Al-Nawawi on modesty, shyness, and good conscience

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

An-Nawawi recorded in his book Riyad us-Saliheen:

Ibn Umar reported: The Prophet passed by a man from the helpers who was admonishing his brother about modesty. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

دَعْهُ فَإِنَّ الْحَيَاءَ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ

Let him be, for modesty is part of faith.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 24, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Imran ibn Hussein reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

الْحَيَاءُ لَا يَأْتِي إِلَّا بِخَيْرٍ

Modesty does not bring anything but goodness.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 5766, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

In another narration, the Prophet said:

الْحَيَاءُ خَيْرٌ كُلُّهُ

Modesty is all that is good.

Source: Sahih Muslim 37, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

الْإِيمَانُ بِضْعٌ وَسَبْعُونَ أَوْ بِضْعٌ وَسِتُّونَ شُعْبَةً فَأَفْضَلُهَا قَوْلُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَدْنَاهَا إِمَاطَةُ الْأَذَى عَنْ الطَّرِيقِ وَالْحَيَاءُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنْ الْإِيمَانِ

Faith consists of seventy or sixty branches, the best of which is to declare there is no God but Allah and the least of which is to remove something harmful from the road, and modesty is a branch of faith.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 9, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri reported:

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَشَدَّ حَيَاءً مِنْ الْعَذْرَاءِ فِي خِدْرِهَا فَإِذَا رَأَى شَيْئًا يَكْرَهُهُ عَرَفْنَاهُ فِي وَجْهِهِ

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was more shy than a virgin in seclusion. If he saw something that he disliked, we would see it on his face.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 5751, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.

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