Shaykh Ibn Bāz on the meaning of “There is no shyness in the religion” and the balance between seeking knowledge and preserving Islamic modesty.
Questioner: The statement, “There is no shyness in the religion,” has been circulating upon the tongues of the people.
Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn Bāz (d. 1420 AH / 1999 CE), may Allah ﷻ have mercy upon him, replied: This statement is correct linguistically and in meaning, when understood properly. It is similar to what the woman, Umm Sulaym bint Milḥān (may Allah be pleased with her), said to the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: “Verily, Allah is not shy of (telling) the truth. Is it necessary for a woman to take a bath after she has a wet dream?” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
The intended meaning of the statement, “There is no shyness in the religion,” refers to the type of shyness that should not prevent a person from asking questions in order to learn and gain proper understanding of the religion. Shyness must not stop a person from enquiring about matters of dīn and striving to comprehend them. If, however, the intended meaning is that there is no shyness in the religion in an absolute and unrestricted sense, then this is incorrect.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Shyness is a part of faith.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim) He ﷺ also said: “If you feel no shyness, then do as you wish.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
The shyness that prevents a person from committing sins is part of faith. This type of shyness is praiseworthy and beloved to Allah ﷻ. Therefore, if the intent behind this statement is that shyness should not prevent a person from asking questions for the purpose of learning and understanding the religion, then this meaning is correct.
Shyness is of two types.
The first type is the shyness that prevents a person from learning his religion and comprehending it properly. This type of shyness is prohibited and is not considered true shyness in Islām.
The second type is the shyness that prevents a person from bad manners and sinful actions. This is the shyness that is required and encouraged. It is the type of shyness with which the religion of Islām came.
This is indicated by the narration in which the Prophet ﷺ said: “Faith has over seventy branches. The highest of them is the statement: ‘There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ The lowest of them is removing harm from the road, and shyness is one of the branches of faith.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim) Shyness that prevents a person from evil is a branch of faith. Indeed, shyness is a great and noble characteristic which restrains a person from sinful actions and encourages him to adhere to righteous deeds. However, if the intent behind the statement “There is no shyness in the religion” is that there is no shyness whatsoever in Islām, then this understanding is incorrect.
References
ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn Bāz (d. 1420 AH / 1999 CE), Nūr ʿalā al-Darb: Madā Ṣiḥḥat al-Maqūlah (Lā Ḥayāʾ fī al-Dīn), radio programme transcription, compiled and edited by Muḥammad ibn Saʿd al-Shuwayʿir, Dār al-Waṭan, Riyadh, 1st edn, 2004, vol. 3, pp. 112-114.
Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī (d. 256 AH / 870 CE), Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, ed. Muṣṭafā Dīb al-Bughā, Dār Ibn Kathīr, Damascus and Beirut, 1993, Book of Knowledge, ḥadīth no. 130.
Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj al-Naysābūrī (d. 261 AH / 875 CE), Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ed. Muḥammad Fuʾād ʿAbd al-Bāqī, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, Beirut, n.d., Book of Faith, ḥadīth no. 34.
Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Manners, ḥadīth no. 6120.
Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj al-Naysābūrī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Faith, ḥadīth no. 35.
ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn Bāz (d. 1420 AH / 1999 CE), Fatāwā Nūr ʿalā al-Darb, compiled by Muḥammad ibn Saʿd al-Shuwayʿir, Dār al-Waṭan, Riyadh, 2004, vol. 1, pp. 214-216.
July 15, 2020
3 mins read
November 9, 2017
2 mins read
