The One from whom the Angels Express Hayaa (Modesty): (Part 2 of Retreat Lectures)

“The One from whom the Angels Express Hayah (Modesty)” By Shaykh Mohammad Farhan (I think)

This lecture is about Uthman ibn Affan (ra), a close companion of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. Uthman ibn Affan (ra) was six years younger than the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. He was born into the very wealthy and noble family of the Quraish tribe. His father was a wealthy businessman but he passed away young. Uthman’s (ra) life from the beginning was in keeping with the deen, he didn’t worship idols nor did he drink alcohol. It was said that Uthman (ra), at one point, was running Makkah because of his wealth.

When the Prophetﷺ first received the words of Allah سبحانه و تعالى‎, Uthman (ra) was away on business, when he returned he heard that Abu Bakr (ra) was following a man named Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم . Uthman (ra) asked Abu Bakr (ra) about the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and went to meet him, as soon as Uthman (ra) saw the Prophet’s face, he could tell that this man is not a liar, and as soon as the Prophet began to tell him about the basics of Islam, that there is one God, that we have to give charity, tell the truth etc. Uthman (ra) found these words so attractive that he immediately accepted Islam.

Uthman (ra) was an early convert and faced all the tribulations and hardships of the time, he went through all the migrations and fought in the wars. He is one of the ten ashra’mubashireen (the ten companions that were given the glad tidings of Jannah-heaven).

Uthman (ra) had great modesty and beautiful character, on one occasion the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم had a dream in which he was doing Umrah (six years after the migration to Medina). So he gathered the believers and prepared for Umrah. When the people of Mecca saw the Prophet approaching they thought he was there for war. Everyone decided to send Uthman (ra) to negotiate with the Meccans and allow them to preform Umrah. However, false rumors began to spread that Uthman (ra) had been murdered. The Prophet’s صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم response was truly beautiful, he put his hands together and said one of them was Uthman (ra). He gathered everyone and vowed to bring justice to Uthman’s (ra) killer. This was the Prophet’s صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم love for him.

When Uthman’s (ra) wife left him because he accepted Islam, the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم married him to his own daughter, Ruqiayyah. However, Ruqaiyyah also passed away and soon the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم married Uthman to another daughter.

The reason this lecture was called “The one from whom the angels express hayah” is because on one occasion, Aisha (ra) noticed that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was sitting casually when Abu Bakr and Umar bin Khattab (ra) came in, and he did not really adjust his seating. But when Uthman (ra) came in, the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم fixed his shirt and pulled his legs in. When Aisha (ra) asked the Prophet about this, he said “If the angels express hayaa in front of Uthman, then why shouldn’t I?”

My Thoughts: I don’t understand what kind of hayaa must have been in the heart of Hazrat Uthman (ra) that the angels felt modesty towards him, subhan’Allah. The Shaykh also included the famous quote about hayaa: “If you want to commit a sin, do it in a place where Allah and His angels aren’t watching,” because hayaa in front of your Lord means having the sense to stop yourself from sin because you know He’s always watching.