A short talk about Muslim women and modesty.

1. A short talk about Muslim
women and modesty.
MODESTY:
A PART OF IMAN

2. What Is Modesty (Haya)?
In Arabic, modesty is known as “Haya”.
Haya is a part of faith according to the Prophet
Muhammad (SAW).
We can translate this into many words:
• Shyness
• Self-Respect
• Honor
• Dignity
• Being Mindful of our ‘Awrah
(intimate areas and parts)

3. Forms of Haya
• Many people think that Haya is only for what we
wear, although this is incorrect.
• It is not only about covering our bodies, but to also
have a modest character.
• We have to be modest when we speak, when we
walk, when we sit, when we stand, when we dress,
etc.
• We are permitted to do anything (work, school, play)
as long as it adheres to the guidelines of Hijab/Haya
• When it comes to Modesty, if we get the inside right,
the outside should automatically follow.

4. Why is Haya so important?
Haya is firstly important, because Allah loves it and commands it. It
only brings good and nothing else! Let’s take a look at this image:
We stay protected, safe and far from any dangers when we have
Haya in Character and Dress.

5. How can we have Haya?
To acquire Haya we can:
• Make our Iman stronger, connect with the Quran and Authentic
Sunnah
• Be fearful of Allah, seek His pleasure and avoid falling into bad
actions
• Recognize bad actions as evil acts that lead to Allah’s displeasure
• Reading about our Mothers [Wives of the Prophet Muhammad
(SAW)] and how they carried themselves with Grace and Dignity,
we should replicate their example in all we do
• Stay around other woman with good manners and Haya (keep good
company/friends)
• Be strong and independent individuals who know Allah and always
put Him before everything else in our lives

6. Haya in Speech and Behavior
Ways that a Muslim Woman should speak and behave:
• THINK before we speak
• Be concise
• Use wisdom
• Talk less and listen more
• Don’t gossip or slander
• Do not make stupid or mean jokes
• Do not laugh loudly
• Do not speak too loud
• Lower our gaze and use a strong/confident tone when speaking to Men
(Quran 33:32)
• Be Truthful and trustworthy
• Have confidence and stand on our words
• Use logic and Intellect
• Learn how the Prophets (AS) and the Mothers of the Believers (RA) used to
speak and behave through the Quran and the Authentic Sunnah

7. Haya in Hijab
If we wear our hijab in a way to attract others then we need to
rethink our hijab. Hijab is supposed to cover our beauty and all
that Allah gave us. If our intention is to attract others like this
then we need gain proper knowledge and correct this behavior.

8. Conditions of Hijab
• There are conditions of Hijab that need to be completed for the
best reward
• There are nine main key factors that we will look at
• These are very important and every woman should apply them to
themselves and their ‘Awrah

9. #1 It should cover all the body (apart from whatever has
been exempted)
The Hijab should cover the head, neck and chest area. The whole
body should be covered except for the hands and the face.
“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of
the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer
garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be
abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.”
(The Noble Quran 33:59)

10. #2 It should not be an adornment in and of itself
• “And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the
display of the former times of ignorance.”
(The Noble Quran 33:33)
• If we look at the woman before Islam, they used to wear clothes to
attract the opposite gender
• They used to wear lots of perfume and jewelry
• With Islam, we are told to cover ourselves, not wear too much makeup
and not to wear so much perfume that a passerby is able smell it
• We are not supposed to wear excessive jewelry and make ourselves
standout in extravagance and splendor (shaping the eyebrows, wearing
nail polish when we must make Wudu, hair and eyelash extensions are
forbidden in Islam)

11. #3 It should be thick and not transparent or
“see-through”
• In this time, commonly, most woman’s clothing in the stores are
see-through, clinging or revealing
• *Remember that our clothing should not contradict our Hijab!*
• Our clothing should be thick, loose and not show the shape of our
bodies in any way
• Even abayas now can be made with see-through or clinging fabrics.
They look to be covering, but when they are put in the light they are
transparent and can cling to curves (just because it says it’s an
abaya, it doesn’t mean it adheres to the standards of proper Hijab)
• The scarf should cover the hair, neck and chest without being too
tight or transparent (as to reveal the hair underneath)
• Note: Tights, Pantyhose, Skinny Jeans are not a part of proper hijab
and cannot be dressed up outwardly in any acceptable way

12. #4 It should be loose, not tight so that it
describes any part of the body
Many times woman wear Hijab, but wear tight clothes
underneath. The clothing should be loose and not reveal any part
of your body. Again…no contradictions.

13. #5 You should not be perfumed with too much
Oud or fragrance for a man to identify the smell
• Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said: “Any woman who puts on perfume then
passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, is an adulteress.”
(At-Tirmidhi)
• Moosa ibn Yassaar said that a woman passed by Abu Hurayrah and her
scent was overpowering. He said, “O female slave of al-Jabbaar, are you
going to the mosque?” She said, “Yes,” He said, “And have you put on
perfume because of that?” She said, “Yes.” He said, “Go back and wash
yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) say: ‘If a woman comes out to the mosque and her
fragrance is overpowering, Allah will not accept any prayer from her
until she goes home and washes herself.’” (Sahih)

14. #6 It should not resemble the clothing of men
• Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) cursed the man who wears women’s
clothes, and the woman who wears men’s clothes.” (Bukhari)
• Woman should not wear men’s clothing or anything that resembles
it
• We should also be careful about behaving or acting masculine as to
imitate men and their natural behavior abandoning the femininity
that Allah has blessed us with
• Men are not the standard we should strive for…we are women and
we should embrace this fact, Allah made us differently and that is
okay
• We should not go with what everyone else is doing and look at
what Allah wants from us, Insha’Allah

15. #7 It should not resemble the dress of kaafir
(non-Muslim) women
• This is very important: It is stated in shari’ah, that Muslims, men and
women, should not imitate or resemble the kufar with regard to worship,
festivals or clothing that is specific to them
• Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon
him, said, “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Abu Dawood)
• Living in a non-Muslim country makes picking clothes even more difficult,
as most stores carry non-Islamic clothing, making it hard to find clothes,
but we should try our best to adhere to the Islamic dress code
• We can always find options when we really want, there are some Islamic
stores and online websites where we can find clothing that does not
resemble that of the non-Muslim women
• We should also understand that it is “okay” to be different and that we
should wear our identity proudly!
• Take comfort in knowing that we are doing what Allah wants us to and
that we are following in the footsteps of the most beloved women to
Allah and the ones we see as our examples and heroines: Our Mothers
and the honored women of the Quran such as Mariam (AS)

16. #8 It should not be a garment of fame and
vanity
• The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “Whoever wears a garment of fame
and vanity in this world, Allah will clothe him in a garment of humiliation
on the Day of Resurrection, then He will cause Fire to flame up around
him.” (Abu Da’wud, Ibn Majaah)
• If we wear certain clothing to impress others, gain reputation or to show
off, we are doing something extremely wrong
• We need to re-think our intentions for everything we do
• We should not give in to the temptations of fashion or brand names, as
these lead to arrogance and imitation of the Kufar
• Many people lose their sense of Haya and end up just following everything
they see on TV and the fashion magazines
• If we keep our intention to please Allah and to cover ourselves, we are on
the right track
“Whoever leaves wearing a garment out of humility (and modesty) for
the sake of Allah, while he is able to do so, on the Day of Qiyamah, Allah
will Call out to him in front of all the creation, and ask him to choose to
wear from any of the clothing of Emaan.” (At-Tirmidhi)

17. #9 Guarding the Gaze and Consumption
• Besides our tongue, character and body, we should be careful to also guard our eyes
and ears
• What we watch and listen to also effects our Haya and our Submission to Allah in all
regards
• The majority of things that are seen as harmless entertainment these days, such as
movies and TV shows project the Haram as very normal and innocent, this is a delusion
• The way the women behave and dress is shown to be very attractive and it can be very
easy to get brainwashed by this
• Much of the Music today is also degrading to women and treats them as objects and
uses rude language towards them
• This hyper sexualization of women through the media effects us even if we pretend
that it doesn’t
• Part of Haya is to guard ourselves against this kind of propaganda and hold tightly to
the Quran and Authentic Sunnah, this is the only way to stay on the right track to have
the best life and the best Hereafter
• We cannot make any compromises when it comes to Allah, our rights and our dignity
• Women who guard their Haya, behave modestly and have confidence in their Faith
will be known for their brains not their bodies, they will respected for their intellect
not their clothing and above all they will be held high in the eyes of Allah even if they
are nothing in the eyes of the people…

18. Mahram: Who we do not need Hijab with
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard
their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which
[necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers
over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their
husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their
husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons,
their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male
attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of
the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make
known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in
repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
(The Noble Quran 24:31)
• Note: It is better to avoid unnecessary outings without your Mahram by
your side. We should be careful that we are never alone with a man as this
does not look good on a woman, as the Prophet (SAW) said:
• “No man is alone with a woman but the Shaytaan is the third one
present.” (At-Tirmidhi)

19. Haya in Our Attitude
• As a Muslimah, you should be careful in your attitude. Here is a checklist you can do
right now mentally:
 Do I feel good about Hijab?
 Am I arrogant?
 Am I disrespectful?
 Do I gossip?
 Am I a good example or a bad example towards others?
 Do I talk about good things or bad things with my friends?
 Do I use foul language?
 Am I rude?
 Am I generous?
 Am I greedy?
 Am I inclusive and understanding?
 Do I watch Haram things?
 Do I imitate the Kufar or immodest fashion?
 Am I truly submissive to Allah?
 Am I willing to change?

20. SO, NOW THAT WE KNOW….

22. INSHA’ALLAH
• Alhamdulillah, when all is said and done, we are the ones who have to
choose for ourselves. Are we going to follow Al Rehman or Shaytaan?
• Insha’Allah, we must live this Modesty and must be happy with it, as it is
from Allah, Who loves us and knows what is best for us.
• Just remember Allah and His words:
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord,
and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His
angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no
distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and
we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final]
destination.”
• (The Noble Quran 2:285)

23. “WE HEAR AND WE OBEY!”
When we need some motivation, we should remember when:
Aish’ah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “By Allah I have never
seen any better than the women of the Ansaar (the women of
Madinah), or any who believed the Book of Allah more strongly or
had more faith in the Revelation. When Soorat al Noor was revealed
– “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies,
necks and bosoms)”, they took their izaars (a kind of garment) and
tore them from the edges to cover themselves with them.”
(Bukhari)

24. We are an Example!
Our success and our dignity lies in following Allah and His Commandments!
As Muslim women, we should be leading the way for all women to achieve
true freedom and respect, especially in this day and age, when women are
told that to feel important or to have any success in this world, they have to
lose their modesty, exploit their beauty or behave just like men (as if we are
somehow inferior being born women).
We can be good examples for other women, but not by following the
mainstream, but by embracing our womanhood as Allah wants!
“You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You
enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.”
(The Noble Quran 3:110)

25. Our Success is in Submission!
Sometimes it can be a struggle, but we have to remember that Allah is our
Creator and Master. We must do all the things that please Him and not
worry about pleasing the whims and fancies of this Dunya.
We are Muslims and we must submit to His will. For our sacrifice and
struggle we will be rewarded not only in the Dunya, but in Al Akhirah as
well, Insha’Allah.
Imagine being with Allah (SWA) and our Beloved Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) in Jannah…
A small forgettable sacrifice, for such a big lasting Reward, Sisters!
JUST IMAGINE and STAY STRONG!
Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greater) than anything the world could ever offer
us!

26. Jazakum’Allahu Khayran!
May Allah guide us, give us a deep
understanding of His commands, keep us
united, and above all: make it easy for us to
follow His path and please Him in all that we
do, Ameen.