Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 1608
وَعَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: «اسْتَحْيُوا مِنَ اللَّهِ حَقَّ الْحَيَاءِ» قَالُوا: إِنَّا نَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ اللَّهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ قَالَ: «لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ وَلَكِنَّ مَنِ اسْتَحْيَى مِنَ اللَّهِ حَقَّ الْحَيَاءِ فَلْيَحْفَظِ الرَّأْسَ وَمَا وَعَى وَلْيَحْفَظِ الْبَطْنَ وَمَا حَوَى وَلْيَذْكُرِ الْمَوْتُ وَالْبِلَى وَمَنْ أَرَادَ الْآخِرَةَ تَرَكَ زِينَةَ الدُّنْيَا فَمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فَقَدِ اسْتَحْيَى مِنَ اللَّهِ حَقَّ الْحَيَاءِ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ
Ibn Masud reported that the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to his companions one day, "Show Allah the reverence due to Him." They said, "We do revere Allah, Prophet of Allah, and praise be to Allah." He said, "That is not what I mean. Whoever truly reveres Allah should guard the head and what it contains, guard the belly and what it holds, remember death and decay, and whoever desires the Hereafter should leave the adornment of this world. Whoever does that has shown Allah the reverence due to Him." Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi transmitted it; al-Tirmidhi said, "This is a singular hadith."
Translation notes
اسْتَحْيُوا مِنَ اللَّهِ حَقَّ الْحَيَاءِ
The wording invokes haya, which can convey modesty, shame, or reverent restraint before Allah; the following conduct gives its practical sense but does not eliminate the lexical nuance.
Should haya here be rendered as modesty before Allah or as reverence due to Him?