While we were on the beach one day, my wife and I had this discussion with our eldest daughter, Sumayyah.
Mama: Sumayyah, do you feel weird being overly dressed on the beach?
Sumayyah: A little bit. It feels strange to be so covered when others are hardly dressed.
Mama: Do you feel like you need to follow what others are doing?
Sumayyah: Not really. I think it is important that we do things for the right reasons. Not just because we follow others blindly.
Mama: That's an excellent point. Plus, a woman's body should not be displayed for all to see, and some things should remain private, which makes it special. Just like you would choose a lolly in its wrapper over one that is exposed.
Ayah: Modesty is something that our society is slowly losing. And Prophet Muhammad said that modesty is the mark of his nation.
Mama: You need to know that there are more things that a woman can offer apart from her beauty. It will be easier for others to appreciate your intelligence and other strengths when you dress modestly.
Ayah: There is a reason why models who are dressed scantily are placed next to products in advertisements. In some ways, it takes away our attention from the product to the model. Our focus shifts from weighing whether we need the product to wanting to be like the model or be with the model.
Sumayyah: Yeah, I kinda noticed that. Sometimes the person in the advertisement has nothing to do with the product. It didn't make sense — but now I see the logic behind it.
Ayah: We need to understand why we do things and should never be sheep that blindly follow the herd. It is okay to feel strange as long as you hold on to your principles. Prophet Muhammad said, "Islam began as something strange, and it will return to being strange, so blessed are the strangers."
Mama: But being modest doesn't mean being stuck at home. We should be active as long as we adhere to our principles of morality and modesty.