Explanation of the Hadith: If You Feel No Shame, Do as You Wish

Is there more? Okay, go ahead.

He (RH) said:

The twentieth hadith: On the authority of Abu Mas'ud 'Uqbah bin 'Amr al-Ansari al-Badri (RA),

who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

"Indeed, among what people have preserved from the words of early prophethood:

'If you feel no shame, then do as you wish.'"

Narrated by al-Bukhari.

Yes, this hadith is on the authority of Abu Mas'ud al-Badri (RA).

Of course, he is called al-Badri, not as some scholars mistakenly thought that he was so called because he participated in the Battle of Badr.

It was said that he is called al-Badri because he lived in Badr or passed through it, not because he participated in the battle.

Although some scholars of knowledge thought otherwise.

That the Prophet ﷺ said: "Indeed, among what people have preserved from the words of early prophethood:

'If you feel no shame, then do as you wish.'"

His saying: "Indeed, among what people have preserved..."

meaning, what they inherited in their speech, which remains from the early prophethood,

meaning, the prophets said it, and Allah ﷻ revealed it to His prophets,

so a remnant and residue of the words of prophethood remained among them,

including this statement: "If you feel no shame, then do as you wish."

This sentence, which is his saying ﷺ: "If you feel no shame, then do as you wish,"

and it was attributed to him—why?

Because it is a form of approval, making it a verbal tacit approval,

as approval is of two types: silence, and approval by word,

and this verbal approval is the stronger of the two types.

This sentence was spoken by the Prophet ﷺ and the prophets before him.

Some scholars thought it is an imperative in the sense of permission:

"If you feel no shame, then you may do as you wish,"

And that is not the case; rather, it is a statement in the sense of a threat,

that he who has no modesty will do whatever he wishes.

So it is by way of threatening and intimidating him.

Therefore, Imam Ahmad (RH)

mentioned that the interpretation of this hadith is:

if a person has no modesty, they will do anything.

He said, "Its interpretation—of this hadith—is not: 'Do what you wish,'"

making it a command; rather, it is a statement."

This Hadith shows us that all goodness lies in modesty.

Imam Ahmad (RH) said:

"If modesty is stripped from a person, all goodness is stripped from him."

A person only covers their private parts due to the modesty inherent in their nature.

A person only refrains from certain forbidden and prohibited acts because of modesty.

This refraining is rewarded because the motive, modesty, is from religion, and modesty is good.

Therefore, it was narrated from some of the Salaf —I think Ibn Abbas (RA)—that he said:

“If you see a boy—meaning a youth— in the beginning of his youth being modest,

it is a sign of his intelligence,”

Because if a person is modest in the early years of his youth,

he will, in this state, refrain from many actions out of fear of things he is shy of,

regardless of who he is shy of, whether his father, mother, teacher, or someone else,

so at that point, he will not commit youthful follies.

And it has come in the Hadith:

"Indeed, Allah ﷻ is amazed by a youth who has no youthful passion."

who has no inclination to youthful folly,

and from whom no mistake has occurred.

Rather, what prevented him early on was modesty.

Modesty.

Therefore, modesty brings nothing but good.

And whoever is stripped of modesty, they might commit every evil,

and they might commit every bad deed.

Therefore, the scholars (RH) established

that this Hadith is central to Islam, as some commentators said.

They said, "Because human actions are either those that one should be ashamed of,

or those that one should not be ashamed of.

And that which one should be ashamed of is either because it is forbidden by Allah ﷻ to do or neglect,

so one feels ashamed before the people of obedience,

or because it goes against custom, which is chivalry (muru'ah),

so one feels ashamed before the people of chivalry.

Thus, refraining from what one should be ashamed of is either obligatory or recommended.

Or the action is something one is not ashamed of,

and it then ranges between the obligatory, the recommended, and the prohibited.

As for what one is ashamed of, doing it is either prohibited or disliked.

Thus, all human actions fall under this Hadith.

That is why when the early scholars (RH) said:

Imagine that beside you is a righteous man.

This is not a matter of showing off (riya'),

but rather it stirs the natural disposition (fitra) toward modesty (haya').

So a person refrains from things he feels ashamed of.

And Yusuf (AS)—we have narrated, and knowledge is with Allah ﷻ, regarding the authenticity of this—

that his father's image appeared before him, and he felt ashamed,

upon them both and upon our Prophet, the best and most complete blessings and peace.

Therefore, doing what one is ashamed of is either prohibited or disliked, which compromises one's muru'ah,

And compromising muru'ah results in the loss of 'adalah.

Yes.