How Modesty and Shame Used to be Inculcated in Young Girls

From childhood, young girls [in former and better times] were placed on the path of modesty and shame. The effect of their Ta’leem and Tarbiyat was that they would not be influenced by anyone else.

A place at home was selected for them where they were protected from all bad things, and they couldn’t be exposed to others. Even other women couldn’t go there easily.

When the mother or [elder] sister would go there, they would sit with them for a while, teach them some work, and tell them the ups and downs [of life].

They would motivate them to do good things and inculcate in them a dislike for bad things. They would tell them the consequences of every bad act to instil fear in them [for those evil acts], so that even after marriage they wouldn’t change.

Modesty and shame would be presented as a jewel before them, and so much fear of immodesty would be inculcated in them that it would make them tremble.

They would be taught to veil themselves from everyone and when to veil.

The effect of these talks was that they would not be informal with even their uncles. Not even a small boy could enter the house.

They would be very cautious with their male cousins and observe purdah from them. It was considered unpleasant for their male cousins to sit in the house, and they wouldn’t even consider a need [for the male cousins to be there] as necessary.

Except for the father, their own brothers and uncles, their handwriting wasn’t shown to anyone else.

The most difficult matters of modesty and shame were ironed out well and with great ease so that they wouldn’t have any difficulty in the future.

(Husn-e-Mu’aasharat)