As muslims, we must be familiar with the concept of modesty. Modesty or usually called Al Hayah means shyness, which might be considered as the state of mind that makes a person feels bashful when they commit doing something hateful or unpleasant.
Islam as the religion that is very firm to combat immorality and insolence, occupied the teachings with appropriate standard of moral and ethical manners. Therefore, now we are going to find out some benefits of modesty in islam. Here they are:
Every religion has the main core of teachings and in Islam, Modesty is what makes Islam different from another teachings. Therefore, any discussion regarding to modesty must begin with the purest heart as our beloved Prophet once said, “modesty is a part of faith.” In addition, the hadith below also describes the same:
“Every religion has a character and the character of Islam is modesty.” (Muwatta)
and also:
“Every religion has its distinct characteristic, and the distinct characteristic of Islam is modesty.” (Sahih Ibn Majah)
2. Modesty will Bring You More Good Than Harm
As the main core of our faith, modesty is believed to guide us into achieving righteousness. Modesty prevents us from the bad and evil morals. Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah may be upon him) once told:
“Al-Haya (modesty) does not bring anything except good.” (Al-Bukhari 6117)
3. Modesty is The Key to Heaven
The modest ones are the dwellers of heaven. Why do modest people become the real dwellers of heaven? It is because of their modesty that prevents them from being ignorant, cocky, and proud. Allah dislikes people who don’t behave well and stay away from goodness. Read more about Seven Heavens in Islam.
Therefore, the ones who are down-to-earth and kindhearted might deserve Allah’s heaven. Our prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) said:
“Shall I tell you about the inhabitants of Paradise? They are all modest persons. Shall I tell you about the inhabitants of Hell? They are all ignoble, rude and proud ones.” (Bukhari)
4. Modesty Controls Our Anger
Talking about modesty, it is not always about how we dress, pray, and commit deeds, it is also about how we behave well to others. When we are already modest enough, no matter how angry we are, we are still able to control our anger (read more ways to control anger in Islam) because we already understand the way to talk and speech appropriately. The hadith below also told us the same:
“”A strong person is not the person who throws his adversaries to the ground. A strong person is the person who contains himself when he is angry.” (Saheeh al-Bukhari)
5. Modesty Gives Us Happier Life in The Hereafter
Abdullah Ibn Masud narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
“Have Haya (modesty) for Allah as is His due.” We said: “O Prophet of Allah! We have Haya, and all praise is due to Allah.” He said: “Not that, but having the Haya for Allah which He is due is to protect the head and what it contains, and to protect the insides and what it includes, and to remember death and the trial, and whoever intends the Hereafter, he leaves the adornments of the world. So whoever does that, then he has indeed fulfilled Haya, meaning the Haya which Allah is due.” (Sahih Tirmidhi, Albani 2458)
The hadith above told us that by paying attention to the importance of modesty and rejecting the temptation of the world, we can get happier life in the Hereafter. Read more about How to be Happy in Islam
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6. Modesty Helps Us Being Caring
Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) told us that modesty is not always about being shy, it is also about being caring. However, modesty occurs us to have high awareness to care for others who are in needs. Caring others is a part of kindness that is believed to guide us till the end of our life. It is told in the Qur’an:
“And as for those who strive in Our path — We will surely guide them in Our ways. And Indeed, Allah is with those who are of service to others.” (Qur’an 29:70)
see also: benefits of kindness in islam
7. Modesty Helps Us Being Protective
In spite of helping us being caring, modesty also helps us being protective. We know, modesty covers everything we do in our life including how we speak, treat others, and how we get deal with worldly temptation. Some people might be so difficult to get rid of the easiest worldly temptation in their life: foods.
Foods, as the primary needs of us, apparently can make us turn out being so greedy, especially when we are trapped among starvation. By being modest, we can start protect ourselves from being greedy, and in addition, it also helps us maintaining our healthy diet haha!
“That is not it. Modesty before God according to His right to modesty is that you protect your mind in what it learns; your stomach in what it ingests. And remember death and the tribulations attached to it; and whoever wishes for the Hereafter, leaves the adornment of this life. So whoever does all that is truly bashful before God according to His Right to modesty.” (Tirmidhi)
8. Modesty Helps Us Through Our Healthy Diet
In the point 7, it is a little bit told that modesty can help us maintaining our healthy diet. Maybe, some of you may wonder how can it be possible! It is simple actually. Modesty includes every aspect in our life: how we treat others, how we look, how we react, how we create the relation with God, etc. Read more about Dietary Laws in Islam
It also includes how we get deal with worldly temptation like foods. In islam, there is also an etiquette of eating foods as once told by our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah may be upon him).
One part of the etiquette of eating is moderation in eating and not filling the stomach so much. Believe it or not, by not filling the stomach so much, we can maintain our healthy diet because we can control the foods we eat. It is also told in the hadith below:
“A man does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat enough to keep him alive. But if he must do that, then one-third for his food, one-third for his drink and one-third for his air.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2380; Ibn Maajah, 3349; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1939).
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9. Modesty Distinguishes Us From Animal
Another benefits of modesty in Islam is also distinguishing us, as human beings, from animal. Even though human beings and animal are the creatures of Allah, human beings were blessed with intelligence, and animal were not. Animals basically only follow their instinct without feeling shy and bashful. They don’t have the sense to categorize what is right and wrong. Therefore, Islam has the concept of modesty to distinguish human beings, who are more special than the animals.
10. Modesty Prevents Us From Zinah
Islam forbids all form of zinah: fornication, adultery or other illegal sexual activity. We as muslims, regardless we are a woman or man, should become modest by lowering our gaze towards each other. Qur’an once told:
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! God is Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their chests, and not to reveal their adornment.” (Quran 24:30)
And when we are not accustomed in upholding modesty, we are not that much different from evil as Qur’an declared:
“Do not go near fornication and adultery, it is an abomination and an evil way.” (Quran 17:32)
Furthermore, there are also other benefits of modesty in Islam, here they are:
Finally, those are 15 benefits of modesty in Islam that can help us get more goodness in our life. Remember, we must always uphold the concept of modesty in every aspect of our life. May peace be upon us as the believer of Allah!
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