(84) Chapter: Exaltation of Modesty

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed by a man of the Ansar who was admonishing his brother regarding shyness. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Leave him alone, for modesty is a part of Iman."


[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: The Ansari, who was being lectured by his brother, was indeed an embodiment of modesty and unpretentiousness. Such a man is never sharp in worldly affairs because modesty restrains him from following wrong ways. For this reason, modesty has been called a part of the faith. This is an inborn quality, that is, some people are unassertive by birth. Yet, if they are gradually guided and directed towards virtues, their unassumingness further increases. And in Islam it is counted a virtue.

(84) Chapter: Exaltation of Modesty

'Imran bin Husain (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Shyness does not bring anything except good."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

In a narration of Muslim: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "All of shyness is good."

Commentary: This Hadith enlightens us on the excellence of modesty, which serves the good purpose of preventing man from the disobedience of Allah and from immoral and evil pursuits. Evidently, it has a salutary impact on society. Besides, it keeps man free from sins, and, consequently, he will stand blameless with Allah. From this standpoint, modesty is certainly a thorough good.

(84) Chapter: Exaltation of Modesty

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Iman has sixty odd or seventy odd branches. The uppermost of all these is the Testimony of Faith: 'La ilaha illallah' (there is no true god except Allah) while the least of them is the removal of harmful object from the road. And shyness is a branch of Iman."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith has already occurred in a previous chapter, see commentary on Hadith No. 125. Here it has been repeated with reference to the degrees of Faith. Modesty, too, is a part of Faith, rather one of its most important ingredients, because it plays an effective role in the training and sublimation of human psyche.

(84) Chapter: Exaltation of Modesty

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was even shier than a virgin behind her veil. When he saw something which he disliked, we could perceive it on his face.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: Though this Hadith particularly refers to the character of Messenger of Allah (PBUH), it also reveals the fact that modesty is a peculiar quality of woman. An unmarried woman, above all else, is considered to be the embodiment of bashfulness. Islamic countries have witnessed many curses of western civilization and the worst is the one which has robbed away the modesty of woman because it is the last protective shield of Islamic civilization which the enemy is consistently sweeping off. May Allah grant Muslims the insight to avert this wickedness!

(85) Chapter: Secrecy of Private Matters (Guarding Secrets)

Allah, the Exalted, says:
"And fulfill (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant, will be questioned about.'' (17:34)

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The most evil of the people to Allah on the Day of Resurrection will be the man who consorts with his wife and then publicizes her secret."

[Muslim].

Commentary: Islam treats conjugal union as a sacred and secret act, both in social and moral terms. Indeed, the sanctity of conjugal rights contributes to the consolidation of moral norms and social cohesion. Yet, what passes between wife and husband on the consummation night is usually taken in a light vein in our societies. In the morning, both of them relate their sexual experience to their friends respectively. This is moral indecency which is incompatible with human dignity and civilized behaviour. This Hadith reckons it as a grave sin which must be
eschewed. The bed-experience must be kept private by the married couple to the exclusion of a third person.

(85) Chapter: Secrecy of Private Matters (Guarding Secrets)

'Abdullah bin 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
My father 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said: When (his daughter) Hafsah (May Allah be pleased with her) became a widow, I met 'Uthman bin 'Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) and offered Hafsah for marriage to him. 'Uthman said: "I shall think over the matter." I waited for a few days and then 'Uthman met me and said: "It occurred to me that I should not marry at present." Then I met Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: "If you are willing, I shall marry my daughter Hafsah to you." Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) remained silent and did not utter any word to me in reply. I grew more angry with him than with 'Uthman. I had waited for only a few days when Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked for her hand in marriage and I married her to him. Thereafter, I met Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) who said, "Perhaps you were angry with me when you offered Hafsah to me and I said nothing in reply." I said, "Yes, that is so." He said, "Nothing stopped me to respond to your offer except that I knew that Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had mentioned her and I could not disclose the secret of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Had Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) left her, I would have accepted her."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: To keep a secret and not to disclose it to people is the theme of this chapter as reflected in this Hadith. The Hadith has also other points which invite our attention. Firstly, a man can offer his daughter's hand to a righteous person. Secondly, it is undesirable for parents to send a message to another party for the wedlock of their daughter when talks with someone else are already continuing in this regard. Thirdly, if Messenger of Allah (PBUH) wanted to marry a woman but could not realize his intention for a reason or another, it was permissible for a Muslim to marry her because, juristically speaking, such a woman could not be counted as the Prophet's wife.

(85) Chapter: Secrecy of Private Matters (Guarding Secrets)

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
On one occasion all the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) were with him when his daughter, Fatimah (May Allah be pleased with her) who walked after the style of his father, came there. He (ﷺ) welcomed her saying, "Welcome, O my daughter", and made her sit on his right side, or on his left side and then whispered something to her at which she wept bitterly. When he perceived her grief, he talked secretly to her again and she smiled (with happiness). I said to her: "Messenger of Allah (ﷺ chose you from amongst all his wives to speak secretly to you and yet you cried." When he left, I asked her, "What did Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say to you?" She said, "I will not divulge the secret of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)." When Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed away, I said to her: "I adjure you by the right I have in respect of you to tell me what Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had told you." She said: "Now (when Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has died), I will tell you. When he whispered to me the first time, he told me, 'Jibril (Gabriel) used to listen to my recitation of the Qur'an and then recite it back to me once or twice a year, and this time he has done it twice; and so I perceive that my death is approaching. Then be mindful of your duty to Allah and be patient and steadfast, for I shall be an excellent predecessor for you.' On this I wept as you saw. When he perceived my distress he talked to me secretly the second time and said, 'O Fatimah, are you not pleased that you will be the chief among the believing women or of this Ummah?' This made me smile as you saw."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith, too, has an implication for keeping a secret and concealing it from people. Moreover, we learn that one can spontaneously weep over hearing a sorrowful occurrence and also that we should be patient in distress. The Hadith also teaches us not to feel proud upon receiving a blessing. Above all, the excellence of Fatimah (May Allah be pleased with her) and the advisability of reading the Qur'an are brought into our focus.

(85) Chapter: Secrecy of Private Matters (Guarding Secrets)

Thabit (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to me while I was playing with the boys. He greeted us and sent me on an errand. This delayed my return to my mother. When I came to her, she asked, "What detained you?" I said; "Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me on an errand." She asked, "What was it?" I said, "It is a secret." My mother said; "Do not disclose to anyone the secret of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)." Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said to Thabit (May Allah be pleased with him): By Allah, were I to tell it to anyone I would have told you.

[Muslim].

Commentary: Here, too, an emphasis has been laid on keeping a secret. When Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) told his mother about the cause of secrecy, she refrained from insisting that the secret should be disclosed to her. Rather, she lent support to her son's standpoint and advised him to conceal the secret. To be sure, it is part of moral teaching that we should keep the secrets of friends in our hearts. Unless we receive a go-ahead from a friend, we must not make his secret public.

(86) Chapter: Fulfillment of Promises

Allah, the Exalted, says:
"And fulfill (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant will be questioned about. (17:34)
"And fulfill the Covenant of Allah (Bai`ah: pledge for Islam) when you have covenanted.'' (16:91)
"O you who believe! Fulfill (your) obligations.'' (5:1)
"O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is with Allah that you say that which you do not do.'' (61:2,3)

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Three are the signs of a hypocrite: When he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is trusted, he betrays his trust."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration adds the words: "Even if he observes Saum (fasts), performs Salat (prayer) and claims to be a Muslim."

Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned in the chapter about trusts. See Commentary on Hadith No. 201. Its repetition here is meant to stress the point that a hypocrite is recognized by breaking his promise.

(86) Chapter: Fulfillment of Promises

'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'as (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Four are the qualities which, when found in a person, make him a sheer hypocrite, and one who possesses one of them, possesses one characteristic of hypocrisy until he abandons it. These are: When he is entrusted with something, he betrays trust; when he speaks, he lies; when he promises, he acts treacherously; and when he argues, he behaves in a very imprudent, insulting manner."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: Theologically speaking, a disagreement between heart and tongue - or word and deed - about the declaration of faith in Islam is defined as hypocrisy. In the lifetime of the Prophet (PBUH) there existed a group of hypocrites whose traits of characters have been outlined in Ahadith. Humanly it is not possible to perceive malice hidden in one's heart. Even Messenger of Allah (PBUH) hardly knew what lay in the hearts of people because, despite having the exalted status of Prophethood, he was fundamentally a human. Allah, however, had revealed hearts to him. But today, we have no error-free source to pick hypocrites from the ranks of believers. Quite naturally, we fall back on the Hadith which provides us definite symptoms of the character and manners of hypocrites so as to distinguish them from sincere Muslims.

`Ulama' say that there are two aspects of hypocrisy, relating to faith and practice. In the first case, a hypocrite conceals his disbelief in his heart but verbally professes Islam. Anyone who belongs to this category of hypocrites will be, as stated in the Qur'an: "In the lowest depths of the Fire.'' (4:145). In the second case, a man does have faith in his heart but in practice he portrays the characteristics of a hypocrite, unfortunately a majority of today's Muslims practically behave like hypocrites and possess their propensities. It is this hypocritical attitude and moral deficiencies of Muslims that have degraded them and made Islam unappealing. May Allah put Muslims on the right path!

(86) Chapter: Fulfillment of Promises

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "When the revenues of Bahrain will arrive, I shall give you such and such and such." He passed away before the revenues were received. When they arrive during the caliphate of Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him), he ordered to be announced: "Anyone whom Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) promised or owed anything, should come to him." I went to him and said: "Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had said to me such and such." He took a double handful out of the money and gave it to me. I counted it and found that it was five hundred dirham. Then Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) said to me: "Take twice as much more of that amount."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: Messenger of Allah (PBUH), according to Al-Bukhari, spread his both hands thrice in a gesture and indicated to Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him): "I will give you double handfuls of money thrice''. Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him), however, fulfilled the Prophet's promise during his caliphate.
This Hadith is suggestive of fulfillment of the deceased pledge by the ascendant, that is, his death will not invalidate it. Rather, the responsibility of fulfilling his pledge devolves upon his inheritors. Similarly, a new ruler is under obligation to carry out the commitment made by his predecessor on the government level.

(87) Chapter: Safeguarding and Perpetuating Good Habits

Allah, the Exalted, says:
"Verily, Allah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah).'' (13:11)
"And be not like her who undoes the thread which she has spun, after it has become strong.'' (16:92)
"... lest they become as those who received the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before (i.e., Jews and Christians), and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened?'' (57:16)
"But that they did not observe it with the right observance.'' (57:27)


'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'as (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me, "O 'Abdullah! Do not be like so-and-so; he used to get up at night for optional prayer but abandoned it later."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith also stresses the same point, that is, man should be steadfast in his good doings. There should be no cessation in this respect, otherwise, he will unconsciously begin to incline to evil and, therefore, to the erosion of moral foundations of his character. Steadfastness in the observance of good ensures man's security against pitfalls and has Divine approval, too.

(88) Chapter: Excellence of Meeting with a Smiling Countenance and Politeness in Speech

Allah, the Exalted, says:
"And lower your wings for the believers (be courteous to the fellow-believers).'' (15:88)
"And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you.'' (3:159)

'Adi bin Hatim (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Guard yourselves against the Fire (of Hell) even if it be only with half a date-fruit (given in charity); and if you cannot afford even that, you should at least say a good word."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith highlights the point that Sadaqah has great benefits and even in its minimum scope and quantity it can ensure our safety against Hell-fire. We are told that if we do not have even a single date or half of it to give to a needy person, we can manage to have the same benefit by talking to him in a compassionate tone, provided we have Faith in our heart.

(88) Chapter: Excellence of Meeting with a Smiling Countenance and Politeness in Speech

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is also charity to utter a good word."

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: In Islam, it is not spending money alone that counts as charity; talking to somebody in a decent way also comes in the same context. Now, one can feel the importance Islam gives to moral values and good manners. This saying of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) is part of a long Hadith mentioned earlier. See Hadith No. 122.

(88) Chapter: Excellence of Meeting with a Smiling Countenance and Politeness in Speech

Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Do not disdain a good deed, (no matter how small it may seem) even if it is your meeting with your (Muslim) brother with a cheerful face."

[Muslim].

Commentary: Every deed approved by the Shari`ah is considered good and rewarding. Howsoever seemingly small people may consider it, it must not be looked at from a highbrow angle. Even to meet people cheerfully is one of the Islamic virtues, though it may appear quite insignificant to some people.

(89) Chapter: Clarity of Discourse

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) said something, he would repeat his words thrice so that the meanings would be understood fully; and whenever he came upon a group of people, he would greet them, and he would repeat salutation thrice.


[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: To lay stress on a point thrice or to repeat greetings, according to this Hadith, is preferable. It is particularly so when a situation so demands and when explaining a point to the audience once and twice may not be enough.

(89) Chapter: Clarity of Discourse

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
the speech of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was so clear that all those who listened to it would understand it.

[Abu Dawud].

Commentary: Interpreting `Aishah's report, some commentators say that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to speak clearly and decisively. However, it may also mean that, while speaking, he would pause upon his words in such a way that each and every word which came from his lips appeared detached from the other. He was never like those who speak quickly and their words are mixed up with each other. This Hadith reflects the Prophet's eloquence as well as his due care and decency in putting in his viewpoint to the convenience of his audience.

(90) Chapter: Listening Attentively

Jarir bin 'Abdullah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked me on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage to tell the people to keep silent, then he (ﷺ) said, "Do not revert to disbelief after me, chopping the heads of one another."


[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: Commenting on this Hadith, Imam An-Nawawi has argued that one is allowed to lend ear to somebody if he has something reasonable to say. This will not be considered as eavesdropping which is unallowable on doctrinal basis. Secondly, silence is a prerequisite of setting ears to a sermon. And a Khatib (one who delivers a sermon) is perfectly justified if he asks his audience to observe silence so as to be able to listen to him in real earnest.

(91) Chapter: Brevity in Preaching

Allah, the Exalted, says:
"Invite (mankind, O Muhammad (PBUH)) to the way of your Rubb (i.e., Islam) with wisdom (i.e., with the Divine Revelation and the Qur'an) and fair preaching.'' (16:125)

Shaqiq bin Salamah reported:
Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) used to preach to us once every Thursday. A man said to him: "O Abu 'Abdur-Rahman, we love your talk and we wish that you preach us every day." He said: "There is nothing to prevent me from doing so, but I don't lest I bore you. I follow the same method in preaching to you that Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) adopted in preaching to us for fear of boredom."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith throws light on the indispensability of equilibrium in sermons and discourses so that people may not shun them. Monotony, though well designed, is repugnant to human nature. Similarly, teaching and
instructional training requires such hours which may facilitate people's willing participation. Compulsion and economic incentives rarely work in spiritual spheres. We are also informed of the Companions' keenness to follow Messenger of Allah (PBUH).

(91) Chapter: Brevity in Preaching

'Ammar bin Yasir (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Prolonging Salat (prayer) and shortening the Khutbah (religious talk) indicate the religious knowledge of the person. Make your Salat long and your sermon short."

[Muslim].

Commentary: A prolonged Salat (prayer) by no means implies a disregard of worshipper's constraints. It is indeed forbidden. Rather the Imam is emphatically told to perform a brief and concise Salat because his followers also include, amongst others, the weak, the aged and the sick people. Herein an emphasis is laid on prolonging Salat instead of Khutbah (religious talk). The Friday Khutbah is meant to be brief. It must not be too lengthy in relation to
a brief Salat offered heedlessly and in sheer haste. Salat must be offered in all humility and with full attention and concentration of mind. Furthermore, a worshippper ought to maintain a well-paused equilibrium in different
postures of its performance. Brevity should be kept in view of Khutbah.