adn Muslim)
He, sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam said:
الحياء والايمان قرناء جميعا، فاذا رفغ أحدهما رفع الاخؤ
“Modesty and faith are companions; if one of them is removed the other is removed.” (Al-Hakim who said it is sahih according to the criteria of Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The secret to understanding how modesty is part of faith is to know that both of them encourage good and discourage one from evil. Faith commissions the believer to act obediently and avoid acts of disobedience, while modesty prevents one from a lack of gratitude for his blessings, from neglecting to fulfill the rights of others, and from the foul deeds or speech, thereby protecting him against blameworthy behaviour.
In this way modesty us good, and it will not exist without resulting in some good, as made clear by Allahs Messenger sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam when he said:
الحياء لا يأتي الا بخير
“Modesty does not bring anything except good.”(al-Bukhari and Muslim)
In another version related by Muslim:
الحياء خير كله
“Modesty is all good.”
The opposite of the modesty is obscenity. Obscenity refers to filthy sayings and actions and repugnant talk. The Muslim is not obscene or vulgar, since these are characteristics of the people of the Fire, and-if Allah wills-the Muslim is one of the people of paradise. So repugnance and obscenity are not part of his behaviour. Testifying to this is the saying of the Messenger sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam,
الحياء من الايمان، والايمان في الجنة، والبذاء من الجفاء، والجفاء في النار
“Modesty is part of faith and faith leads to Paradise. Obscenity is part of indecency and indecency leads to the Fire.” (Imam Ahmad with a Sahih chain)
For this virtuous behavior, the Muslim has the Messenger of Allah, the master of humanity as an example, for he was more modest than a secluded virgin as recorded by al-Bukhari from Abu Sa’id who said, “If he saw something he disliked, we would recognize that on his face.”
Since the Muslim invites and encourages people to the preservation of what is good, then he only calls them to what is good and guides then to what is righteous, since modesty is part of faith and faith is the embodiment of every virtue, and the basis of every good. In the sahih, it is recorded that Allah’s Messenger sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam passed by a man who was criticising his brother for his modesty, so he sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam, said:
دعه فان الحياء من الايمان
“Leave him alone, for modesty is a part of faith.” (Agreed upon)
So by this, he sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam encouraged the Muslim to remain being modest and he prohibited them from neglecting it, even if that leads to one not getting his right. For a person missing some right of his is better for him than forsaking modesty which is part of faith and distinguishing characteristics of goodness.
May Allah grant mercy upon a woman, who was searching for her lost son, so she stopped to ask some people about him. One of them said, “She asks about her son while covering her face” she heard him and replied, “O man! Loss of my son is better than loss of my modesty.” (Agreed upon).
The quality of modesty does not prevent a Muslim from saying the truth, seeking knowledge or commanding good and forbidding evil.
Once, Usamah bin Zayd, the beloved to Allah’s Messenger sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam interceded with him. Yet his modesty did not prevent Allahs messenger sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam from saying:
أتشفع في حد من حدود الله أسامة، والله لو سرقت فلانة لقطعت بدها
“O Usamah! Do you intercede when one of the legal punishments ordained by Allah has been violated? By Allah, were so-and-so to commit theft, I would cut off her hand.”
Modesty did not prevent Umm Sulaym al-Ansaari from saying to Allah’s messenger, sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam, “Allah is certainly not shy of telling. It is necessary for a woman to take a bath after she has a wet dream?” Modesty did not prevent the Prophet, sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam, from responding:
نعم اذا رأت الماء
“Yes, if she notices discharge.”
‘Umar delivered a sermon in which he criticized the heightened price of the dower. Thereupon a woman responded him saying: “Are you going to prevent something Allah has granted us, O ‘Umar? Is not there the statement of Allah:
وءاتيتم احدىهن قنطارا فلا تأخذوا منه شيئا
“And you have given one of them a whole treasure for dower, take not the least of it back.” (4:20)
Therefore, modesty did not prevent her from defending the legitimate rights of women. Similarly, modesty did not prevent ‘Umar from apologizing publicly by saying: “O ‘Umar! All the people have a better understanding than you!”
On another occasion, ‘Umar was wearing two garments and delivering a sermon to the Muslims in which he commanded listening and obeying. One of the Muslims defied and remarked, “No listening, and no obedience, because you own two pieces of clothing, while we have only one.” ‘Umar shouted in a loud voice, “O ‘Abduallah bin ‘Umar!” So his son responded to him “Here I am father.” He said, “I beseech you by Allah, is not one of these garments one that you have given me?” He said, “Yes by Allah!” So the Man reciprocated, “Now, we can listen and can obey you, O ‘Umar.”
So look at how modesty did not prevent this man from speaking out, nor form ‘Umar explaining as he did.
The Muslim is modest with every creature, so he does not expose the faults of others, nor neglect their rights, nor deny helping then in good, nor address them with bad speech, nor answer them with evil.
He is modest with the creator, he does not neglect obeying Him, nor is he negligent in showing his gratitude for His favours, since he knows that He alone has control and complete knowledge over him.
Similarly Ibn Mas’ud said, “Show modesty before Allah as is His due. Preserve the head and what it contains, and the stomach and what it contains. And remember death and the trials.” Allah’s Messenger sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam said:
فالله أحق أن يستحيى منه من الناس
“Allah is more deserving of being shown modesty than others.” (Related by al-Bukhari)
Taken from: Minhaj ul-Muslim, By sheikh Abu Bakr Jaabir al-Jazaa’iry.
need to read more .. can some body else throw some light please ?
