Haya

Letter H · Updated Sep 4, 2026

In plain terms

Haya is modesty: a sense of shame or restraint that discourages indecent, disrespectful, or shameless speech and behavior. Hadith describe it as a branch of faith. It covers dress, speech, and conduct, not dress alone.

Related terms

See the term in context

Is the science of names and numbers real, and are there letters of ill omen and letters of good fortune? If so, how is the appropriate name for a newborn calculated, and is the name "Haya" suitable despite its absence from dictionaries?
The assertion that letters are divided into auspicious and inauspicious is without proof, and it stems from magic and sorcery, which are blameworthy in Islamic law. It has been reported from Ibn Abbas that whoever…
What is the validity of the claim that the origin of the word "Yalla" commonly used in Egypt is "Ya Allah"? What is the ruling on someone who writes "Yalla" intending "Haya" (come on/let's go), and is this considered a degradation of the word of majesty (Allah) or does it amount to mockery? What is the ruling on someone who writes the word of majesty without a space between it and punctuation marks, or the conjunction waw (and), or the waw of oath?
The word "yallah" (يلَّله) is said to have a Persian origin meaning "he loosened, he finished, he released." It is also said to have originated from "Ya Allah" (يا الله) and became a verbal noun meaning "let's go" or…
What is the difference between shyness (khaljal) and modesty/dignified shyness (haya'), and how can one get rid of the former and acquire the latter?
Shyness is modesty (Haya'), and its essence is a disposition that motivates one to do good and abandon what is ugly. It brings nothing but good, for modesty and faith are intertwined. Modesty (Haya') has several…

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