وَ قَالَ: لَقِيَ ع الرَّشِيدَ حِينَ قُدُومِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ عَلَى بَغْلَتِهِ فَاعْتَرَضَ عَلَيْهِ فِي ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ تَطَأْطَأَتْ عَنْ خُيَلَاءِ الْخَيْلِ وَ ارْتَفَعَتْ عَنْ ذِلَّةِ الْعَيْرِ وَ خَيْرُ الْأُمُورِ أَوْسَطُهَا.
And he said,
‘He-asws met Al-Rasheed while being upon his-asws mule at his arrival to Al-Medina, and he objected to him-asws regarding that. He-asws said: ‘Lowering the head from the highness of the horse, and raising from the humiliation of the camel, and best of the affairs is their middle (moderate one)’’.[1]
Allah-azwj Distributes the Bashfulness as He does with the Sustenance:
ب، قرب الإسناد هَارُونُ عَنِ ابْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ ع قَالَ: قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ع إِذَا قَعَدَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي مَنْزِلِهِ فَلْيُرْخِ عَلَيْهِ سِتْرَهُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى قَسَّمَ الْحَيَاءَ كَمَا قَسَّمَ الرِّزْقَ.
(The book) ‘Qurb Al Asnad’ – Haroun, from Ibn Sadaqa,
‘From Al-Sadiq-asws having said: ‘Isa-as Ibn Maryam-as said: ‘Whenever one of you sits in his house, then let him drop the curtains upon him, for Allah-azwj Blessed and Exalted Apportions the modesty just as He-azwj Apportions the sustenance’’.[2]
ضه، روضة الواعظين قِيلَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ص أَوْصِنِي قَالَ اسْتَحْيِ مِنَ اللَّهِ كَمَا تَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ الرَّجُلِ الصَّالِحِ مِنْ قَوْمِكَ.
(The book) ‘Rowzat Al Waizeen’ –
‘It was said to the Prophet-saww, ‘Advise me!’ He-saww said: ‘Be embarrassed from Allah-azwj like what you are embarrassed from the righteous man from your people’’.[3]
ختص، الإختصاص قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص رَحِمَ اللَّهُ عَبْداً اسْتَحْيَا مِنْ رَبِّهِ حَقَّ الْحَيَاءِ فَحَفِظَ الرَّأْسَ وَ مَا حَوَى وَ الْبَطْنَ وَ مَا وَعَى وَ ذَكَرَ الْقَبْرَ وَ الْبِلَى وَ ذَكَرَ أَنَّ لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مَعَاداً.
(The book) ‘Al Ikhtisaas’ –
‘Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘May Allah-azwj have Mercy on a servant who is embarrassed from his Lord-azwj as is the right of embarrassment. Preserve the head and what it retains, and the belly and what it contains, and remember the grave and the decay, and he remembers that there is a return for him in the Hereafter’’.[4]
الدُّرَّةُ الْبَاهِرَةُ، قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع خَفِ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لِقُدْرَتِهِ عَلَيْكَ وَ اسْتَحْيِ مِنْهُ لِقُرْبِهِ مِنْكَ.
(The book) ‘Al Durr Al Bahira’ –
‘Ali Bin Al-Husayn-asws said: ‘Fear Allah-azwj the Exalted for His-azwj Power upon you, and be embarrassed from Him-azwj for His-azwj nearness from you’’.[5]
وَ قَالَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الْعَسْكَرِيُّ ع مَنْ لَمْ يَتَّقِ وُجُوهَ النَّاسِ لَمْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ.
And Abu Muhammad Al-Askari-asws said: ‘One who does not fear faces of the people, will not fear people’’.[6]
نهج، نهج البلاغة قَالَ ع قُرِنَتِ الْهَيْبَةُ بِالْخَيْبَةِ وَ الْحَيَاءُ بِالْحِرْمَانِ وَ الْفُرْصَةُ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ فَانْتَهِزُوا فُرَصَ الْخَيْرِ.
(The book) ‘Nahj Al Balagah’ –
‘He-asws said: ‘The awe has been paired with the disappointment, and the modesty with the (self) deprivation, and the opportunity passes by like the passing cloud, therefore utilise the opportunity for the good’’.[7]
وَ قَالَ ع مَنْ كَسَاهُ الْحَيَاءُ ثَوْبَهُ لَمْ يَرَ النَّاسُ عَيْبَهُ.
And he-asws said: ‘Whoever clothes with modesty as his clothing, the people will not see his faults’’.[8]
Modesty is from Eman (faith) and is good all of it:
ن، عيون أخبار الرضا عليه السلام ابْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْهَاشِمِيُّ عَنْ فُرَاتٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْبُخَارِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الْهَرَوِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ الرِّضَا صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ الْحَيَاءُ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ.
(The book) ‘Uyoun Akhbar Al-Reza-asws’, may the greetings be upon him-asws – Ibn Saeed Al Hashimy, from Furat, from Muhammad Bin Ahmad Al Hamdany, from Al Abbas Bin Abdullah Bukhari, from Muhammad Bin Al Qasim Bin Ibrahim, from Al Harwy who said,
‘Al-Reza-asws, may the Salawaat of Allah-azwj be upon him-asws said: ‘The modesty is from the Eman’’.[9]
مص، مصباح الشريعة قَالَ الصَّادِقُ ع الْحَيَاءُ نُورٌ جَوْهَرُهُ صَدْرُ الْإِيمَانِ وَ تَفْسِيرُهُ التَّذْوِيبُ عِنْدَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ يُنْكِرُهُ التَّوْحِيدُ وَ الْمَعْرِفَةُ
(The book) ‘Misbah Al Sharia’ –
‘Al-Sadiq-asws said: ‘The modesty is a Noor (light) it’s essence becomes the Eman, and it’s interpretation is the dissolution at all things denying the Tawheed and the recognition.
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص الْحَيَاءُ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ فَقِيلَ الْحَيَاءُ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَ الْإِيمَانُ بِالْحَيَاءِ وَ صَاحِبُ الْحَيَاءِ خَيْرٌ كُلُّهُ وَ مَنْ حُرِمَ الْحَيَاءَ فَهُوَ شَرٌّ كُلُّهُ وَ إِنْ تَعَبَّدَ وَ تَوَرَّعَ وَ إِنَّ خُطْوَةً يُتَخَطَّى فِي سَاحَاتِ هَيْبَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِالْحَيَاءِ مِنْهُ إِلَيْهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ سَبْعِينَ سَنَةً وَ الْوَقَاحَةُ صَدْرُ النِّفَاقِ وَ الشِّقَاقِ وَ الْكُفْرِ
The Prophet-saww said: ‘The modesty is from the Eman. The modesty is tied with the Eman and the Eman with the modesty, and the owner of modest is good, all of it, and the one who is deprived of the modesty, so he is evil, all of it, and even if he were to worship, and is devout, and the steps he takes in the prestige of Allah-azwj the Exalted with the modesty from him to Him is better than worship of seventy years, and the insolence is the main trait of the hypocrisy, and the wretchedness, and the Kufr.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِذَا لَمْ تَسْتَحِ فَافْعَلْ مَا شِئْتَ أَيْ إِذَا فَارَقْتَ الْحَيَاءَ فَكُلُّ مَا عَمِلْتَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ وَ شَرٍّ فَأَنْتَ بِهِ مُعَاقَبٌ
Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘When you have no shame, then do whatever you so desire to, i.e. when the modesty is separated, then all what you do, from good and evil, then you are with its Punishment.
وَ قُوَّةُ الْحَيَاءِ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ وَ الْخَوْفِ وَ الْحَيَاءُ مَسْكَنُ الْخَشْيَةِ فَالْحَيَاءُ أَوَّلُهُ الْهَيْبَةُ وَ صَاحِبُ الْحَيَاءِ مُشْتَغِلٌ بِشَأْنِهِ مُعْتَزِلٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ مُزْدَجَرٌ عَمَّا هُمْ فِيهِ وَ لَوْ تُرِكَ صَاحِبُ الْحَيَاءِ مَا جَالَسَ أَحَداً
And the strength of modesty is from the grief and the fear, and the modesty is a dwelling of the fear. So, the modesty, it’s beginning is the aw, and the owner of the modesty is pre-occupied with its concern, isolated from the people, deterred from what they are in, and if the owner of modesty were to be left, he would not sit with anyone.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِعَبْدٍ خَيْراً أَلْهَاهُ عَنْ مَحَاسِنِهِ وَ جَعَلَ مَسَاوِيَهُ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ وَ كَرَّهَهُ مُجَالَسَةَ الْمُعْرِضِينَ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘When Allah-azwj Wants good with a servant, He-azwj Diverts his attention away from his good deed and Makes his evil deed in front of his eyes, and he dislikes gatherings of the ones turned away from the Zikr of Allah-azwj.
وَ الْحَيَاءُ خَمْسَةُ أَنْوَاعٍ حَيَاءُ ذَنْبٍ وَ حَيَاءُ تَقْصِيرٍ وَ حَيَاءُ كَرَامَةٍ وَ حَيَاءُ حُبٍّ وَ حَيَاءُ هَيْبَةٍ وَ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَهْلٌ وَ لِأَهْلِهِ مَرْتَبَةٌ عَلَى حِدَةٍ.
And the modesty is of five types – embarrassment from the sin, and embarrassment of the deficiency, and bashfulness of the honour, and modesty of love, and modesty of awe, and for each one of that, there are people, and for its people there is a rank upon a limit’’.[10]
ما، الأمالي للشيخ الطوسي الْمُفِيدُ عَنِ الْجِعَابِيِّ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ حُبَابٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ بْنِ سَلْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْأَجْلَحِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْحَيِيَّ الْمُتَعَفِّفَ وَ يُبْغِضُ الْبَذِيَّ السَّائِلَ الْمُلْحِفَ.
(The book) ‘Al Amaali’ of the sheykh Al Tusi – Al Mufeed, from Al Jiany, from Al Fazl Bin Hubab, from Abdul Al Wahid Bin Salman, from his father, from Al Ajla’a, from Nafie, from Ibn Umar who said,
‘Allah-azwj Loves the bashful, the chaste, and He-azwj Hates the obscene, the persistent beggar’’.[11]
ما، الأمالي للشيخ الطوسي الْمُفِيدُ عَنِ الْمَرْزُبَانِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ الْحُكَيْمِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ مَعِينٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ عَنْ مُعَمَّرِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص مَا كَانَ الْفُحْشُ فِي شَيْءٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا شَانَهُ وَ لَا كَانَ الْحَيَاءُ فِي شَيْءٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا زَانَهُ.
(The book) ‘Al Amaali’ of the sheykh Al Tusi – Al Mufeed, from Al Marzubani, from Muhammad Bin Ahmad Al Hukeym, from Muhammad Bi Is’haq, from Yahya Bin Maeen from Abdul Razzaq, from Muammar Bin Sabit, from Anas (well known fabricator),
‘The immorality would not be in anything at all except it would disgrace it, and the modesty would not be in anything at all except it would adorn it’’.[12]
مع، معاني الأخبار عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ الْمُذَكِّرُ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ الطَّبَرِيِّ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ زَكَرِيَّا عَنْ خِرَاشٍ مَوْلَى أَنَسٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَوْلَايَ أَنَسٌ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص الْحَيَاءُ خَيْرٌ كُلُّهُ.
(The book) ‘Ma’any Al Akhbar’ – Ali Bin Abdullah Bin Ahmad Al Muzakkir, from Ali Bin Ahmad Al Tabari, from Al-Hassan Bin Ali Bin Zakariy, from Khirash, a slave of Anas who said, ‘My master Anas (well known fabricator) said,
‘Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘The modesty is good, all of it’’.[13]
مع، معاني الأخبار بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص الْحَيَاءُ وَ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قَرَنٍ وَاحِدٍ فَإِذَا سُلِبَ أَحَدُهُمَا اتَّبَعَهُ الْآخَرُ.
(The book) ‘Ma’any Al Akhbar’ – By this chain, said,
‘Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘The modesty and the Eman is in one pairing. When one of these is removed, the one follows it’’.[14]
Allah-azwj’s Wrath starts with removal of Bashfulness:
مع، معاني الأخبار بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَوَّلُ مَا يَنْزِعُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْعَبْدِ الْحَيَاءُ فَيَصِيرُ مَاقِتاً مُمَقَّتاً ثُمَّ يَنْزِعُ مِنْهُ الْأَمَانَةَ ثُمَّ يَنْزِعُ مِنْهُ الرَّحْمَةَ ثُمَّ يَخْلَعُ دِينَ الْإِسْلَامِ عَنْ عُنُقِهِ فَيَصِيرُ شَيْطَاناً لَعِيناً.
(The book) ‘Ma’any Al Akhbar’ – By this chain, said,
‘Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘The first of what Allah-azwj Snatches from the servant is the modesty so he becomes abominable, abhorrent. Then He-azwj Snatches the entrustment from him. Then He-azwj Snatches the mercy from him. Then He-azwj Vacates the religion Islam away from his neck so he becomes an accursed Satan-la’’.[15]
ل، الخصال ابْنُ الْوَلِيدِ عَنِ الصَّفَّارِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي الْخَطَّابِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ الْجَهْمِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلِ ع قَالَ: مَا بَقِيَ مِنْ أَمْثَالِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ ع إِلَّا كَلِمَةٌ إِذَا لَمْ تَسْتَحِ فَاعْمَلْ مَا شِئْتَ وَ قَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهَا فِي بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ.
(The book) ‘Al Khisaal’ – Ibn Al Waleed, from Al Saffar, from Ibn Abu Al Khattab, from Ibn Asbat, from Al-Hassan Bin Al Jahm,
‘From Abu Al-Hassan-asws the 1st having said: ‘There does not remain from the proverbs of the Prophets-as except a word. When you are not ashamed, then do whatever you so desire to’. And he-asws said: ‘But, it is regarding the clan of Umayya’’.[16]
[1] Bihar Al Anwaar – V 48, The book of History – Musa Al Kazim-asws, Ch 7 H 19 b
[2] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 11
[3] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 20
[4] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 21
[5] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 22 a
[6] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 22 b
[7] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 23 a
[8] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 23 b
[9] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 12
[10] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 19
[11] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 13
[12] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 14
[13] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 15
[14] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 16
[15] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 17
[16] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 68 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 81 H 18