OCTOBER 26

Modesty

Modesty, the greatest adornment of humanity, is fundamental to the building of a good and just society, for all other human qualities stem therefrom. That is why modesty has had so much emphasis laid upon it in all Islamic teachings. In chapter 31 of the Quran we are addressed by God in these words: “Do not turn away from men with scorn, or walk proudly on the earth. Allah does not love the arrogant and the vainglorious. Rather let your gait be modest and your voice low: the harshest of voices is the braying of the ass” (31:18-19). The man who is deficient in the virtue of modesty may appear to be a human being, but in reality he falls very far short of being so.

Vanity ill becomes human beings, for the beauty of man lies not in haughtiness but in modesty. What best befits mankind is humility. Man’s perfection does not lie in the loud voice of arrogance but in humble gentleness of speech. The modest man is true to his nature: the arrogant man deviates from it. But it takes a sense of realism to appreciate this, and the man devoid of modesty is likewise devoid of realism.

A lack of modesty frequently leads to high-handedness, an attitude which betrays a frivolous disregard of the social obligation to respect the rights and feelings of others. That is why Islam spares no effort in inculcating a serious attitude to social dues. When one becomes a Muslim, one perforce acquires the seriousness of the modest person. According to a hadith, the Prophet once observed that God had sent the revelation that “you (people) should adopt the attitude of modesty. No one should deal high-handedly with others, and no one should be so presumptuous as to display superiority over others” (Sunan, Abu Dawud).

According to Islam, greatness belongs to God alone, and all human beings are equally servants of God. When this concept —the acceptance of God as the greatest of all beings—is firmly implanted in people’s hearts, modesty becomes the natural condition.