(a) Excellence of Modesty.
Modesty is the mean between two extremes--cowardliness and pride. This is the best virtue for conduct of a man's life in troubles of journey to eternal goal. Modesty is a virtue found only in the Prophets, great men and other religious personalities. The rule stands that however a man lowers himself by the Creator and the created. A great man is not he who calls himself great. A great man is he who is born of high percentage and carries great social position, but true greatness consists in piety and virtues. The Holy Quraan says: AS FOR THE FUTURE ABODE, WE GIVE IT TO THOSE WHO HAVE GOT NO DESIRE TO BE BOASTFUL IN THE EARTH, NOR TO MAKE MISCHIEF (28: 83). And the servants of the Beneficent Allah are they who walk on earth humbly, and when the ignorant address them, they say-peace (25: 63). The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: The wise man is he who lowers himself and acts for what is after death--4:106. Be modest to Allah with due modesty--4:102. Every meek and modest man shall enter Paradise--4:227.
(b) How to acquire the virtue of modesty. How can a man be not modest if he takes into consideration the following things?
(1) He has been created of a most admirable thing which he now forgets. He was most helpless in infancy depending on his parents and guardians for his up-bringing and livelihood. Then he becomes a youthful an full of pride. After some years he gets old and becomes weak and helpless as in infant sage and ultimately succumbs to nature i.e. death. How helpless is he in all his affairs. This seems to be just like picture-makings in bio scope shows. How helpless are the pictures in the hands of the performer! They go away suddenly and come suddenly to the public view. How can we then take pride and be not modest? How can a man become proud and not modest regarding his beauty when he sees that he has got within him nothing but filth, stool and urine? Even food which is so loved by men becomes after a few hours companionship with men despised things from which men flee away. These thoughts cannot but make a man modest in his pride of beauty.
(2) How can a man be not modest in his pride of strength and power if he thinks that he cannot with all his strength create a fly, or grow a seed, or a hair on his palm? These are foods of reflection for those who understand.
Modesty is the mean between two extremes--cowardliness and pride. This is the best virtue for conduct of a man's life in troubles of journey to eternal goal. Modesty is a virtue found only in the Prophets, great men and other religious personalities. The rule stands that however a man lowers himself by the Creator and the created. A great man is not he who calls himself great. A great man is he who is born of high percentage and carries great social position, but true greatness consists in piety and virtues. The Holy Quraan says: AS FOR THE FUTURE ABODE, WE GIVE IT TO THOSE WHO HAVE GOT NO DESIRE TO BE BOASTFUL IN THE EARTH, NOR TO MAKE MISCHIEF (28: 83). And the servants of the Beneficent Allah are they who walk on earth humbly, and when the ignorant address them, they say-peace (25: 63). The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: The wise man is he who lowers himself and acts for what is after death--4:106. Be modest to Allah with due modesty--4:102. Every meek and modest man shall enter Paradise--4:227.
(b) How to acquire the virtue of modesty. How can a man be not modest if he takes into consideration the following things?
(1) He has been created of a most admirable thing which he now forgets. He was most helpless in infancy depending on his parents and guardians for his up-bringing and livelihood. Then he becomes a youthful an full of pride. After some years he gets old and becomes weak and helpless as in infant sage and ultimately succumbs to nature i.e. death. How helpless is he in all his affairs. This seems to be just like picture-makings in bio scope shows. How helpless are the pictures in the hands of the performer! They go away suddenly and come suddenly to the public view. How can we then take pride and be not modest? How can a man become proud and not modest regarding his beauty when he sees that he has got within him nothing but filth, stool and urine? Even food which is so loved by men becomes after a few hours companionship with men despised things from which men flee away. These thoughts cannot but make a man modest in his pride of beauty.
(2) How can a man be not modest in his pride of strength and power if he thinks that he cannot with all his strength create a fly, or grow a seed, or a hair on his palm? These are foods of reflection for those who understand.
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