On the authority of Abu Masood Uqbah ibn Aamr alAnsaari, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “From the words of the previous prophets that the people still find are: If you feel no shame, then do as you wish.” [Recorded by al-Bukhari]
- “From the words of the earlier prophets that the people still find are”
- “If you feel no shame, then do as you wish.”
- The Concept of al-Hayaa ‘ (Shame/ Modesty)
- Other Points Related to This Hadith
General Comments about the Hadith: The importance of this hadith lies in the fact that it points to one of the most important characteristics a person can possess: the characteristic of hayaa ‘ (modesty, shyness, bashfulness). Al-Nawawi states that all of Islam revolves around this statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
1. “From the words of the earlier prophets that the people still find are”
This phrase means that the statement concerning modesty is something that has been passed on from the earliest prophets. It is part of the legacy of the earlier prophets that the people still had in their possession. In other words, the first prophet had made this statement and it continued to be passed on until the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Al-Haitami states that the meaning of this phrase is that all of the laws of the earlier prophets agreed upon this principle concerning modesty. It was stated by the earliest prophet and then repeated by all of the later prophets. Hence, all of the prophets praised the characteristic of modesty and ordered their followers to have that attribute. This principle was never abrogated in any of the laws of the prophets.
2. “If you feel no shame, then do as you wish.”
This portion of the hadith is in the form of an imperative or command. For that reason, it has been interpreted in a number of different ways. Each interpretation shall be discussed separately.
The First Interpretation: Some scholars say that although this phrase is in the form of an imperative, it is actually not meant to be an order. Instead, it is a form of threat or warning. Its meaning is, in other words, “If you have no shame or modesty, then do whatever you wish and Allah will recompense you– punish you–for what you do.” This is a known form of speech in Arabic. This style can also be found in the Quran. For example, Allah says, “Do what you will. Verily, He is All-Seer of what you do” (Fussilat 40). This is not a command for one to do as one likes, but, instead, it is a type of threat. In fact, in their translation of the Quran, al-Hilali and Khan add in parenthesis at the end of that verse, “this is a severe threat to the unbelievers.” Ibn Raj ab states that a number of scholars follow this interpretation. Al-Munaawi, and Al-Bugha and Mistu5 conclude that this is the strongest interpretation.
A Second Interpretation: for this hadith also states that the imperative or command is not what is meant by this statement. Instead, it is a case of an order being used as a statement of fact. In other words, the meaning is, “If a person does not have any shame, then he does whatever he wishes.” Hayaa’ (shame or modesty) is one of the most important factors that keeps a person away from committing a lewd or sinful act. If a person has no feeling of shame or modesty, then there is nothing to prevent him from doing most anything. He would do almost anything because he has nothing inside of him telling him that such is not good behavior and that he should be ashamed to act in that fashion.
Ibn al-Qayyim has shed some more light on this interpretation by saying that when a person commits sins, his feeling of hayaa’ is lessened. As he commits more and more sins, his hayaa’ is weakened more and more, to the point that it may not exist at all. When he gets to that point, he does not care what people might say or think about him. In fact, he might even start to brag or tell others about the sins that he has committed. This type of person will not be forgiven and the road to repentance will be blocked for him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has said, “All of my Nation are apt to be forgiven except for those who commit sins openly. Included among those who commit sins openly is where a person performs a deed during the night and, although Allah had concealed that sin, in the morning he says, ‘O so and so, last night I did such and such. ‘ He spent the night being concealed by Allah and in the morning he uncovered Allah’s concealment from himself.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.)
This interpretation is also consistent with what is known in the Arabic language. Another example of this nature, according to some, is the hadith, “Whoever falsely attributes something to me must take his own seat in the Fire.” The meaning of this hadith is a statement of fact: “The one who falsely attributes something to me shall take his own seat in the Fire.” Al-Khattaabi explains why the Prophet (peace be upon him) made this statement in the form of a command rather than a statement of fact. He says that the character that keeps a person from committing a sin is hayaa’ or shame. If a person has no shame, then he becomes like someone who is naturally ordered by his soul to commit evil. Hence, it is proper to state the meaning in the form of an order as, in the long-run, this is what it is actually describing.
A Third Interpretation: is that the command here is in the form of displaying permission. In other words, “If you are contemplating an act and it is an act such that there is no reason to be ashamed of it in front of Allah or the people, then you may do that act.” Hence, according to this interpretation, modesty or shame becomes the standard over whether or not one should do the act. If there is nothing to be ashamed of concerning the act, then there is no harm in doing the act. However, if there is reason to be ashamed from that act, either with respect to Allah or others, then the person should not perform that act.
This is the interpretation that is favored by al-Nawawi. This view has also been recorded from Ahmad. The interpretation of a command to mean permission is also wellknown and established in Arabic. In fact, numerous examples of this nature may be found in the Quran. For example, Allah says, “Then when the [Friday] prayer is ended, disperse through the land and seek the bounty of Allah” (al-Jumuah 10). This verse is actually an imperative. However, its meaning is permissibility, “After the prayer, you may disperse through the land … “
A Fourth Interpretation: Saleem al-Hilaali offers a fourth interpretation. He states, as a possible understanding, that this hadith is a form of encouragement to have the characteristic of modesty and indirectly points to the virtues of modesty. In this way, the hadith is understood to say, “Since it is not allowed to do any act you wish, it is not allowed to leave having modesty and shame.”
Conclusion About the Meaning: All of the four interpretations stated above have meanings that are excellent and acceptable. It is difficult to determine which is the strongest of the above interpretations. Each interpretation, with the possible exception of the last one, has evidence to support it. Since all four are viable, perhaps each of them should be kept in mind and applied in one’s life. Personally, this author prefers the third interpretation, that the hadith implies permissibility. It is the interpretation that seems closest to the literal meaning of the hadith. Another hadith states, “Leave that [act] which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.” Applying these two hadith together, one can understand that if a Muslim has no doubt about an act, then he is free to perform it. Similarly, if an act has no shame connected to it, then, again, the person is allowed to perform it. Hence, a Muslim’s actions should be free of doubtful matters as well as shameful matters. Allah knows best.
3. The Concept of al-Hayaa ‘ (Shame/ Modesty)
In order for this hadith to be understood in a complete sense, the concept of hayaa’ itself must be understood well. This is a very important concept and it behooves every Muslim to understand it correctly and apply it correctly in his or her life.
3.1 The Meaning of Hayaa ‘
In Lane’s Lexicon, the word hayaa’ is defined as, Shame; a sense of shame; shyness, or bashfulness; (and particularly, but not always, honest shame, or prudency, or modesty) … a shrinking of the soul from foul conduct, through fear of blame, a languor that affects the animal facility and turns it back from its actions; and repentance
The word hayaa’ is derived from the word ( al-hayaah ), which means life. Rain, for example, is called hayaa because it brings life to the earth and vegetation. It is said that the one who has no hayaa’ (shame) is like a dead person in this life. In fact, his heart can be considered dead. If he possesses modesty and shame, his heart will be sound and healthy. The more modesty he possesses, the healthier his heart is. The less modesty a person has, then the less life and health his heart possesses. Umar ibn al-Khattaab was reported to have said, “If a person has little hayaa, he will have little wara ‘ (fear of Allah and feeling of His presence). And the one who has little wara’, his heart has died.”
In essence, it is the feeling in the heart that keeps the person away from performing evil deeds. It is directly related to what is commonly called “one’s moral conscience” in the West today. If a person has no moral conscience, he will do whatever he pleases. He does not care what anyone might think or say about him. Indeed, he does not even care about what he thinks about himself. This is because his heart is truly dead and he has no feeling of shame whatsoever. On the other hand, a person’s conscience may bother him even if nobody witnessed the act that he is ashamed of. His heart is uneasy and unhappy because he is ashamed of what he did. This realization is very close to the concept of hayaa’ that is being discussed here. However, obviously, it must be put within the Islamic framework that shall be described below.
Al-Muqaddam points out that hayaa’ is the attribute that truly distinguishes a human from an animal. In general, animals follow their desires or instincts without any feeling of whether what they did is right or wrong. They do not feel any shame in their actions. Hence, the less hayaa’ a person possesses, the closer he comes to the level of the animals rather than being a moral human being. The word hayaa’, as it is going to be used throughout this commentary, should be understood to mean shame, modesty, shyness and moral conscience. It is the factor in the person’s heart that keeps him from behaving in just any way that his desires or lusts should lead him or in the way others may prod him to behave. It is the factor that controls his behavior and keeps him from performing acts that are considered distasteful and lewd.
3.2 Natural and Acquired Hayaa’
Hayaa’ (modesty and shame) is something that every human being naturally possesses. One of the aspects of hayaa’ that is naturally found in mankind is the feeling to cover one’s private parts. This characteristic can be seen clearly in the example of Adam and Eve. Allah says about them, “Then they both ate of the tree, and so their private parts became manifest to them, and they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise for their covering” (Ta-Ha 121).
Like all natural characteristics, this quality may be nurtured and allowed to grow or it may be stunted to the point that the person completely loses this quality. Beyond the natural feeling of hayaa’, there can be an acquired aspect that is directly related to the strength of one’s faith. This is the hayaa’ that comes about by realizing that Allah is always present and He sees everything that one does. There is no escape from Allah. When a person realizes this, he will be ashamed to perform any act that is displeasing to Allah. This remembrance of Allah is one of the most important means by which one increases his hayaa’.
Another helpful factor is for the person to think about all of the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon him. If a person thinks about all of the blessings that he has received from Allah, he becomes very shy to use the blessings that Allah has given him in ways that are displeasing to Allah. For example, if he really thinks about how great a blessing his eyesight is, he will be ashamed to use this blessing from Allah in ways that are displeasing to Him.
Another way by which one may increase his hayaa’ is to associate with the people of hayaa’. One can learn from their example and behavior. More importantly, in their presence, one will be too embarrassed or shy to do anything shameful. This feeling of shame and modesty, Allah willing, will develop and grow in the person to the extent that even in the presence of others, he will continue to have that characteristic.
3.3 The Importance and Virtues of Hayaa’
The Prophet (peace be upon him) discussed the importance and virtues of hayaa’ on numerous occasions. This, in itself, may be considered a sign of how important hayaa’ is for the faith and behavior of a Muslim. Upon reading those hadith, the importance and essential nature of hayaa’ will become manifest. In one hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, “Hayaa’ and Imaan are two companions that go together. If one of them is lifted, the other is also lifted.” In essence, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that a person who has no hayaa’ could not possibly have any imaan. Obviously, then, for a person to have imaan, he must have hayaa’. This hadith demonstrates how essential hayaa’ is to a person’s faith.
In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) noticed one person finding fault with another due to his hayaa’ or shyness. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then told the former, “Al-Hayaa’ is part of Imaan.” (Recorded by Muslim.) In another hadith with a similar purport, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated, “Imaan has seventy some-odd or sixty some-odd branches. The most virtuous of them is the statement, ‘There is none worthy of worship except Allah, ‘ and the slightest of them is to remove something harmful from the road. And hayaa is a branch of imaan.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) Ibn Qutaiba stated that hayaa’ keeps a person from committing sins in the same manner that imaan does. It is referred to as imaan or part of imaan because it should have the same effect as imaan. It is mentioned in particular in this hadith because it calls to or leads a person to all of the other branches of faith. It is like a foundation for taqwa and imaan.
In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Hayaa’ is part of Imaan and Imaan is in Paradise. Lewdness is part of hardness of heart and hardness of heart is in the Fire.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) also stated that hayaa’ beautifies and improves everything it touches. He said, “Lewdness does not appear in anything except that it blemishes it. And hayaa’ does not appear in anything except that it beautifies it.” Similarly, in the following hadith,
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also stated that hayaa’ brings about nothing but goodness: “Hayaa’ does not produce but goodness.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim) In yet another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) indicates the importance of hayaa’ for his followers.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Every religion has a particular manner or characteristic. And the characteristic oflslam is hayaa’.” Al-Muqaddam explained this hadith by saying, Every other religion has a predominant characteristic other than hayaa’. However, the predominant characteristic in our religion is hayaa’. This is because it is part of the completeness of noble character. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent to perfect or complete noble morals and behavior. Since Islam is the noblest of the religions, Allah gave it the most noble and finest characteristic, hayaa’.
In fact, hayaa’, as alluded to in this hadith under discussion, was a characteristic of the prophets. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said about the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), “Moses was a modest, bashful person. No part of his skin was seen due to his shyness.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.) Similarly, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the best example for all of mankind, was described by his Companion Abu Saeed al-Khudri in the following fashion, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) was more bashful than the virgin girls kept in their private compartments. If he saw anything he did not like, we would recognize it by [the expression on] his face.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
3.4 Hayaa ‘ is One of the Attributes of Allah
As can be seen in the following hadith, hayaa’ is one of the attributes of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Verily, Allah has the attributes of great modesty and concealment. And He loves modesty and concealment. Therefore, if any of you is going to wash himself, he should conceal himself.” Allah is greatly modest, and He is, for example, shy to refuse someone who stretches out his hands to Him in supplication. But His hayaa’ is not related to any fear of anyone’s reprisal or rebuke, as it is in the case of many humans. He does not fear anyone and He is not in need of any of His creation. Instead, it is only due to His own attribute of hayaa’. He also has hayaa’ when sins are committed and falsehood perpetrated. He is also al-Sateer and loves for sins to be concealed and not made public and spread about.
This is an example of an attribute that Allah loves for His servant to also possess– although in a form that cannot be considered comparable to Allah’s own attribute. lbn al-Qayyim once wrote, Whoever has the same attribute as one of the attributes of Allah [although the nature of the attributes are completely different], that attribute will lead the person by its tight reins; it will allow him to enter upon His lord and bring him closer to His mercy. He will become beloved to Allah. This is because Allah is merciful and He loves those who are merciful; He is generous and He loves those who are generous; He is AllKnowing and He loves those with knowledge; He is strong and He loves the strong believer who he is more beloved to Him than the weak believer; He is Hayyi [the One with extreme hayaa’] and He loves the people of hayaa’; He is beautiful and He loves the people of beauty; He is odd [the One, being an odd number] and He loves the people who perform the prayer with the odd number of rakats [the Witr Prayer].
3.5 Having Hayaa’ Towards Allah
There are many different ways in which hayaa’ should show itself. Most importantly, however, one should have hayaa’ with respect to Allah. A person should be ashamed to have Allah see him doing something that is displeasing to Allah. He should be ashamed in front of Allah, for example, when he does not perform his prayer in the proper time and in the proper manner. If a person has a complete hayaa’ of Allah, he would not perform any act that is displeasing to Allah. He would be too ashamed of ever doing something of that nature. In fact, he should have more hayaa’ toward Allah than toward any of the creation. This is because everything he possesses has come to him as a blessing from Allah and He knows that Allah is aware of everything that he does.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) has ordered Muslims to have the proper hayaa’ towards Allah. He said, “Have hayaa’ towards Allah in the correct manner of hayaa’.” The Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, we are bashful towards Allah, and to Allah is the praise.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) then told them, “This is not what is meant. The hayaa’ towards Allah which is the true hayaa’ is for a person to be mindful of his head and what it contains, and of his stomach and the [bodily parts] close to it, and to remember death and disintegration. And whoever desires the Hereafter abandons the beautification of this world. The one who does that has had hayaa’ toward Allah in the proper manner of hayaa’.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, “Allah has more right that one be shy before Him than the people do.” One’s shyness toward Allah, in particular, may be noted when one is alone and out of the view of mankind. Kaab stated, “Be shy toward Allah when you are in private in the same way that you are shy toward the people when you are in public.” Al-Auzaai stated that he heard Bilaal ibn Saad say, “Do not be a devoted servant of Allah in your public behavior while you are an enemy to Him in your private affairs.” Al-Muqaddam states that one of the people of knowledge stated, “If a person’s behavior in private is better than his behavior in public, that is true virtuousness. If his behavior in private is equal to his
behavior in public, that is justice. If a person’s public behavior is better than his private behavior, that is injustice.” Humaid al-Taweel asked Sulaimaan ibn Ali to advise him and he told him, “If you disobeyed Allah while in private, knowing that Allah sees you, then you have taken a bold step into a grave matter. If you thought that He does not see you, then you have committed kufr.”
3.6 Other Manifestations of Hayaa’
Besides having hayaa’ with respect to Allah, one should display hayaa’ toward the angels and other humans. Indeed, one should even have hayaa’ toward oneself. The angels are noble and dignified creatures. They witness the acts that humans perform. Every human has angels with him that witness everything he does. A hadith in Sahih Muslim states that the angels are harmed by the same things that humans are harmed by. Therefore, Muslims should be aware of their presence and be shy to perform shameful deeds in front of them in the same way that they are shy to perform shameful deeds in front of other humans.
Humans having hayaa’ toward one another is an essential characteristic that keeps people from harming each other and from performing indecent acts that others may become aware of. The Companion Hudhaifah ibn al-Yamaan is reported to have said, “There is no good in a person who has no modesty with respect to others.” In general, the more respected or dignified a person is, the more others will be shy to behave improperly in front of him.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) alluded to this fact when he said, “I advise you to be shy toward Allah, the Exalted, in the same way that you are shy toward a pious person from your people.” (Ahmad)
Finally, a person must also have hayaa’ toward himself. This is akin to having self-respect. A person should be ashamed of himself when he performs acts that are shameful. He should not even like to live with himself. It is almost as if he is two people and the one is ashamed of the other and does not wish to be associated with him. This would not occur if the person has no feeling or understanding of hayaa’ Perhaps the following hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) alludes to this type of self-respect and hayaa’ that a person should possess. He said, “Whatever you hate to have people see you doing, you also should not do while you are alone.”
Al-Muqaddam stated that if a person feels shame in front of others but feels no shame toward himself, this means that he is denigrating himself and does not have the same kind of respect for himself that he has for others. AlMuqaddam then quoted one of the early scholars who said, “If a person does a deed in private which he would be ashamed to do in public, then his own self has no weight in his own eyes.”
3.7 What Does not Form Part of the Praiseworthy, Islamic Hayaa’
There are many acts that people perform in the name of shyness and bashfulness that do not fall under the Islamic definition of hayaa’. The Islamic definition of hayaa’ differs slightly than the natural concept of hayaa’. Islamic hayaa’ leads one to avoid evil deeds and to fulfill others’ rights. A basic difference between the two types of hayaa’ is that being silent or afraid to speak in the presence of falsehood or oppression does not form part of Islamic hayaa’. Ibn al-Salaah stated that such behavior is not hayaa’ at all. Instead, it is weakness, fear, cowardice and treachery.
Al-Qurtubi wrote, The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself followed the path of hayaa’, ordered others to it and encouraged others concerning it. However, hayaa’ did not keep him from speaking the truth or following a command of the religion. He was, in this way, clinging to Allah’s words, “And Allah does not shy away from the truth” (al-Ahzaab 53). This is part of the completeness, perfection and justice of hayaa’. If a person goes to an extreme concerning hayaa’, such that it keeps him from speaking the truth, then he no longer has hayaa’ toward the Creator. He only has hayaa’ toward the creation. Such a person has been prevented from attaining the benefits of hayaa’. He is characterized by hypocrisy and acting for show. Having hayaa’ with respect to Allah is the foundation and basis. Allah has the most right that one be shy toward Him. One must protect and guard this foundation, since it is beneficial.
Therefore, hayaa’ cannot be used as an excuse for not ordering what is good or preventing what is evil. If a person does not do these acts on the basis of hayaa’, then, as al-Qurtubi implied, he has the wrong form of hayaa’. He does not have the proper hayaa’ toward Allah although he may have some form of hayaa’ toward mankind. Abu Saeed al-Khudri narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Verily, fear of the people must not keep one from speaking a truth he knows.”(Tirmidhi) After narrating this hadith, Abu Saeed said, “We have seen things but we feared the people [and, therefore, we remained silent].” Then he started crying.
One also should not allow his shyness to keep himself from doing what is correct. For example, nowadays, even Muslims ridicule and embarrass other Muslims who apply Islam. Muslim sisters ridicule other sisters who wear the complete and proper hijaab. Muslim men who grow their beards or dress modestly are also ridiculed. One cannot allow one’s shyness toward those people to change his behavior and actions if they are correct and proper according to the Quran and sunnah. Ubaid ibn Umair once said, “One must give preference to having hayaa’ toward Allah over having hayaa’ toward the people.”
Another area in which one should not allow hayaa’ to prevent him from attaining his desired goal is the seeking of knowledge. It is reported that Ali said, “The one who does not have knowledge should not be too shy to ask until he gets knowledge. And the one who is asked about something he does not know should not be so shy that it keeps him from saying, ‘I don’t know.’ Al-Bukhari recorded in mualaq form that Mujaahid stated, “The one who is shy and the one who is arrogant do not attain knowledge.”
Aisha once stated the virtues of the women of the Ansaar, “Shyness does not keep them from getting an understanding of the religion.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.) A clear example of this nature concerning women can be seen in the following hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari, Umm Sulaim came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, Allah does not shy away from the truth. Does a woman have to make ghusl if she has a wet dream?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, “Yes, if she sees liquid.” Umm Salamah then covered her face [out of shyness] and said, “O Messenger of Allah, do women have wet dreams?” He said, “Yes, may your hands be covered in dust, how else does her child resemble her?”
4. Other Points Related to This Hadith
(1) As stated earlier, al-Nawawi says that all of Islam revolves around this hadith. This statement can be understood in the following way: An act is either obligatory, recommended, permissible, disapproved or forbidden. One should be ashamed not to perform the obligatory and recommended deeds. One should also be ashamed to perform the disapproved or forbidden deeds. As for the permissible deeds, one may be shy to perform them or not. Hence, this concept of hayaa’ encompasses all of the acts of the religion. Therefore, all of the religion revolves around this hadith.
(2) Al-Baitaar points out that this hadith demonstrates the beautiful and pithy speech of the Prophet (peace be upon him). First, as a kind of introduction, he stated that this was something that had passed on from the previous prophets. This alerted the people’s attention to what he was going to say. After he got the people’s attention, he made a very, short pithy statement that was easy for all to grasp and memorize.
(3) Given the great importance of the concept of hayaa’ in the religion of Islam, it is of great importance that this character be taught to Muslim children as they are growing up. From the time that they are young, both boys and girls should be taught to be modest and shy in front of others. It seems, in this author’s view, and Allah knows best, that being exposed to the different forms of modem media would be very detrimental to the development of hayaa’ in a person. Today’s media, for example, television, exposes and displays acts that one would never do in public thirty, fifty or one hundred years ago. If a person becomes more and more accustomed to seeing such acts in front of him, his sense of shyness and modesty becomes weakened. He no longer becomes shocked when he sees, for example, sexual indecencies or partial nudity. He begins to accept it and may even consider it normal behavior. Therefore, to protect one’s hayaa’, it would be best to remain away from such possibly detrimental influences.
(4) There is a direct relationship between hayaa’ and ihsaan. In the case of ihsaan, a person worships Allah either as if he is seeing Allah or, at least, recognizing that Allah is seeing him. If a person has this feeling, he will be ashamed to have Allah see him perform acts of disobedience. In other words, such a person would then have hayaa’ toward Allah.
(5) If a person notices that he does not naturally have hayaa’, he must work on himself to develop this characteristic as it is one of the most important characteristics of a believer.
(6) Hayaa ‘ is a sign that a person’s soul is healthy. His soul cares about what he is doing and is distressed when he is doing something harmful or sinful. This is the person who has a real conscience, who does not accept from himself the doing of wrong or evil. Allah has mentioned this kind of soul in the Quranic verse, “And I swear by the self-reproaching soul” (al-Qiyaamah). Qutb notes that Allah only swears by those things that are very great and noteworthy. Hence, this type of soul must be something noteworthy: this is the soul that drives a person to do good and keeps him away from doing evil. There is no doubt that such a soul has a great weight in Allah’s scale. This is so because it is the true axis which elevates man and keeps man adhering to the noble qualities. (And this will only be the case when that soul has the quality of hayaa’, this noble quality of Islam.)
What happens to a human when he loses that quality in his soul? Then the soul becomes of a different nature. It becomes a soul that actually drives man to do evil and the person does not care about the evil he commits. This type of soul does not refine or elevate the person because true refinement and elevation can only occur with true imaan, of which hayaa’ is an essential component. Allah has described this soul that is lacking in its conscience as the soul of those whom Allah has not blessed with His mercy. Allah says, quoting the wife of the Azeez in the story of the Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him), “Verily, the (human) self orders one to evil, except in the case of the one whom my Lord has bestowed His mercy” (Yoosuf 53). Qutb argues that atheism and kujr remove the self-reproaching aspect from the person and he is left wit the soul that orders to evil. He further states that even if on the surface many disbelievers may seem to have a moral conscience, in reality, when one studies their real goal and purpose, one will see that they have no real moral conscience as their deeds are never sincere and solely for the sake of Allah.
Summary of the Hadith:
• The characteristic of hayaa’ has been encouraged by all of the previous prophets. Indeed, it may be one of the few of their teachings (or the only one) that had been passed on among the people until the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
• Although this hadith has a number of possible interpretations, the one preferred by the author is: If an act is not shameful in any way, then it is permissible for a Muslim to do it.
Books of Muslims 