. J ࢁ e u (cont.)

The one who does that has had hayaa' toward Allah in the proper manner of hayaa'."3 The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, "Allah has more right that one be shy before Him than the people do."4 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."5 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."6 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."7 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."s 1 In other words, he should not use its senses except in manners that are permissible. Cf., al­ Muqaddam, p. 48, fn. 2. 2 The bodily parts "close to" the stomach include the heart, the private parts, the legs and arms. The person should not use them in any act of disobedience towards Allah. Cf., al-Muqaddam, p. 48, fn. 3. 3 Recorded by al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad. According to al-Hilaali, it is hasan. See al-Hilaali, al­ Hayaa', p. 20, fn. 8. 4 Recorded by al-Bukhari in mualaq form. Also recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi and al-Haakim. According to al-Albaani, it is hasan. See al-Albaani, sahih Sunan Abi Dawud, vol. 2, p. 759. 5 Quoted in al-Muqaddam, p. 50. 6 Quoted in al-Muqaddam, p. 54. 7 Quoted in al-Muqaddam, p. 54. 8 Quoted in al-Muqaddam, p. 54. Al-Muqaddam (p. 59) quotes an "ascetic" (zaahid) who said, "Woe to me. I behaved in a trustworthy manner towards the people and I was deceitful towards my Lord. Woe to me, if only it were the other way." Then he started crying. Like many other statements coming from such people, this statement has an aspect to it that is not acceptable. One cannot be trustworthy towards Allah while cheating the people. This is also misbehaving towards Allah, for Allah does not accept misbehavior towards His creatures. Hadith #20: "If you feel no shame, then . . . " 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. 1 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."2 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, &0 :. • • -jLl\ . 1'- । .l\ , . :. : ޤ .ill1 , . , :. : .. i ࡷ f , ..J! U4 ়-:: ঻y U4 Ǖ , U4 Ǖ u ..... J "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."3 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.