Ya Muslimah you should reflect on this woman's stance. She suffered from attacks of epilepsy and during these attacks her body unintentionally became uncovered. Thus, she was careful to be covered even though she was blameless. Allah says: "There is not upon the blind any guilt or upon the lame any guilt or upon the ill any guilt." [48:17]
This is instinctual natural bashfulness and also indicates that faith is something that can fill the heart. Reflect on the meaning of the Hadith in which the Prophet (saws) said: “Bashfulness and faith are inseparable; if one of them is missing, the other will be missing as well.” [Al-Haakim]
Chastity and bashfulness are the noblest, the most beautiful and the most sublime characteristics with which a righteous woman beautifies herself. Femininity is a composition of bashfulness and chastity. The Muslim woman is chaste and bashful, and these are her essential characteristics.
It was narrated in another Hadith that bashfulness is part of faith, and faith is the most important thing in the Muslim woman's life. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Faith has over seventy or sixty branches, the best of which is the testimony that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and the humblest of which is the removal of what is harmful from the way; bashfulness is also a branch of faith.” [Muslim]
Why is bashfulness a branch of faith?
Bashfulness is a branch of faith because each branch advocates goodness and turns a person away from evil. Faith urges the believer to do acts of obedience and avoid acts of disobedience. Similarly, bashfulness prevents one from being negligent in thanking the Bestower for his favors or denying the rights of others. Bashfulness also prevents one from doing or saying immoral things to avoid dispraise and blame. Hence, bashfulness is good and brings only goodness. In a Hadith, the Prophet (saws) said: “Bashfulness brings only goodness.” [Bukhari and Muslim] The wording of another narration reads: “Bashfulness is all good.” [Muslim]
It was narrated that once the Messenger of Allah (saws) passed by a man who was admonishing his brother who seemed to have suffered harm due to his (excessive bashfulness), so the Messenger of Allah (saws) said to him: “Leave him for bashfulness is a part of faith.” [Saheeh (Authentic)]
One of the two women came to him walking with bashfulness:
The Quraan refers to the characteristics of chastity and bashfulness in a real-life scenario when it describes one of the two women that Moosa (as) met when he came to the well of Madyan and he watered their flocks for them. Allah says: "Then one of the two women came to him walking with bashfulness." [28:25]
What bashfulness should not prevent one from:
Bashfulness should not prevent the Muslim woman from saying the truth, seeking knowledge, enjoining good or forbidding evil. Here are some examples:
* Bashfulness did not prevent Umm Sulaym Al-Ansariyyah from saying: “O Messenger of Allah, Allah is not bashful of the truth. If a woman has a wet dream, is it essential for her to make Ghusl (ritual bathing)?” To which he replied: “Yes, if she sees a discharge.” [Al-Bukhari]
* Once ‘Umar delivered a Khutbah and objected to giving expensive dowries. Thereupon, a woman said, “What Allah gave us, will you prevent us from, O ‘Umar? Did not Allah not say: "But if you want to replace one wife with another and you have given one of them a great amount (in gifts), do not take (back) from it anything. Would you take it in injustice and manifest sin?" [4:20]” Bashfulness did not prevent this woman from defending the rights of women. Likewise, bashfulness did not prevent ‘Umar from apologizing and saying, “Everyone is more knowledgeable than ‘Umar. The woman is right and ‘Umar is mistaken.”
Advice:
The Muslim woman's role model in bashfulness is the Messenger of Allah (saws). Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri narrated that he said: “The Prophet (saws) was more bashful than a virgin in her room. If he saw a thing which he disliked, we would recognize that (feeling) in his face.” [Bukhari]
To sum up:
When a wise person hears the word “woman”, he immediately thinks of the fine morals of bashfulness and chastity. The Muslim woman indeed enjoys bashfulness and chastity. The scholars of Shari‘ah define bashfulness as a moral characteristic which urges avoiding evil matters and preventing negligence of the others rights. Bashfulness is also defined as forbidding the self from doing evil things (what displeases Allah). Abu Al-Qaasim Al-Junayd said: “Bashfulness is the recognition of favors as well as of negligence and this creates a moderate position which is bashfulness.” In a Hadith, the Prophet (saws) said: “Allah is indeed Haleem (which implies tolerance and forbearance), Hayyiy (which implies bashfulness) and Sitteer (which implies concealing sins). He loves bashfulness and concealment.” [An-Nasaa’i]
This means that when there is bashfulness, there is covering and chastity. On the contrary, when one is not bashful of doing evil things, this leads to uncovering and scandal.
Just as the Muslim woman feels bashful of people, she also feels bashful of Allah and therefore she shows neither negligence in obeying Him, nor in thanking Him for His countless favors. It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ood that the Messenger of Allah (saws) once said to his companions: “Be truly bashful of Allah. The one who is truly bashful of Allah should preserve his head as well as what it contains (his hearing his sight and his words) and his abdomen and what it includes (i.e., should eat and drink only what is unlawful) and should constantly remember death and perishing.”
In another Hadith, the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Allah is worthier that one is bashful of Him more than of the people.” [Abu Dawood and At-Tirmithi]
Bashfulness is a branch of faith because each branch advocates goodness and turns a person away from evil. Faith urges the believer to do acts of obedience and avoid acts of disobedience. Similarly, bashfulness prevents one from being negligent in thanking the Bestower for his favors or denying the rights of others. Bashfulness also prevents one from doing or saying immoral things to avoid dispraise and blame. Hence, bashfulness is good and brings only goodness. In a Hadith, the Prophet (saws) said: “Bashfulness brings only goodness.” [Bukhari and Muslim] The wording of another narration reads: “Bashfulness is all good.” [Muslim]
It was narrated that once the Messenger of Allah (saws) passed by a man who was admonishing his brother who seemed to have suffered harm due to his (excessive bashfulness), so the Messenger of Allah (saws) said to him: “Leave him for bashfulness is a part of faith.” [Saheeh (Authentic)]
One of the two women came to him walking with bashfulness:
The Quraan refers to the characteristics of chastity and bashfulness in a real-life scenario when it describes one of the two women that Moosa (as) met when he came to the well of Madyan and he watered their flocks for them. Allah says: "Then one of the two women came to him walking with bashfulness." [28:25]
Commenting on the Ayah, Sayyid Qutb said in Fee Thilaal Al-Quaran:
The
invitation was delivered by “one of the two” who came “walking with
bashfulness,” as a chaste, virtuous and pure woman should walk,
displaying no adornment and attempting no temptation. She delivered the
invitation in the briefest and clearest manner that the Quraan expressed
as: “Indeed, my father invites you that he may reward you for having
given water to our sheep for us.” With bashfulness, she spoke clearly
and precisely, without hesitation, and delivered her message in full.
This is, again, a reflection of a pure and sound nature which the young
woman displays as she feels bashful when meeting men and talking to
them. Yet, her bashfulness does not overcome her, because she is
confident of her chastity and uprightness. Rather, she talks clearly and
as much as is required.What bashfulness should not prevent one from:
Bashfulness should not prevent the Muslim woman from saying the truth, seeking knowledge, enjoining good or forbidding evil. Here are some examples:
* Bashfulness did not prevent Umm Sulaym Al-Ansariyyah from saying: “O Messenger of Allah, Allah is not bashful of the truth. If a woman has a wet dream, is it essential for her to make Ghusl (ritual bathing)?” To which he replied: “Yes, if she sees a discharge.” [Al-Bukhari]
* Once ‘Umar delivered a Khutbah and objected to giving expensive dowries. Thereupon, a woman said, “What Allah gave us, will you prevent us from, O ‘Umar? Did not Allah not say: "But if you want to replace one wife with another and you have given one of them a great amount (in gifts), do not take (back) from it anything. Would you take it in injustice and manifest sin?" [4:20]” Bashfulness did not prevent this woman from defending the rights of women. Likewise, bashfulness did not prevent ‘Umar from apologizing and saying, “Everyone is more knowledgeable than ‘Umar. The woman is right and ‘Umar is mistaken.”
Advice:
The Muslim woman's role model in bashfulness is the Messenger of Allah (saws). Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri narrated that he said: “The Prophet (saws) was more bashful than a virgin in her room. If he saw a thing which he disliked, we would recognize that (feeling) in his face.” [Bukhari]
To sum up:
When a wise person hears the word “woman”, he immediately thinks of the fine morals of bashfulness and chastity. The Muslim woman indeed enjoys bashfulness and chastity. The scholars of Shari‘ah define bashfulness as a moral characteristic which urges avoiding evil matters and preventing negligence of the others rights. Bashfulness is also defined as forbidding the self from doing evil things (what displeases Allah). Abu Al-Qaasim Al-Junayd said: “Bashfulness is the recognition of favors as well as of negligence and this creates a moderate position which is bashfulness.” In a Hadith, the Prophet (saws) said: “Allah is indeed Haleem (which implies tolerance and forbearance), Hayyiy (which implies bashfulness) and Sitteer (which implies concealing sins). He loves bashfulness and concealment.” [An-Nasaa’i]
This means that when there is bashfulness, there is covering and chastity. On the contrary, when one is not bashful of doing evil things, this leads to uncovering and scandal.
Just as the Muslim woman feels bashful of people, she also feels bashful of Allah and therefore she shows neither negligence in obeying Him, nor in thanking Him for His countless favors. It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ood that the Messenger of Allah (saws) once said to his companions: “Be truly bashful of Allah. The one who is truly bashful of Allah should preserve his head as well as what it contains (his hearing his sight and his words) and his abdomen and what it includes (i.e., should eat and drink only what is unlawful) and should constantly remember death and perishing.”
In another Hadith, the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Allah is worthier that one is bashful of Him more than of the people.” [Abu Dawood and At-Tirmithi]
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