Modesty in Islam

In the beginning, we must understand the meaning of the word “modesty.” Modesty is the manner of behavior that will restrict our souls from doing any evil. It is the manner of disposition that tells other people of our reservations towards doing any form of immoral work. It does not just include the dressing style; it also includes our behavior towards people, the words we use to communicate with people and how we say these words.

This does not only perform the function of discouraging people from thinking of one sexually, but it also breeds an amount of respect for oneself in the eyes of another. Modesty frees the soul from its evil counterpart, vanity. Vanity is a superficial quality, indeed. Vanity makes our existence seem smaller but n this world only. But modesty remembers that this is not all, there is another world for which we are required to make investments for in this world. Contrary to popular belief, Islam does not prescribe modesty for women only while allowing men to turn into hooligans. In reality, Islam prescribes modesty for all believers. Anyone calling themselves Muslims must behave with modesty in attitude, dress and words. Islam discourages extremism in all forms.

Modesty of behavior is to convey the message to other people that you are not to be taken lightly, and neither are you to be corrupted. It is a person’s first safeguard against invitations to acts contrary to the laws of modesty. Modesty of clothes, both for men and women, breeds respects for oneself as well as discourages others from thinking of one in a bad way. This is not to say that dressing modestly will prevent all sorts of evil thoughts sprouting up in other peoples’ minds about you, but it means that if you are dressed modestly, you have done your part in discouraging others. And the blame of any impure thoughts falls on the thinker only as does the burden of punishment.

Modesty also keeps us away from the sins of pride and arrogance. It makes us more human and discourages discrimination. Being flamboyant in one’s demeanor only increases the sense of discrimination of one from others. Flamboyance breeds pride in one and contempt and sense of misfortune in another. We may be more fortunate than others, but we have little right to make others feel bad about themselves. One might argue that it is not their responsibility. But in Islam, responsibility is always split halfway. It is the responsibility of the owner not to tempt the person and it is the responsibility of the person not to steal the object.

Thus, it is clear that modesty is not something that is to be treated as a burden. It is a blessing, and we must integrate this blessing into our lives, if we are to derive the maximum benefits from them. Let us love Islam and the way of life that it has laid out for us. Let’s us give the da’waa for our religion to other people through our modest behaviors.

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