A student’s reading of a research paper on the name of Allah, al-Hayy (the Modest)
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The student: And so, this is a research paper on establishing the name al-Hayy (the Modest) for Allah (Mighty and Majestic), which Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his *Nuniyyah* on page 148. This name is established, and praise be to Allah, so it did not require much time or effort on my part. Al-Tirmidhi narrated it in the Book of Supplications, in the chapter on the generosity of Allah, hadith number 3556, in volume five, page 556. He said: “Muhammad ibn Bashar narrated to us, and Ibn Abi ‘Adi narrated to us, saying: Ja‘far ibn Maymun, the owner of the patterns, informed us, from Abu Usman al-Nahdi, from Salman al-Farisi, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3556Da’if (Darussalam) Al-Tirmidhi said: “This is a good, strange hadith, and some of them narrated it without tracing it back to the Prophet”. Abu Dawud also narrated it in the Book of Prayer, in the chapter on supplication, in volume two, page 78, hadith number 1488. He said: “Mu‘ammal ibn al-Fadl al-Harani narrated to us, saying: ‘Isa, meaning Ibn Yunus, narrated to us, saying: Ja‘far, meaning Ibn Maymun, the owner of the patterns, narrated to us, saying: Abu Usman narrated to me, from Salman, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Abi Dawud 1488Sahih (Al-Albani) Ibn Majah also narrated it in his *Sunan*, in the Book of Supplications, in the chapter on raising the hands in supplication, in volume two, chapter number 13, page 3271. He said: “Abu Bashr Bakr ibn Khalaf narrated to us, and Ibn Abi ‘Adi narrated from Ja‘far ibn Maymun, from Abu Usman, from Salman, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: Sunan Ibn Majah 3865Hasan (Darussalam) Al-Hakim also narrated it in his *Mustadrak*, in volume one, page 497, with the same wording. He said: “It has a corroborating narration with a sound chain from the hadith of Anas, with the wording: Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim 18:29”
Al-Albani authenticated this hadith in *Sahih al-Jami‘*, in volume one, page 392, hadith number 1757, and al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) graded it as good in *Fath al-Bari*, in volume eleven, page 147. Al-Bayhaqi mentioned this name among the beautiful names of Allah in his book *Al-Asma’ wa al-Sifat*, in volume one, page 158, in the edition of Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi. Al-Halimi said: “Its meaning is that He dislikes to turn back a servant when he calls upon Him and asks for something that is not impossible in His wisdom to give him and respond to. He does so, but He does not fear blame as people do, and because of that, they dislike doing certain things or leaving certain things. For fear is not permissible for Him”
Our Shaykh (may Allah preserve him) mentioned it in his book *Al-Qawa‘id al-Muthla*, in the section on the attributes of Allah and His beautiful names, on page 16, among the names established by the Sunnah. And in his commentary on *Al-Qawa‘id*, he said: “It is derived from *hayā’* (modesty)”
The author of *‘Awn al-Ma‘bud* said in volume four, page 359, and his exact wording is: “*Hayy* is a *fa‘il* form, meaning one who is at the peak of modesty. It is interpreted regarding Allah as what is the purpose and the goal. The purpose of the modest one regarding a thing is to leave it and refuse it, because modesty is a change and a breaking down out of fear of what is blamed and criticized for. And that is impossible for Allah. But His goal is to do what pleases and leave what harms. Or its meaning is dealing with the modest one. But the correct view is that we describe and name Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) with what He described and named Himself with in His Book, or with what His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) described Him with. It does not follow from naming Him *al-Hayy* (the Modest) that there is humiliation and breaking down as happens to some humans. Rather, it is a modesty befitting His Majesty (Glorified and Exalted is He), without likening Him to the created, and without asking how” And Allah knows best. May Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and all his Companions.
The Shaykh : You have done well. It is good. It will be added to... take it, and give us a copy. Yes.
Indeed, Allah, is Hayy, Generous, when a man raises his hands to Him, He feels too shy to return them to him empty and rejected.
إن الله حيي كريم يستحيي إذا رفع الرجل إليه يديه أن يردهما خائبتينYour Lord is munificent and generous, and is ashamed to turn away empty the hands of His servant when he raises them to Him.
إن ربكم تبارك وتعالى حيي كريم يستحيي من عبده إذا رفع يديه إليه أن يردهما صفرا"Your Lord is Kind and Most Generous, and is too kind to let His slave, if he raises his hands to Him, bring them back empty," or he said "frustrated."
إن ربكم حيي كريم يستحي من عبده أن يرفع إليه يديه فيردهما صفرا أو قال خائبتينIndeed, Allah is merciful, modest, and generous. He is too modest toward His servant when he raises his hands to Him to not place good in them.
إن الله رحيم حيي كريم يستحي من عبده أن يرفع إليه يديه ثم لا يضع فيهما خيراAl-Albani authenticated this hadith in *Sahih al-Jami‘*, in volume one, page 392, hadith number 1757, and al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) graded it as good in *Fath al-Bari*, in volume eleven, page 147. Al-Bayhaqi mentioned this name among the beautiful names of Allah in his book *Al-Asma’ wa al-Sifat*, in volume one, page 158, in the edition of Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi. Al-Halimi said: “Its meaning is that He dislikes to turn back a servant when he calls upon Him and asks for something that is not impossible in His wisdom to give him and respond to. He does so, but He does not fear blame as people do, and because of that, they dislike doing certain things or leaving certain things. For fear is not permissible for Him”
Our Shaykh (may Allah preserve him) mentioned it in his book *Al-Qawa‘id al-Muthla*, in the section on the attributes of Allah and His beautiful names, on page 16, among the names established by the Sunnah. And in his commentary on *Al-Qawa‘id*, he said: “It is derived from *hayā’* (modesty)”
The author of *‘Awn al-Ma‘bud* said in volume four, page 359, and his exact wording is: “*Hayy* is a *fa‘il* form, meaning one who is at the peak of modesty. It is interpreted regarding Allah as what is the purpose and the goal. The purpose of the modest one regarding a thing is to leave it and refuse it, because modesty is a change and a breaking down out of fear of what is blamed and criticized for. And that is impossible for Allah. But His goal is to do what pleases and leave what harms. Or its meaning is dealing with the modest one. But the correct view is that we describe and name Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) with what He described and named Himself with in His Book, or with what His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) described Him with. It does not follow from naming Him *al-Hayy* (the Modest) that there is humiliation and breaking down as happens to some humans. Rather, it is a modesty befitting His Majesty (Glorified and Exalted is He), without likening Him to the created, and without asking how” And Allah knows best. May Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and all his Companions.
The Shaykh : You have done well. It is good. It will be added to... take it, and give us a copy. Yes.