Hadith 2769

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزُ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ جَدِّي، قَالَ : قُلْتُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، عَوْرَاتُنَا مَا نَأْتِي مِنْهَا وَمَا نَذَرُ ؟ قَالَ : " احْفَظْ عَوْرَتَكَ إِلَّا مِنْ زَوْجَتِكَ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ ، فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ : يَكُونُ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ ، قَالَ : إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ لَا يَرَاهَا أَحَدٌ فَافْعَلْ ، قُلْتُ : وَالرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ خَالِيًا ؟ قَالَ : فَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُسْتَحْيَا مِنْهُ " ، قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى : هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ ، وَجَدُّ بَهْزٍ اسْمُهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ حَيْدَةَ الْقُشَيْرِيُّ ، وَقَدْ رَوَى الْجُرَيْرِيُّ ، عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَهُوَ وَالِدُ بَهْزٍ .
´Narrated Bahz bin Hakim:` "My father narrated to me from my grandfather, who said: 'I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Regarding our 'Awrah, what of it must we cover and what of it may we leave?" He said: "Protect your 'Awrah except from your wife or what your right hand possesses."' He said: "What about a man with another man?" He said: "If you are able to not let anyone see it, then do so." I said: "What about a man when he is alone?" He said: "Allah is most deserving of being shy from Him."
Hadith Reference سنن ترمذي / كتاب الأدب عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم / 2769
Hadith Grading الألبانی: حسن، ابن ماجة (1920)
Hadith Takhrij «صحیح البخاری/الطھارة 99 (تعلیقا في الباب) سنن ابی داود/ الحمام 3 (4017) ، سنن ابن ماجہ/النکاح 28 (1920) ، ویأتي برقم 2794) ( تحفة الأشراف : 11380) (حسن)»
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
Hadith Authentication (Takhrij al-Hadith):
This narration is found in Sahih al-Bukhari at three places. [ح 278، 3404، 4799]
In addition to Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah, the following hadith scholars have also narrated it:
Muslim al-Naysaburi [صحيح مسلم ح339 وترقيم دارالسلام : 770 وبعد ح 2371 ترقيم دارالسلام : 6146، 6147]
Al-Tirmidhi [السنن : 3221 وقال : ”هذا حديث حسن صحيح“ إلخ]
Al-Nasa’i in al-Tafsir [444، 445]
Al-Tahawi in Mushkil al-Athar [1؍11]
And al-Tabari in his Tafsir [تفسير ابن جرير 22؍37]
This narration is also found in the following books:
Musnad Abi ‘Awanah [281/1]
Sahih Ibn Hibban [الاحسان 94/14 ح 6178، دوسرا نسخه : 6211]
Al-Awsat by Ibn al-Mundhir [120/2 ح649]
Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi [198/1]
Ma‘alim al-Tanzil by al-Baghawi [545/3]
The following hadith scholars narrated this narration before Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah:
Ahmad ibn Hanbal [المسند 2؍315، 392، 514، 535]
‘Abd al-Razzaq [المصنف : 20531]
Hammam ibn Munabbih [الصحيفة : 61]
This narration from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu is transmitted through the following eminent Tabi‘in:
① Hammam ibn Munabbih [الصحيفة: 61 وصحيح البخاري : 278 وصحيح مسلم : 339]
② Muhammad ibn Sirin [صحيح البخاري : 3404، 4799]
③ Khallas ibn ‘Amr [صحيح البخاري : 3404، 4799]
④ Al-Hasan al-Basri [صحيح البخاري : 3404، 4799]
⑤ ‘Abdullah ibn Shaqiq [صحيح مسلم : 339 بعد ح2371 ترقيم دارالسلام : 6147]
Other chains of transmission for this narration, as well as reports from the Companions and Tabi‘in, are also narrated. See:
Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah [11؍533، 535]
And Tafsir al-Tabari [22؍36، 37]
And Kashf al-Astar [مسند البزار : 2252]
From this detail, it is clear that this narration in Sahih al-Bukhari is absolutely authentic.

In the explanation of this hadith, Hafiz Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi rahimahullah writes:
«انه ليس فى الحديث انهم رأوا من موسي الذكر - الذى هو عورة - و ان رأوا منه هيئة تبينوا بها أنه مبرأ مما قالوا من الادرة وهذا يتبين لكل ناظر بلا شك، بغير أن يرى شيئًا من الذكر لكن بأن يرى مابين الفخذين خاليًا»
“In the hadith, it is not stated that they (the Children of Israel) saw the private part (i.e., the genitals) of Musa (alayhis salam). They saw such a state from which it became clear that Musa alayhis salam was free from the accusations of those people that he was ‘adr’ (i.e., that his testicles were very large). Every observer, in such a state, without any doubt and without seeing the private part, comes to know this when he sees that the space between the thighs is empty.” [المحليٰ 3؍213 مسئله : 349]
From this explanation, it is understood that the accusations of physical defect which the Children of Israel used to level against Sayyiduna Musa alayhis salam, he was free from all those accusations. Secondly, it is also not stated in this narration that Sayyiduna Musa alayhis salam was bathing completely naked. From the words of Imam Ibn Hazm, it appears that he had covered his private part with a loincloth or something similar, and the rest of the body was uncovered.
The Children of Israel did not see his private part at all; therefore, the mockery of this hadith by the deniers of hadith is rejected.
SA Some people have said, “So what is meant by saying three or four marks?” EA The answer is that Allah the Exalted says: «وَأَرْسَلْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ مِائَةِ أَلْفٍ أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ» “And We sent him to a hundred thousand or more.” [الصّٰفّٰت : 147 ترجمه شاه عبدالقادر ص543]
Read the translation of this noble verse from the writing of Shah Waliullah al-Dihlawi:
«وفرستاديم اُو را بسوئے صد هزار يا بيشتر ازان باشند» [ص543]
Whatever explanation the deniers of hadith will give for the word “aw” (or) in this noble verse, that same explanation applies to the statement of Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu in «ستة أو سبعة» at «او». «والحمدلله»
Source: Monthly Magazine al-Hadith Hazro, Issue No. 24, Page: 11
Hafiz Imran Ayyub Lahori
Hadith Authentication (Takhrij al-Hadith):
[194۔ البخاري فى : 5 كتاب الغسل : 20 باب من اغتسل عريانًا وحده فى الخلوة 278، مسلم 339]

Linguistic Explanation:
«آدَرُ»: One with large testicles.
«فِيْ اِثْرِهِ»: Behind it.
«نَدَبٌ»: Mark.
Source: Jawahir al-Iman: Commentary on al-Lu'lu wal-Marjan, Page: 194
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
1.
It is mentioned in the hadith that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) saw a man bathing naked and said:
“When any one of you performs a ritual bath (ghusl), he should bathe in seclusion.”
(Sunan Abi Dawud, al-Hammam, Hadith: 4012)
In light of this hadith, the muhaddith Ibn Abi Layla (rahimahullah) holds the view that bathing naked in seclusion is not permissible.
Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah), in refutation of his view, has established the chapter heading that bathing naked in seclusion is permissible, although it is better to cover the private parts (awrah) while performing the ritual bath, because even though there is no human present in seclusion from whom one would feel shame, one should feel shame before Allah Ta’ala.
If, out of modesty before people, it is not correct to bathe naked, then one should all the more feel shame before Allah Ta’ala.
For this, Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has cited the narration of Hazrat Bahz bin Hakim (radi Allahu anhu), whose grandfather Hazrat Mu’awiyah bin Haydah (radi Allahu anhu) asked the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) about uncovering the private parts in seclusion, to which he replied:
“Allah Ta’ala has more right that one should feel shame before Him.”
(Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, al-Adab, Hadith: 2769)
Now the question arises: in light of this hadith, there is no justification for bathing naked even in seclusion, so why did Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) adopt the position of its permissibility? Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has presented two incidents for its permissibility: that Hazrat Musa (alayhis salam) once bathed naked in seclusion, and likewise Hazrat Ayyub (alayhis salam) also performed a ritual bath while unclothed.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) narrated the actions of these previous Prophets (alayhimus salam) and did not express any objection to them.
If there had been a different ruling in our Shari’ah, he would certainly have pointed it out; therefore, this silence is a silence in a context where clarification is expected, from which it is concluded that there is no harm in bathing unclothed.
This can also be stated as follows: after mentioning several Prophets (alayhimus salam) in the Noble Qur’an, Allah Ta’ala said:
“Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance.”
(al-An’am 6:90)
Therefore, the actions of these noble Prophets (alayhimus salam) are worthy of emulation and following.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/501)
2.
Bathing unclothed in an open space or in such a spacious place where there is no likelihood of people coming is not a sin, but merely permissible.
Some extremist individuals even tie a waistcloth while bathing in the bathroom.
In our view, this is undue strictness for which there is no allowance in the Shari’ah, because the bathroom itself serves as a covering (satr).
3.
Ibn Battal (rahimahullah) has written that the Children of Israel were disobedient to Hazrat Musa (alayhis salam).
That is why they used to bathe naked in front of each other.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) writes that this incident occurred during the stay of the Children of Israel in the Valley of Tih, where there were no women or houses.
It appears that in their Shari’ah, bathing naked in front of each other was permissible.
If they had done so in disobedience to him, then Hazrat Musa (alayhis salam) would certainly have been reported to have stopped them.
Hazrat Musa (alayhis salam) used to bathe alone because, for him, doing so was more virtuous.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/501)
4.
From this story of Musa (alayhis salam), it is understood that, for the purpose of treatment or to establish freedom from a defect, it is permissible to look at another’s private parts, for example:
If one of the spouses claims leprosy (baras) in the other for the purpose of annulment of marriage, then it is permissible to examine for verification.
It is also understood that the Prophets (alayhimus salam) are extremely perfect in their physical creation and character, and whoever attributes any physical or moral defect to them is among those who harm them, and there is a fear of disbelief (kufr) in committing such an act.
(Fath al-Bari: 6/532)
5.
Ibn Battal has written that from the incident of Ayyub (alayhis salam), the permissibility of bathing unclothed is established, because Allah Ta’ala reproached Hazrat Ayyub (alayhis salam) for gathering gold locusts, but did not reproach him for bathing unclothed.
(Sharh Ibn Battal: 1/393)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 278
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
It is not permissible to sit naked without necessity even in solitude, and it is astonishing that among us, ignorant, innovating, and polytheistic people consider naked, irreligious, and senseless individuals to be friends of Allah (awliya Allah).
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 4017
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:


To safeguard the private parts except from one's wife and slave woman means to abstain from illicit relations and adultery.
Allah Ta'ala says:

"And do not even go near adultery; indeed, it is an indecency and an evil way." (Bani Isra'il: 32)
This also means that one should not allow anyone to look at one's private parts.


Generally, men do not consider it necessary to be cautious in this matter with other men, and women with other women.
This is an incorrect attitude.
Without any necessity, a man cannot look at the private parts of another man, nor a woman at those of another woman.


This hadith also indicates that if a husband and wife see each other's private parts, there is no sin in it.
In the coming narrations, its prohibition is mentioned, but both those narrations are weak.


Even in solitude, one should avoid being completely naked without necessity, although it is permissible to remove all clothing at the time of ritual bath (ghusl), etc. (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Ghusl, Chapter: Whoever performed ritual bath naked alone in seclusion, and whoever covered himself, then covering is better, Hadith: 278)
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 1920