"And do not even draw near to fornication. Indeed it is an indecent act and the worst of ways." (Bani Iraa-eel, 32)

Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu 'anhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Hayaa (modesty) is a part of faith, And faith leads to Paradise."

Among other verses of the Quraan and Ahaadeeth that highlight the significance of Hayaa in a believer's life:

*"And say to the believing men that they should lower they gazes and safeguard their private parts.....And say to the believing women that they should lower their gazes and safeguard their private parts....And they should reveal their beauty to anyone besides their husbands, their fathers, fathers-in-law, the their sons, their stepsons, their brothers, their nephews, or fellow women....."
(HINT: lowering the gaze is the key to safeguarding one's self from indecency)

*"(And if you men-folk ever need to) ask the women for something then do so from behind a veil, for that is surely more pure for your hearts and theirs."

*(O' Women!) Remain in your homes"

*"When you have lost modesty, then do as you please."

*"Modesty is a branch of Imaan."

*"There is no (true) faith in a person who has no Ghayrah (an Arabic word that refers to an instinct of protectiveness over one's spouse not wanting them to be associated with a non-mahram in any way)."

*"I (the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) am the person with most amount of Ghayrah from all the children of Adam, and Allaah has even more Ghayrah than me."

*Aishah (radhiallaahu 'anha): "I have seen such bashfulness in the blessed eyes of the prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wassallam) that could not even be seen in the eyes of the unmarried young girls of Madeenah."

*A man who refuses a woman who attempts to invite him to herself by saying "I fear Allah" is promised the shade of Allaah's Arsh on the day of Qiyaamah.

From the aforementioned quotes from the Noble Qur'aan and Ahaadeeth al-Mubaarakah it is obvious how important modesty is in Islam. The command to safeguard one's modesty is not there to (Allah forbid) keep us Muslims from going with times and making us seem old-fashioned. But rather it is there for the benefit of each Muslim; In fact for the community at large. Each Muslim should truly believe that restriction that Sharee'ah has placed on us is only because there is harm in it. My Shaykh Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saahib says,

"Always remember there is HARM in HARaaM!"

InshaAllaah I will elaborate farther on this topic in my next post. Meanwhile you could read this inspiring article on http://www.classicalislamgroup.com/viewpage.php?page=183

Wassalaam