Bashfulness is one of the sublime characteristics with which women in general, and Muslim women in particular are adorned. How beautiful it is when noble morals are adorned with bashfulness! How beautiful it is when bashfulness dominates all the actions of a chaste girl and noble woman!
When one contemplates the state of women today, he wonders at their abandoning this praised value and essential attribute.
The Arabic word for bashfulness is Hayaa’ and it is derived from Hayaa (life). Rain is also called Hayaa because it gives life to the earth, plants and animals. This worldly life and the Hereafter are also called Hayaa. This means that a person who is not bashful is dead in this worldly life and wretched in the Hereafter.
Bashfulness is a sign of goodness that one enjoys and truthful evidence that indicates one's nature as it reveals how upright and well-mannered the person is.
Bashfulness is a moral that urges a person to do every good thing and abandon every evil. It is one of the sublime morals commanded, approved and encouraged by Islam on many occasions.
It was narrated that the Messenger of Allah, , said: "Bashfulness is a branch of faith." In another Hadeeth, he said: "Bashfulness and faith are inseparable; when one of them is missed, the other will be missed as well." [Al-Haakim]
The reason why bashfulness is a part of faith is that both [bashfulness and faith] call to goodness and bring people closer to it, and both warn against evil and take people away from it. Faith urges the believer to perform acts of obedience and avoid acts of disobedience and evil deeds. Likewise, bashfulness prevents one from neglecting the right of his Lord or falling short in thanking Him.
Bashfulness of the believing woman
The believer's bashfulness never leaves him; it is like one's shadow and body heat because it is a part of his belief and faith. It was narrated that the Prophet, , said: "Bashfulness brings only good." In another Hadeeth (narration), it was narrated that he said: "Bashfulness is all goodness."
In the Quran, Allah The Almighty praises the woman who descended from an honorable family, upon whom the signs of chastity and purity were apparent. Mentioning the story of Moosa (Moses), may Allah exalt his mention, Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {Then one of the two women came to him walking with bashfulness.} [Quran 28:25]
In Islam, bashfulness is so exalted that it is used as a foundation for a ruling in the Sharee’ah (Islamic legislation). It was narrated on the authority of the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said, "I asked the Messenger of Allah regarding the girl when her family marries her off. Should her consent be taken? The Messenger of Allah replied: 'Yes. Her consent should be taken.' I said, 'And if she is bashful (to express her consent)?' The Messenger of Allah said: 'Then it is her approval, if she remains silent.'" [Al-Bukhari]