Al-Hayee (The Shy)
Al-Hayee (The Shy)
As-Sitteer (The Coverer)
This is derived from his statement (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam): Verily Allah is Al-Hayee (The Shy). He is shy to let His slave return empty-handed if he outstretches his hands to Him. [Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah] Also is his statement (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam): Verily Allah Mighty and Majestic is Haleem (Forebearing), Hayee (Shy), Sitteer (Covering). He loves modesty and shyness and covering. Therefore when any of you bathe let him cover himself (i.e. from the sight of people). [Abu Dawud, An-Nasaaee, al-Baihaqi, Ahmed, graded as saheeh]
This is from His Mercy, Generosity, and Perfection. His forbearance is in that His slave openly sins although he is intensely dependant upon Him to the degree that it is not even possible for him to disobey if not for the favor of Allah giving him any power. Yet Ar-Rabb (The Ultimate Creator, Sustainer and Provider) is of such complete independence from all of His creation, it is out of His generosity that He is shy to uncover and disgrace him and make lawful the punishment for him, so He covers him through opening means to cover him by. He overlooks and forgives and He shows His love for His slave through His favors, yet they commit sins ful to Him. His good is upon them every moment yet their evil is rising. He is still the Sovereign and Most Generous although their disobedience and every shameful deed goes up to Him. Allah taaalaa is shy to punish the one that tarnishes his Islam as well as to leave the one who outstretches his hands to Him empty handed. He calls upon His slaves to ask Him and He promises to answer them.
He is the Coverer and the Shy Who in turn loves those who possess a sense of shame and who cover faults. Whoever covers the faults of a Muslim, Allah will cover him in this life and in the hereafter. For this reason it is detested that the slave of Allah announces his sin after its commission. Rather the repentance of the slave is between him and his Rabb and not revealed to people. It is the most loathsome of people who commit sin in the night and Allah covers that sin only to remove the covering of Allah in the morning by announcing that sin.
Allah taaalaa said: Verily those who like that (the crime) of illegal ual should be propagated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. [Soorah An-Noor, Aayah 19].
All of this is the meaning of His name Al-Haleem (The Forbearing) Whose forbearance encompasses the disbelievers, the sinful and the disobedient. He holds back His punishment from hurriedly descending upon the wrongdoers for He gives them respite in order to repent. However He does not give them unlimited respite if they persist and continue in their tyranny and excesses without repenting.