Islamic Aadab Customs and Modesty

Praise be to Allah, the Almighty, the One who is not described with the attributes of the creations. Allah revealed to his Prophet, peace be upon him, in the Qur’an – the Ayah:

” لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَىْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ”

which means: [There is absolutely nothing like Allah]. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad peace be upon him is his Messenger.

Dear brothers, our Khutbah today is about Islamic customs (^adat) and modesty (haya’) which are very critical aspects when raising your kids. Your kids are in your trust. Ensure that you raise them on matters that are beneficial to them in this life and in the Hereafter. Ensure that you teach them to avoid immoral practices and manners. Allah says in the Qur’an:

” يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا”.

which means: [Oh Believers protect yourselves and your families from Hellfire]

The safe path that protects a person and his family from Hellfire is the path of learning and applying the Islamic knowledge, i.e. learning and applying what Allah made obligatory upon us and avoiding what Allah ordered us to avoid. Many fathers have ignored the duty of teaching their kids the essentials of belief to the point where the kids grow up with a corrupt creed, such as believing that Allah sits on the Throne, or that He is a light that shines, may Allah grant us protection against such beliefs. Such are the beliefs that, if children acquire while growing up and die past puberty believing in, will lead them to an everlasting torture in Hellfire.

For these reasons dear brothers, I wanted to emphasize in my Khutbah today the importance of reminding oneself of the Islamic customs such as the gatherings for Islamic knowledge, and of the manners of the Prophet peace be upon him such as modesty for both males and females along with the avoidance of misguided practices of immorality and indecency.

My dear brothers, keep your tongue busy talking to others about the customs of our righteous forefathers and those of the companions of our dear Prophet, and their exemplary practices and conducts. Modesty is the path that leads the person to avoid evildoing and sin and to avoid the example of those whom practices and deeds have led them astray.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, as mentioned in a Hadith narrated by Abu Sa^id Al-Khudriy, may Allah have mercy on him, had more haya’ (modest shyness) than a virgin in the privacy of her home. If he saw something he disliked it would show on his face.

Since the customs and manners of the honoured Prophet peace be upon him are the best of customs, follow them in all aspects of your life, be it your words, your deeds or your qualities.

Dear brothers, in the book Riyadus-Salihin, modesty and shyness (al-haya’) as defined by some Muslim scholars is a conduct granted to those who avoid immoral deeds.

Also, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said that the Shaytan takes a special interest in women when they leave the home leading men astray through them. This means that females need to ensure modesty in their dresses and conduct when they leave the home.

Our dear Muslim brothers, abide by Islam and by its customs and conducts and be watchful over your children’s and careful in their upbringing to ensure that they are raised in an environment where the Prophetic practices of modesty, decency and ethics are applied.

In the end, we ask Allah to help us become righteous and to guide us to do what is beneficial for us in this world and in the Hereafter