Hayaa: Modesty, Shyness and Honour Together

1. How does hayaa play a role in everyday life?

Hayaa is modesty, shyness, self-respect, shame, bashfulness – all these aspects of hayaa are directly connected with our day to day activities. Hayaa keeps a Muslim from behaving in a bad, evil or shameful manner.

2. Name some of the virtues of hayaa.

* Allah loves those who have hayaa in them

* Hayaa is one of the great virtues of Islam. It is the ethic of Islam.

* Hayaa only brings good and nothing else.

* Hayaa leads to Jannah.

3. How can hayaa be acquired?

Hayaa can be acquired by:

* Making one’s imaan stronger

* Recognising bad actions as evil acts,

* Being fearful of Allah to fall in these bad actions

* Feeling ashamed of the community

4. Give an example of each level of hayaa.

Spiritual Hayaa: Modesty before Allah – To feel ashamed to do anything that displeases Him.

Social Hayaa: Modesty before people – To avoid immoral or disrespectful behaviours like obscenity and bad behaviour.

Personal Hayaa: Modesty with oneself – To avoid all shameful acts, especially when no one is around, like undressing oneself

5. Give some examples of how hayaa can be misused.

* Being silent or passive in the presence of falsehood or injustice

* Not discouraging evil

* Not encouraging good

* Not doing what is correct and allowed

6. Identify and write a hadeeth on hayaa:

“Among the things that people have found from the words of the previous prophets was: ‘If you feel no shame, then do as you like”.

7. Identify and write the hadeeth on the branches of iman:

 “Iman has seventy branches. The highest is La ilaaha il-lal-laah, and the lowest branch is to remove something harmful from the road. And hayaa is a branch of iman”.

8. Hayaa is something that is not in every person. Write a brief example of someone that you know or have seen that does not show hayaa. (You can write your own answer. One answer is provided here)

Today we come across people who are dressed but still they are naked. People who work in films and advertising industry wearing see-through dresses, indulging in shameful chitchat with people especially opposite gender arouse sexual passions of the public and the viewers.

9. Why do you think some people have no hayaa? Can these people attain Hayaa. If so, how?

Hayaa is a natural urge that keeps people away from shame and indecency. However, due to bad friendship and societal influence, a person’s hayaa is lost. But hayaa can be easily attained as a result of learning about this virtue and observing others practising it. For example: A boy or a girl may refuse to go to the beach with swimsuits or wear revealing clothes, although he or she used to do that before.