In Islam, we have five well-known principles everyone knows about: the testimony of faith, prayer, fasting, zakah, and pilgrimage. Keep in mind, this is merely the bare minimum of our religion. Yet unfortunately, this minimum is now excessively glorified and blown out of proportion. I'm not saying we shouldn't encourage or reward people who fulfill the five pillars, but we certainly shouldn't act as if fulfilling them is the pinnacle of religious devotion or the end goal of our spiritual journey. Islam is a mountain; the base of this mountain encompasses the five pillars, and the peak is the cultivation of true faith, character, and closeness to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎) through sincerity, knowledge, and righteous action. So, why are we over-celebrating people at the base? They haven’t even started climbing yet.

That introduction is necessary because it brings us to the next point. People who overpraise the minimum begin to undermine other important responsibilities, like this article's topic: modesty. In reality, neglecting modesty not only opens the door to many sins but can also become your direct pathway to hell. Yes, neglecting something like proper hijab isn’t trivial—it can be the very reason a person is denied paradise and faces severe punishment in the Hereafter. More on this later in the article. There's a reason the Prophet (صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) stated:

"Modesty is part of Iman (faith)." - [Sahih Muslim 36a]

Ask yourself why you pray or fast. The ideal answer would be because you seek to obey Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎) and because you fear Him. Think about it this way: if you don’t practice modesty, it may indicate that you don’t really feel the fear or respect for Allah as much as you should. Because of that, the reason you pray or fast might not stem from sincere devotion to Allah; instead it could be from social pressure or mere routine rather than genuine faith. Remember, your deeds are judged based on the intentions that precede them; if they're not for the sake of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎), they may all go in vain:

"The (reward of) deeds, depend upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for the sake of Allah and His Apostle, then his emigration will be considered to be for Allah and His Apostle, and whoever emigrated for the sake of worldly gain or for a woman to marry, then his emigration will be considered to be for what he emigrated for." - [Sahih Bukhari 6689]

Unfortunately, for both Muslim men and women, modesty is one of the most misunderstood concepts in our religion. From what I’ve seen, most people think it’s just about a woman wearing a scarf. Oh, so let me get this straight: a woman throws on a scarf, adds some makeup, sprays perfume, slips into clanking high heels, rocks western clothing in the form of t-shirts and pants—and boom, she’s modest? Absolutely not. Modesty is much, much, much more than that. 

In reality, modesty is both spiritual and physical humility, shyness, and sincerity before Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎); you're not modest if you don't embrace both aspects fully. Let me give you two examples to solidify this point. First is a woman who doesn’t cover according to the rules of Hijab (loose, thick, unostentatious, fully covered), but she avoids men and immoral activities. Is she modest? By definition, no. She might have the spiritual side, but she’s still openly displaying her beauty, which means she’s missing the physical aspect of modesty. Next, a woman who wears Niqab and skips on adornments like perfume but freely mixes with guys. Is she modest? By definition, no. She might have the physical side, but she's still freemixing, which means she's missing the spiritual aspect of modesty. I think you get the point. Missing either the physical or spiritual foundation of modesty means you’re not truly modest, and remember, not being truly modest means you're sinning.

Of course, this doesn’t mean there’s no value in wearing the Hijab or Niqab if you struggle with sins like freemixing. There are different levels of modesty and immodesty, and the amount of sin varies. Even if you fall short in some areas, you’re still making an effort and definitely doing better than many others.

Another important issue we need to address is who modesty applies to. Is it applicable only to women, only to men, or is it for both? The answer lies in the following verses: 

"˹O Prophet!˺ Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity... And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornments except what normally appears (eyes, hands)..."  - [Surat An-Nur 30-31]

Clearly, modesty is required from both men and women. However, it's evident that whether we like it or not, Islam places more emphasis on women when it comes to this topic. The main reason is that practically, a woman’s entire body is considered ‘Awrah (part of the body that must be covered), while for men, the requirements are less strict—covering the area from the navel to the knees, lowering the gaze, and avoiding freemixing. For women, the guidelines are a little more detailed and complex. Thus, the next time a Karen gets upset that a man is talking about Hijab, she should be shown that even the Qur'an  places more emphasis on women in this regard. 

When physical modesty is lost, it's like you're generating sins just by walking outside. Ever wondered why the Prophet (صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

"I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers were women..."  - [Sahih Bukhari 29]

“The best of your women are loving, fertile, suitable, and comforting, if they fear Allah. The worst of your women unveil their beauty, take pride in their appearance, and they are hypocrites. None of them will enter Paradise except as rarely as you see a red-beaked crow.”  - [As-Sunan Al-Kubrá lil-Bayhaqī 13478]

Remember, whether you are a Muslim man or woman, even if you pray all the obligatory prayers, common sins like immodesty (spiritual and/or physical) can easily land you a free ticket to Hell. Especially in the case of physical immodesty, you're a factory of sin, as you not only share the sin of those who lust over you but also transgress against Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎).

Before talking about what you should be wearing, we need to talk about what should be in your heart. You see, Islam is all about fearing Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎) no matter when and no matter where. Modesty stems from that fear. Ibn 'Umar (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) said:

"Modesty and belief are together. If one of them is removed, the other is removed."  - [Al Adab Al Mufrad]

So ask yourself, how does it befit someone who prays to behave like a disbeliever? How does it befit someone who puts their head on the ground for Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎) to have absolutely no shyness or shame before Allah in everything that isn't prayer? If you free mix, not cover properly, or have a loose tongue, there might be something fundamentally wrong with your prayer, as Allah says:

"Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, ˹genuine˺ prayer should deter ˹one˺ from indecency and wickedness. The remembrance of Allah is ˹an˺ even greater ˹deterrent˺. And Allah ˹fully˺ knows what you ˹all˺ do." - [Surat Al-Ankabut 49]

If you fall for these basic fundamental sins relating to modesty, you need to start worrying about if your prayer is even being fully accepted. 

This is where modesty comes in. How do you ensure you are fulfilling spiritual modesty? Good question. First and foremost, you must be modest before Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) by remembering His blessings, His greatness, and His constant watch over us. How can we sin openly when we know He sees everything? Then comes modesty before the angels who record every word and deed; how shameful would it be to let them witness what we wouldn’t dare show ordinary people? There is also modesty before people; preserving our dignity and not normalizing shamelessness in public, like openly speaking about sins, dressing inappropriately, or making indecent jokes as if they’re acceptable. And finally, modesty before, well, you. This means that you should have enough self-respect not to degrade your own standards and to keep striving for higher. Believe it or not, this is a very condensed paragraph of what spiritual modesty really is, but it should give you the right idea.

In our case, when it comes to interactions with the opposite gender, your spiritual modesty is in control. You can't be casually chatting and joking with a Non-Mahram. Give it up. It's Haram, and there's no way you can wiggle your way out of that. Even speaking about a serious matter in private with a Non-Mahram must be avoided [Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 2165]. And no, using Snapchat or whatever app you decide to use doesn’t make it Halal. You’re not off the hook just because it’s behind a screen. Why else would Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎) order us to lower our gaze [Surat An-Nur 30-31]? And why else would the Prophet (صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) say:

“For one of you to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle is better for him than that he should touch a woman who is not permissible for him.” - [Sahih Al-Jami`, 5045]

Picture this: your neighbor yells, "DON'T EVEN COME NEAR MY LAWN!" And you think it’s okay to knock on his door? Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎) didn’t just forbid the sin; He blocked off the paths to it altogether.

Let me make it very clear: Even if you haven’t fully secured spiritual modesty, YOU MUST still cover up properly. The logic of “Oh, what’s the point of wearing hijab if I still freemix?” is satanic so don’t fall for it. Spiritual and physical modesty go hand in hand, but falling short in one doesn’t mean you should abandon the other. Yes, it’s still a sin, but choosing one form of modesty over none is far more admirable.

Physical modesty is not just about throwing on any scarf or covering part of your hair. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has set clear conditions for modesty to be valid. If even one of these conditions is ignored, the obligation is not fulfilled, which means you are sinful and will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment. This is what makes immodesty so dangerous: even if you think it's a minor sin—though it isn’t—every moment you unlawfully expose your ‘Awrah stacks up on your scale of sins, pushing you closer to Hellfire. That’s why it’s crucial to know exactly what men and women must cover.

A Woman’s Modesty

• She must cover her entire body.

• Her clothing must not attract attention through bright colors or striking patterns.

• It must be thick enough so nothing underneath is visible.

• It must be loose and not outline the shape of the body.

• It must not be perfumed.

• It must not resemble men’s clothing.

• It must not imitate the clothing of disbelieving women, such as wearing a turban with jeans.

• It must not be a garment of fame or trend, such as Hijabs or Abayas branded with designer logos like LV or Gucci.

A Man’s Modesty

• He must cover from the navel to the knees at minimum, ensuring that they're not revealed when he bows or prostrates.

• His clothing must be loose and not outline the shape of the body.

• It must be thick enough so nothing underneath is visible.

• It must not resemble women’s clothing.

• It must not imitate the clothing of disbelievers.

• It must not be a garment of fame or arrogance, such as flashy clothing branded with designer logos or worn to show off wealth and status.

A special message to Muslims living in Muslim-majority countries: what excuse do you have to not practice modesty, exactly? If you don't have a special case like abusive parents, your feelings and 'personal journey' are nothing but Satanic excuses that keep delaying you until there's nothing left but regret, and not time left to fix it. We have noble brothers and sisters in oppressive nations still adhering to proper modesty, despite their local laws giving them trouble for it. So, again, what's your excuse?

How Do You Think Non-Muslims Judge Islam? Is it based on what the Qur’an says? What the Hadith says? Most of the time, no. Whether you like it or not, as long as you call yourself a Muslim, you are someone’s ambassador to Islam. Non-Muslims, and even some Muslims, will judge Islam based on how you act. If you are out there freemixing, not dressing in accordance to Islam, joking about Haram, or acting like a disbeliever, people will assume that Muslims are just like everyone else... and we are NOT like everyone else.

This is a huge problem because now, not only are you sinning, but you are also making the religion look bad. You are misrepresenting something sacred. You are doing the opposite of what the Prophet (صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) did, which was to show the world the beauty of Islam through his words, actions, and character.

If you claim to be Muslim but your behavior tells a different story, you are giving people the wrong idea about Islam. You could be pushing someone away from the truth without even realizing it. This is not just a personal matter anymore. It affects how people see Islam itself.

So ask yourself: am I helping people understand Islam, or am I confusing them? The way you carry yourself, your modesty, your speech, and your actions may be the only Islam someone will ever get to know about.

O Allah do not punish us because of our shortcomings and for what the foolish amongst us have committed. O Allah we ask You through all Your glorious Names to accept our fasts, recitations, remembrances, and night prayers. O Allah we ask You to aid us in maintaining our good habits and abandoning our bad ones. O King of kings, Master of masters do not forsake our brothers and sisters who are oppressed in Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, and in all places. O Allah grant them true reliance upon You, and good thoughts about You. O Allah, the revealer of the Book, and the swift in reckoning, and the mover of the clouds, and the defeater of the clans; defeat the enemies of Islam, and shake them, and grant us victory over them.

اللّـهُمَّ آميـــــــــــــــــــن اللّـهُمَّ آميـــــــــــــــــــن اللّـهُمَّ آميـــــــــــــــــــن