AL-HAYAA' (SHYNESS)

By

Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

Every human being is created with hayaa' (shyness) that should make him feel honoured by his Creator at all time. Allaah says:

(وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا)

"And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference" (Suratul Is rai, Q17:70)

Some people lose their shyness by virtue of the way they were brought up or the careless way they chose to live their lives after mingling with the wrong people in the society. Some people retain their shyness because they value their honours and the dictates of their Lord and the Sunnah of His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم. Before anyone can commit any act of indecency privately or publicly, the first thing that leaves his or her body is hayaa'. Once hayaa' leaves the body, it would be difficult to control the heart and other parts of the body towards things that pleases the Allaah. 

It must be noted that shyness or bashfulness is an integral part of eeman (faith in Allaah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم). This is based on some of the hadiths authentically reported from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. It means anyone who is not ashamed of breaking the rules of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم would have reduction in his faith. 

The reason why our society is swimming in the ocean of indecency, rancour and corruption of different brands is that hayaa' (bashfulness) has left the body of many of us. We chose do things the way we like even when we know that it is likely to affect our reputations. We now copy and imitate the shameless people almost in everything they do without minding what Allaah and His Rosul صلى الله عليه وسلم say. I think we all know where I am driving at. Let us try to protect our hayaa' as much as possible. The issue of hayaa' doesn't affect the sisters alone, it also affect brothers in so many ways. We all need to watch our steps from time to time, so that we do not fall in the group of the dishonoured people.

May Allaah guide us aright.