“Should I not feel shy before one before whom the angels feel shy?”

Al-Hakim transmitted it (3/95 and 103) and said: “Authentic according to the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim.” Al-Dhahabi agreed with him.

Know that it is authentically reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said: “The thigh is part of the awrah.” This is referenced in Irwa al-Ghalil (66). This may trouble some people, leading them to refrain from acting upon it because of the hadith cited above. This is contrary to the position of the scholars, who hold that authentic hadiths must be reconciled. Here, two possible ways of reconciliation appear to the researcher:

First: that the hadith cited above preceded the hadith: “The thigh is part of the awrah.”

Second: that the exposure was one of his special privileges, peace and blessings be upon him; thus, it does not conflict with the other hadith. This is supported by the principle: “A verbal statement takes precedence over an action,” and, “That which prohibits takes precedence over that which permits.” And Allah knows best.

1688 — “Quraysh are people of trustworthiness. No one seeks out their missteps except that Allah, exalted is He, casts him down upon his nostrils.”

Ibn Asakir transmitted it (3/320/1–2) through al-Sawr ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Ubayd ibn Said ibn Yarbu al-Makhzumi, from Zayd ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Said ibn Amr ibn Nufayl of Banu Adi, from his father, who said: “I came to Jabir ibn Abd Allah al-Ansari with a group of young men from Quraysh. We entered upon him after he had lost his sight, and found a rope suspended from the ceiling, with flat loaves—or bread—laid out before him. Whenever a poor man came asking for food, Jabir would rise, go to one of the loaves, take hold of the rope until he reached the poor man, and give it to him. Then he would return by means of the rope and sit down. I said to him: ‘May Allah grant you well-being; when a poor man comes to us, we give him food.’ He replied: ‘I seek reward…’