Modesty is of two types. Internal and external. This article quotes a beautiful Hadith regarding internal modesty, which is being modest before Allah. Also lessons learnt from this hadith are mentioned after the hadith, to enable us to bring it into practice. 

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Importance of Modesty before Allah

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ اسْتَحْيُوا مِنَ اللَّهِ حَقَّ الْحَيَاءِ ‏”‏‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا لَنَسْتَحْيِي وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ لَيْسَ ذَاكَ وَلَكِنَّ الاِسْتِحْيَاءَ مِنَ اللَّهِ حَقَّ الْحَيَاءِ أَنْ تَحْفَظَ الرَّأْسَ وَمَا وَعَى وَتَحْفَظَ الْبَطْنَ وَمَا حَوَى وَتَتَذَكَّرَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْبِلَى وَمَنْ أَرَادَ الآخِرَةَ تَرَكَ زِينَةَ الدُّنْيَا فَمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فَقَدِ اسْتَحْيَا مِنَ اللَّهِ حَقَّ الْحَيَاءِ.‏

‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him) said:

“Be Modest before Allah as is His due.” We said: “O Prophet of Allah! We are modest’, and all praise is due to Allah.” He said: “Not that, having modesty before Allah which He is due is to protect the head and what it contains and to protect the insides and what it includes. Furthermore, you should remember death and decay, for one whose eyes are set on the Hereafter, keeps away from worldliness. One who accomplishes all of this is indeed modest before Allah, which Allah is due’’. 

[Tirmidhi: 2458, Chapter: On the description of the Day of Judgement, Ar-Riqaq, and Al-Wara’]

Lessons learned:

• Protecting all the senses and limbs from that which causes censure of Allah, which includes even the thoughts, tongue, stomach and eyes.
• Importance of Internal and External modesty.
• Importance of diverting our attention to the hereafter.
• A claim is not sufficient by itself; but one must align his body and soul to the obedience of Allah, in all circumstances. 

Another similar narration: 

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “‏ الْحَيَاءُ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ وَالإِيمَانُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَالْبَذَاءُ مِنَ الْجَفَاءِ وَالْجَفَاءُ فِي النَّارِ‏”.‏

“Modesty is from faith, and the faithful will be in Paradise. Obscenity is an evil, and evildoers will be in Hell”.

[Tirmidhi: 2009, chapter: Chapters on Righteousness And Maintaining Good Relations With Relatives]