The Prophet (S) said, “Every Deen has an innate character. The character of Islam is modesty (haya).” (Abu Dawood). From this beautiful saying of the Prophet (S), we are informed that modesty is a character that incorporates several parts of our religion. In fact it is a part of the core of our faith, as the Prophet (S) said in another Hadith, “Faith consists of more than sixty branches. And modesty is a part of faith.” (Bukhari). It encompasses our daily good actions, our interactions with others, and of course the way we carry ourselves and dress.
Some of us take a few minutes to get ready in the morning, while others may literally take hours. No matter what category we find ourselves in, there are always reasons behind the choices we make in terms of what to wear for the day. Perhaps one shirt highlights muscle definition, while a dress may expose some beauty. However, we must ask ourselves who are we living this life for? Is it a means of impressing a few people, or is it a means of coming closer to the one who created us? When the Prophet (S) relates modesty with faith itself, it is because true faith in Allah (SWT) guards us against any form of immodesty. We see this beautifully illustrated in the admonition of the Prophet (S) when he stated, “If you do not feel any shame, then do what you wish.”
When creating our wardrobe or even choosing what we wear for the day, it is necessary that we avoid any feelings of ostentation or showing-off. It is the same feeling that led Shaytaan to his downfall, and the same emotion that the Prophet (S) warned us against several times. This does not mean it is forbidden to dress nicely. Several of the Sahabah and great scholars of our past were known to wear extremely expensive clothing. Their intentions were to represent Islam in the best manner possible. So next time you end up purchasing that Armani shirt, just make sure you check your intention!
It is becoming harder and harder to maintain our identities in a society that strays so far away from the principles of basic modesty. Even when we look at the cultural history in the past few centuries, we see very obvious changes around us. However, as important as it is to stay humble and avoid arrogance, it is equally as important to feel proud to be a representative of the religion of Allah (SWT). Thus, the guidelines of clothing outlined by our religion should be the basis of our perspective on cultural modesty. This encompasses wearing loose fitting clothes that cover the areas that must be covered as deemed by our religion. The Prophet (S) mentioned that closer to the Day of Judgment, there will be women dressed but still naked. Many scholars interpret this to refer to extremely tight fitting clothing, so this is also something we should try to avoid.
Even during the time of the Prophet (S), several companions were at a much higher level of modesty than others. Uthman (R) was known for being extremely shy and modest, and the Prophet (S) complimented him specifically for that. Therefore, it is important that we neither correct people too harshly nor do we scorn those who try their best to reach the extremes of modest. The Prophet (S) said “Modesty can bring nothing but good,” (Bukhari), and thus we should create an environment of acceptance and one that encourages everyone to improve and reach a level of excellence.
Some of us take a few minutes to get ready in the morning, while others may literally take hours. No matter what category we find ourselves in, there are always reasons behind the choices we make in terms of what to wear for the day. Perhaps one shirt highlights muscle definition, while a dress may expose some beauty. However, we must ask ourselves who are we living this life for? Is it a means of impressing a few people, or is it a means of coming closer to the one who created us? When the Prophet (S) relates modesty with faith itself, it is because true faith in Allah (SWT) guards us against any form of immodesty. We see this beautifully illustrated in the admonition of the Prophet (S) when he stated, “If you do not feel any shame, then do what you wish.”
When creating our wardrobe or even choosing what we wear for the day, it is necessary that we avoid any feelings of ostentation or showing-off. It is the same feeling that led Shaytaan to his downfall, and the same emotion that the Prophet (S) warned us against several times. This does not mean it is forbidden to dress nicely. Several of the Sahabah and great scholars of our past were known to wear extremely expensive clothing. Their intentions were to represent Islam in the best manner possible. So next time you end up purchasing that Armani shirt, just make sure you check your intention!
It is becoming harder and harder to maintain our identities in a society that strays so far away from the principles of basic modesty. Even when we look at the cultural history in the past few centuries, we see very obvious changes around us. However, as important as it is to stay humble and avoid arrogance, it is equally as important to feel proud to be a representative of the religion of Allah (SWT). Thus, the guidelines of clothing outlined by our religion should be the basis of our perspective on cultural modesty. This encompasses wearing loose fitting clothes that cover the areas that must be covered as deemed by our religion. The Prophet (S) mentioned that closer to the Day of Judgment, there will be women dressed but still naked. Many scholars interpret this to refer to extremely tight fitting clothing, so this is also something we should try to avoid.
Even during the time of the Prophet (S), several companions were at a much higher level of modesty than others. Uthman (R) was known for being extremely shy and modest, and the Prophet (S) complimented him specifically for that. Therefore, it is important that we neither correct people too harshly nor do we scorn those who try their best to reach the extremes of modest. The Prophet (S) said “Modesty can bring nothing but good,” (Bukhari), and thus we should create an environment of acceptance and one that encourages everyone to improve and reach a level of excellence.