حَيَاء
Girl Arabic origin Ḥayāʾ
Virtue“Modesty”, the restraint that keeps from wrong and urges to good
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Faith has some sixty or seventy branches, and modesty is a branch of faith” (al-Bukhari 9; Muslim 35), and: “Modesty brings nothing but good” (al-Bukhari 6117). The Quran describes one of the two daughters of the old man of Madyan coming to Musa “walking with modesty” (ʿala stihyaʾ, 28:25).
Hayaʾ is modesty, the inner restraint that keeps one from what is shameful and urges one to do good. The word belongs to the root ḥ-y-y of life (ḥayat); Ibn al-Qayyim explains that modesty is in proportion to the life of the heart. In Turkey (haya) and South Asia, Haya is understood in this sense. In the Gulf and Jordan, Haya (هيا, with a soft h) is a different name, old in Najd, whose meaning is not established; it is often linked to the interjection hayya, “come on!”.
The name Haya does not appear as such in the Quran, but its root (ح ي ي) occurs 189 times. Examples:
فَجَآءَتْهُ إِحْدَىٰهُمَا تَمْشِى عَلَى ٱسْتِحْيَآءٍ قَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبِى يَدْعُوكَ لِيَجْزِيَكَ أَجْرَ مَا سَقَيْتَ لَنَا فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُۥ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقَصَصَ قَالَ لَا تَخَفْ نَجَوْتَ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٢٥
Then one of the two women came to him walking with shyness. She said, "Indeed, my father invites you that he may reward you for having watered for us." So when he came to him and related to him the story, he said, "Fear not. You have escaped from the wrongdoing people."
All the words of the root ح ي ي in the Quran (189 occurrences)
الإِيمَانُ بِضْعٌ وَسِتُّونَ شُعْبَةً، وَالْحَيَاءُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ "
الإِيمَانُ بِضْعٌ وَسَبْعُونَ شُعْبَةً وَالْحَيَاءُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ "
الْحَيَاءُ لاَ يَأْتِي إِلاَّ بِخَيْرٍ ". فَقَالَ بُشَيْرُ بْنُ كَعْبٍ مَكْتُوبٌ فِي الْحِكْمَةِ إِنَّ مِنَ الْحَيَاءِ وَقَارًا، وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْحَيَاءِ سَكِينَةً. فَقَالَ لَهُ عِمْرَانُ أُحَدِّثُكَ عَنْ رَسُولِ…
No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Haya in particular: the general rules of Islam apply.
Read the rules for choosing a name
This page is an aid to reflection, not a fatwa. For a personal case, ask a person of knowledge.
