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Hayaa is an act of refraining from what Allah has forbidden.

The root meaning of Hayaa refers to "a bad or uneasy feeling accompanied by embarrassment."

The modesty of the heart is a person’s consciousness when it comes to observing what halal (permissible) or haram (forbidden) is.

If we lack modesty, we naturally start taking Allah’s commands lightly, looking for harmful loopholes to rationalize our acts.

This explicitly signifies a lack of Hayaa because our actions then reflect a deprived attitude where we’re not truly concerned about pleasing Allah.

When we further dive into the Arabic language, we learn that Hayaa also implies ‘life’—a powerful interplay of language.

This tells us that if you have no modesty (Hayaa), you truly have no life; our faith (Iman) will wither, and our deeds may destroy us.

Hayaa with Allah is the most essential kind. It begins with the understanding and acceptance that He sees everything the second we do it, knowledge that prevents us from performing questionable acts.

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) even emphasized this by saying that we should be shy from Allah the way shyness is due to Him, as Allah has the greatest right over us.

The second aspect of Hayaa pertains to people—our peers, friends, family, and society in general.

We must extend modesty and respectful behavior towards all. However, this doesn’t mean acting modestly simply to escape people’s judgment.

The balance lies in refraining from deeds that would cause regret or embarrassment in front of people while keeping the primary focus on pleasing Allah.

Lastly, it’s not a common belief, but it is said that the dead can see the actions of the living.

This realization can also encourage us to act accordingly, as our beloved ones who have passed can see our deeds.

To attain the purest form of Hayaa, you must adapt your actions to please Allah, radiate modesty within yourself that extends to everyone around you, maintain a dedicated prayer life, and remind yourself that Allah and our deceased loved ones constantly see our deeds.

Perfecting Hayaa requires us to constantly reflect and change our current ways, but the reward is immeasurable—a life filled with peace and a heart brimming with faith.

May Allah guide us all on this path.