Al-Hayaa’: An indicator of a woman’s level of Imaan

 بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

(Al-Hayaa’: modesty, shyness, bashfulness, decency)

The distinct characteristic with which we are known for is al-Hayaa’. Why is al-Hayaa’ given so much importance? It is because al-Hayaa’ is good and it only brings good, and al-Hayaa’ is not present in a thing except that it beautifies it.

A woman who is shy will not be in the gathering of men, she will not be in crowded places, she will not raise her voice in the presence of men. So, when her feminine characteristics get corroded, and she mingles with the opposite gender, her femininity goes away, or it declines drastically. It does not necessarily mean that her character is bad or that she has lost her dignity, but her femininity is part of her beauty, which goes away when it gets corroded or when she intermingles.

A woman who has Hayaa’ is the one who retains her feminine characteristics, and this is one of the characteristics when man looks for in a woman before marriage.

Bilqees was a Kaafirah (non-Muslim). When she came to Sulaimaan عليه السلام, Allaah تعالى indicated in the Qur’aan that she was a woman who used to conceal herself, and cover her body completely. Allaah تعالى said:

قِيلَ لَهَا ادْخُلِي الصَّرْحَ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً

{It was said to her: "Enter al-Sarh" [(a glass surface with water underneath it)], but when she saw it, she thought it was a pool,}

📚[Surah al-Naml (27): 44]

The glass was so transparent that she thought that she is going to step in a body of water, like a pool, a pond, or a river. So, what did she do?

وَكَشَفَتْ عَن سَاقَيْهَا

{and she (tucked up her clothes) uncovering her shins}

📚[Surah al-Naml (27): 44]

So, Sulaimaan عليه السلام corrected her and said that this is a glass floor over the body of the water, you won’t get wet, so she let down her garments and covered her shins.

قَالَ إِنَّهُ صَرْحٌ مُّمَرَّدٌ مِّن قَوَارِيرَ ۗ قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَانَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

{Sulaimaan said: "Verily, it is al-Sarh [(a glass surface with water underneath it)] paved smooth with slab of glass." She said: "My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, and I submit (in Islaam, together with Sulaimaan, to Allaah, the Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind, Jinn and all that exists)."}

📚[Surah al-Naml (27): 44]

Allaah تعالى also mentioned about the character of one of the two sisters whom Moosaa عليه السلام helped in drawing water from the well:

فَجَاءَتْهُ إِحْدَاهُمَا تَمْشِي عَلَى اسْتِحْيَاءٍ قَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبِي يَدْعُوكَ لِيَجْزِيَكَ أَجْرَ مَا سَقَيْتَ لَنَا

{Then there came to him one of the two women, walking shyly. She said: "Verily, my father calls you that he may reward you for having watered (our flocks) for us."}

📚[Surah al-Qasas (28): 25]

Bilqees covered her shins even though she was a Kaafirah. So, if that was the case of the Kuffaar women, then the Muslim women are more obliged to cover themselves properly. But these days, the clothes are so short that the feet are showing, the body shape is revealed, and the clothes are getting shorter and shorter so that the shins are showing, the knees are showing, and tight clothes which reveal their chests and backside. This is calamity which we are seeing everywhere around the world.

This is why Islaam calls towards this characteristic, i.e., al-Hayaa’ (shyness, bashfulness, modesty). Her Hayaa’ is an indicator of her level of Imaan.

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝Every religion has its distinct characteristic, and the distinct characteristic of Islaam is al-Hayaa’ (modesty, shyness).❞

📚[Sunan Ibn Maajah (4181, 4182) from the Hadeeth of Anas and Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهم and graded as “Hasan” by Shaikh al-Albaanee. See al-Saheehah (940). Also graded as “Hasan” by Shuaib al-Arnaoot]

The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Imaan (Faith) has over seventy branches - or over sixty branches - the uppermost of which is the declaration: “None has the right to be worshiped but Allaah”; and the least of which is the removal of harmful object from the road, and al-Hayaa’ (modesty) is a branch of Imaan.❞

📚[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (9) and Saheeh Muslim (57, 58) from the Hadeeth of Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه]

Once Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ passed by an Ansaaree (man) who was admonishing his brother regarding al-Hayaa’. On that Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ said: ❝Leave him as al-Hayaa’ is a part of Imaan.❞

📚[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (24, 6118) and Saheeh Muslim (59), from the Hadeeth of `Abdullaah Ibn `Umar رضي الله عنهما]

The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝al-Hayaa’ does not bring anything except good.❞

📚[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6117) and Saheeh Muslim (60) from the Hadeeth of `Imraan Ibn Hussain رضي الله عنه]

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝There is never any obscenity (indecency) present in a thing except that it mars (and debases) it, and there is never any al-Hayaa’ (decency) present in a thing except that it adorns it.❞

📚[Sunan al-Tirmidhee (1974) and Sunan Ibn Maajah (4185) from the Hadeeth of Anas رضي الله عنه, and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝Al-Hayaa’ is part of Imaan, and Imaan will be in Paradise. Profanity is from rudeness and rudeness will be in Hell.❞

📚[Sunan al-Tirmidhee (2009) and Sunan Ibn Maajah (1314) from the Hadeeth of Abu Bakrah رضي الله عنه and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

Ibn `Umar رضي الله عنها said: ❝al-Hayaa’ and al-Imaan are together. If one of them is removed, the other is removed as well.❞

📚[al-Adab al-Mufrad (1313) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee. This is a statement of a Companion]