Here Imam an-Nawawi gathers the teaching on haya, a word that covers modesty, shyness, and a tender sense of shame before Allah and people. Far from a weakness to be coached out of someone, haya is presented as a living part of faith that keeps a believer back from what is ugly and draws them toward what is good.
Read these reports as one portrait. Modesty is named a branch of iman, it is said to bring nothing but good, and it is shown in the flesh through the Prophet himself, peace be upon him, whose face would change at anything improper. The thread to notice is that real haya is not awkwardness but a refined inner restraint.
Hadith 680
Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مر على رجل من الأنصار وهو يعظ أخاه في الحياء، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "دعه فإن الحياء من الإيمان" ((متفق عليه)) .
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].
In plain words
Seeing a man scold his brother for being too shy, the Prophet stopped him and said modesty is part of faith. A sense of shame before what is wrong is something to keep, not coach away.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 680 In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 1
Hadith 681
'Imran bin Husain (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعن عمران بن حصين، رضي الله عنهما، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “ الحياء لا يأتى إلا بخير” ((متفق عليه)) . وفي رواية لمسلم” "الحياءه خير كله”أوقال: “الحياء كله خير" .
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."
In plain words
Modesty brings nothing but good, and as one narration puts it, all of it is good. A wholesome sense of shame leads only to what benefits.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 681 In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 2
Hadith 682
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
-وعن أبى هريرة رضي الله عنه، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: “الإيمان بضع وسبعون، أو بضع وستون شعبة، فأفضلها قول لا إله إلا الله، وأدناها إماطة الأذى عن الطريق، والحياء شعبة من الإيمان” ((متفق عليه)) .
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].
In plain words
Faith has many branches, the highest being the declaration that there is no god but Allah and the lowest removing a hazard from the road, and modesty is one of these branches. Faith shows itself across acts large and small.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 682 In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 3
Hadith 683
Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه، قال: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أشد حياء من العذراء في خدرها، فإذا رأى شيئياً يكرهه عرفناه في وجهه. ((متفق عليه)) .
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].
In plain words
The Prophet was shyer than an unmarried girl behind her veil, and his face would show whenever he saw something he disliked. His refined modesty was visible in his manner.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 683 In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 4