The Beautiful Name of Allaah Ta’ala
al-Hayyee (The Shy One)
Translated & Compiled
by
Abbas Abu Yahya
1 – Allaah says:
<<Verily, Allaah is not ashamed to set forth a parable>>
[al-Baqarah: 26]
2 – What is mentioned in the hadeeth of Ya’ala bin Umayyah –Radi Allaahu anhu–:
that the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- saw a man bathing at an open place where there was no partitioning and without a wrapping garment, so the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- climbed the Mimbar, and he praised Allaah and glorified Him and said:
‘Indeed Allaah – Azza wa Jal – is The Shy One, The One who Conceals, He loves modesty and covering up, so if one of you bathes (outside) then he should cover up.’
[Narrated by Abu Dawood and Nisaa’ee – authenticated by Albaani in ‘Irwa’ no. 2335]
3 – The hadeeth of Salman –Radi Allaahu anhu– who said: The Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
‘Indeed your Lord – Tabaaraka wa Ta’ala – is The Shy One, The Generous, Allaah is Shy from His slave if the slave raises his hands towards Him, that He would return them without anything.’
[Narrated by Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah – authenticated by Albaani in ‘Irwa’ no. 2335]
4 – The author Muhammad al-Hamood an-Najdi said:
‘Know – may Allaah have mercy upon me and you – that the greatest modesty which is necessary to have is with Allaah Ta’ala, He Who fluctuates His blessings and His virtue day and night. We cannot do without Him even for a blink of an eye. We are under His Hearing and Sight, and nothing of our condition, statements and actions is absent from Him.
Just like Allaah –Azza wa Jal- said:
<<Whatever you (O Muhammad) may be doing, and whatever portion you may be reciting from the Qur’aan, – and whatever deed you (mankind) may be doing (good or evil), We are Witness thereof, when you are doing it. And nothing is hidden from your Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom on the earth or in the heaven. Not what is less than that or what is greater than that but is (written) in a Clear Record. >> [Yunus: 61]
[Summarised from ‘an-Nahaj al-Asma’ fee Sharh ‘Asmaa Allaah al-Hussna 3/99-]
5 – Shaykh Muhammad Khaleel Haraas -Rahimullaah- said:
‘The Name of Allaah Ta’ala al-Hayyee (The Shy One) is a Name which is appropriate to Him, and it is not like the Hayya (Modesty) of the creation, which is a change and effect, which seizes a person when he is frightened by that which brings him shame or fault. Rather it is leaving that which is not appropriate with His abundant Mercy and His perfect Generosity and Kindness, and His great Pardoning and His Gentleness.
So the slave of Allaah openly sins even though modesty is the thing that he is in most need of, and modesty is the weakest thing he has, and he uses Allaah’s blessings to sin. However, Allaah – Subhanahu– along with His perfection in not needing anything whatsoever and His complete ability over modesty, is shy from the slave from removing his veil and humiliating him, so Allaah covers up the slave with that which disguises him from the means of covering up, then after that Allaah pardons his sins and forgives them. Just like the hadeeth of Ibn Umar –Radi Allaahu anhu–:
‘Indeed Allaah comes close to the believer, and covers him then asks him, between Himself and the slave: Did you not do such and such, on such and such day? Until the slave of Allaah acknowledges his sins, and is certain that he will definitely be destroyed and Allaah says to him: I covered up your sins in the Dunyaa and today I will forgive them for you.’
[Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim – Taken from ‘an-Nahaj al-Asma’ fee Sharh ‘Asmaa Allaah al-Hussna 3/103]
All Praise belongs to Allāh , may His Praise
and blessings be upon our final
Prophet Muhammad, his
family, his companions
and all those who
follow his
guidance.