What Type of Modesty Should a Man Possess?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
Modesty is often associated with women, but what kind of modesty should a man possess?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Modesty: A Shared Virtue
Modesty (Haya’) is a virtue that should be present in all Muslims, both men and women. However, the forms and expressions of modesty may vary between men and women due to their differing natures, inclinations, and roles.
The modesty that a believer—male or female—should embody is explained by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in the following hadith:
“Be modest before Allah with true modesty.”
The Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, we are modest, and all praise is for Allah!” He replied:
“That is not (true) modesty. Rather, true modesty before Allah is to guard the head and what it contains, to guard the stomach and what it gathers, and to remember death and disintegration. Whoever desires the Hereafter leaves the adornments of the world. Whoever does that has been modest before Allah with true modesty.” [Ahmad; Tirmidhi]
In another narration from Tabarani, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“Whoever is truly modest should not spend a single night without having their death before their eyes. They should guard their stomach and what it gathers…” [Tabarani, al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat]
Characteristics of Modesty for Men
Thus, the modesty commanded by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) involves:
- Lowering one’s gaze and restraining all senses from what Allah has forbidden.
- Consuming lawful provisions and avoiding the unlawful.
- Guarding one’s private parts and all other limbs from committing sins.
- Constantly remembering death and refraining from attachment to this fleeting world, as it is an abode of transition, not permanence.
A Universal Adornment
Finally, modesty is an adornment for both men and women alike. Whoever Allah blesses with the garment of modesty will be shielded from faults in the eyes of people.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) once overheard a man rebuking his brother for being too modest and said:
“Modesty is part of faith.” [Muslim]
He also said:
“Modesty brings nothing but good.” [Ibid.]
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
