Source: Sharh Kitab al-Jami‘ from Bulugh al-Maram by Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani
Translation: Hafiz Abdul Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi
عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: الحياء من الإيمان متفق عليه
It is narrated from Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Modesty is part of faith."
[Agreed Upon]
Referencing:
[Bukhari 24], [Muslim, Kitab al-Iman/373], see also: [Tuhfat al-Ashraf 388/5] [373/5] [429/9] [42/9] [9/11] [16/11] [11/11]
اَلْحَيَاءُ (Modesty):
Linguistically, it refers to a sense of shame or restraint – when a person's nature compels them to refrain from doing something due to the fear of being blamed or disgraced. This is a uniquely human trait; otherwise, a person would behave without consideration like animals, doing whatever comes to mind.
In Shariah, ḥayāʼ (modesty) is a quality that motivates a person to abstain from immoral acts and encourages them to fulfill the rights of those entitled to them without negligence.
In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, the full narration is mentioned:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed by an Ansari who was advising his brother about modesty. Upon this, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
دعه فان الحياء من الايمان
"Leave him, for modesty is part of faith."
In al-Adab al-Mufrad by Imam Bukhari, the phrase يعاتب اخاه (he was scolding his brother) is used. This indicates that the brother, due to his modesty, was unable to fully claim his rights from others. His sibling, therefore, rebuked him, saying that he was causing harm to himself because of this modesty.
At this, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Leave him, for modesty is part of faith”—meaning if due to modesty he does not obtain his right, it will become a cause of reward for him.
Some Ahadith also mention:
الحياء كله خير
"Modesty is entirely good."
And:
الحياء لا ياتي الا بخير
"Modesty brings nothing but good."
Some scholars explain this by saying that modesty restrains a person from evil just as faith acts as a barrier between a believer and sin. Due to this resemblance, modesty is termed as part of faith. However, according to this interpretation, modesty is only analogous to faith, not an actual part of it.
Therefore, it is better to interpret it in the light of another hadith:
It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
الايمان بضع وستون شعبة والحياء شعبة من الايمان
"Faith has over sixty branches, and modesty is one of its branches."
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī Ḥadīth 9]
This proves that just as the Kalimah, prayer, fasting, love for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and other actions are parts of faith, likewise, modesty is also a branch of the tree of faith.
Another interpretation of الحياء من الايمان is that your brother's modesty is a consequence of his faith, and this quality has developed in him due to his iman.
There are several forms of modesty:
✔ Refraining from what Allah dislikes is a form of modesty.
✔ Avoiding what is intellectually distasteful is also modesty.
✔ Abstaining from things considered blameworthy by people is likewise a form of modesty.
However, the real and essential form of modesty is to avoid that which Allah and His Messenger have disapproved of.
Some people avoid performing virtuous deeds, such as enjoining good (amr bil ma‘ruf) and forbidding evil (nahy ‘an al-munkar), and they claim that they feel shy or modest. This is not modesty, but rather cowardice.
True modesty is abstaining from objectionable acts, not from virtuous deeds.
Translation: Hafiz Abdul Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi
❖ Ḥadīth
عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: الحياء من الإيمان متفق عليه
It is narrated from Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Modesty is part of faith."
[Agreed Upon]
Referencing:
[Bukhari 24], [Muslim, Kitab al-Iman/373], see also: [Tuhfat al-Ashraf 388/5] [373/5] [429/9] [42/9] [9/11] [16/11] [11/11]
✦ Definitions
اَلْحَيَاءُ (Modesty):
Linguistically, it refers to a sense of shame or restraint – when a person's nature compels them to refrain from doing something due to the fear of being blamed or disgraced. This is a uniquely human trait; otherwise, a person would behave without consideration like animals, doing whatever comes to mind.
In Shariah, ḥayāʼ (modesty) is a quality that motivates a person to abstain from immoral acts and encourages them to fulfill the rights of those entitled to them without negligence.
✿ Benefits and Lessons
➊ On What Occasion Did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) Say These Words?
In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, the full narration is mentioned:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed by an Ansari who was advising his brother about modesty. Upon this, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
دعه فان الحياء من الايمان
"Leave him, for modesty is part of faith."
In al-Adab al-Mufrad by Imam Bukhari, the phrase يعاتب اخاه (he was scolding his brother) is used. This indicates that the brother, due to his modesty, was unable to fully claim his rights from others. His sibling, therefore, rebuked him, saying that he was causing harm to himself because of this modesty.
At this, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Leave him, for modesty is part of faith”—meaning if due to modesty he does not obtain his right, it will become a cause of reward for him.
Some Ahadith also mention:
الحياء كله خير
"Modesty is entirely good."
And:
الحياء لا ياتي الا بخير
"Modesty brings nothing but good."
➋ How Is Modesty a Part of Faith?
Some scholars explain this by saying that modesty restrains a person from evil just as faith acts as a barrier between a believer and sin. Due to this resemblance, modesty is termed as part of faith. However, according to this interpretation, modesty is only analogous to faith, not an actual part of it.
Therefore, it is better to interpret it in the light of another hadith:
It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
الايمان بضع وستون شعبة والحياء شعبة من الايمان
"Faith has over sixty branches, and modesty is one of its branches."
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī Ḥadīth 9]
This proves that just as the Kalimah, prayer, fasting, love for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and other actions are parts of faith, likewise, modesty is also a branch of the tree of faith.
Another interpretation of الحياء من الايمان is that your brother's modesty is a consequence of his faith, and this quality has developed in him due to his iman.
➌ Types of Modesty
There are several forms of modesty:
✔ Refraining from what Allah dislikes is a form of modesty.
✔ Avoiding what is intellectually distasteful is also modesty.
✔ Abstaining from things considered blameworthy by people is likewise a form of modesty.
However, the real and essential form of modesty is to avoid that which Allah and His Messenger have disapproved of.
Some people avoid performing virtuous deeds, such as enjoining good (amr bil ma‘ruf) and forbidding evil (nahy ‘an al-munkar), and they claim that they feel shy or modest. This is not modesty, but rather cowardice.
True modesty is abstaining from objectionable acts, not from virtuous deeds.
Summary
- Modesty is an integral branch of faith and is inseparable from the qualities of a believer.
- It restrains a person from sin and motivates moral behavior.
- Avoiding good deeds in the name of modesty is a misunderstanding—modesty should never hinder righteousness.
- The purest form of modesty is that which leads to avoiding what Allah and His Messenger have condemned.
