“A-úthu billáhi minash shaytánir rajeem. Bismilláhir rahmánir raheem.
Al hamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wanasta’eenahu, wanastagh-firuhu, wanatoobu ilayhi, wana’oothu Billaahi min shuroori an-fusinaa, wamin sayyi aati a’maalinaa. May- Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falan tajidaa lahu waliyan murshida. Wa ash-hadu an Laa ilaaha ill-Alláh, wahdahoo laa shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhoo warasooluh”
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Muslims, I feel great pleasure to talk about a topic which is very dear to me, that is The Importance of Modesty (Haya) In Islam.
Wisdom and the feeling of shame are the most significant differences that separate human beings from the other living creatures.
With these excellent qualities, human beings attain to the advantage of possessing good moral values.
The feeling of shame exists inside every person from the time of birth. And this feeling automatically forces the person to take some measures towards modesty (haya). As a proof of this, we witness that even very primitive peoples cover themselves with the leaves of the trees and other parts of plants.
When the person’s feelings of shame unite with his wisdom and faith (iman), the moral rules and the rules of modesty appear much clearer in the heart. Then, with this new clear feeling, the person feels the necessity to cover the parts of his body that should be covered and to obey the rules of modesty by obeying the orders of Allah (swt). In one of his hadiths, Prophet Muhammad (sav) informs us on the importance of modesty, saying:
“ Modesty(haya) is a branch of faith. Every religion has a character and the character of Islam is Modesty.”
Dear Muslims,
Modesty and shame are the common acceptance of all celestial religions (all the religions that were sent down by Allah). However, the universal religion, Islam, is the only religion that explains the highest moral principles to humanity in detail.
From the norms of dressing to the norms of behavior, Islam determines the divine standards that concern life and advises us to obey them. In Qur’an, in surah al-Araf, verse 26 reads:
“children of Adam! We have indeed sent down to you clothing to cover your shame, as well as clothing for beauty. But clothing that guards (against evil), that is the best. These are among the signs of Allah for those who think and take caution.”
And verse 27 reads:
“children of Adam! let not the Shaitan seduce you as he expelled your parents from the garden, pulling off from them both their clothing that he might show them their shame, he and his tribe surely sees you from a position where you cannot see them; surely We have made the Shaitans to be the guardians of those who do not believe.”
Dear Muslims,
The ” clothing that guards against evil “, which was read in verse 26 above, is the clothing of ” Takwa “, and is explained as shame, righteousness, modesty, fearing Allah, obeying the orders of Allah and staying away from all that is prohibited by Allah (swt).
As narrated, Abu Said Al-Khudri (ra) describes the shyness of Rasulullah (sav) as follows:
” Allah’s Messenger was even shier than a virgin behind her curtain. When he saw something that he disliked, we could understand it on his face.”
Dear Muslims,
I have to express with deep sorrow that today humanity is living in the absence of these excellent feelings of modesty and shame. It is a pity that in this way humanity is preparing its own destruction once again. This situation must make healthy-minded people think and take the necessary precautions.
I’d like to finish my khutbe with a hadith of Prophet Muhammed sav. “Modesty is a part of the teachings of the previous prophets, and anyone who lacks it may do whatever he likes.”
Ammaa ba’ad:
Innalláha wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi wasalli mú tas leema. Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, wa alaa áli Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen, innaka hameedun majeed.”