Aslam

Praise be to Allah.Al-Bukhaari narrated in al-Saheeh that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)

said: “The Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be

upon him) said that Moosa (peace be upon him) was a very shy and modest

man, and none of his skin was ever seen because he was so modest. So some

of the Children of Israel annoyed him by saying, ‘He is only being so

modest because he has some fault in his skin, such as leprosy, scrotal

hernia, etc.’ Allaah wanted to demonstrate that he was free of what they

were saying about him. One day Moosa went away by himself, put his garment

on a rock and washed himself. When he had finished, he went to pick up his

garment, and the rock ran away with it. Moosa picked up his stick and ran

after the rock, saying, ‘My garment, O rock! My garment, O rock!’ Then

he reached a group of the Children of Israel, who saw him naked and that

he was the best that Allaah had created and the most free of the faults

that they had spoken of. Then the rock stopped, so Moosa took his garment

and struck the rock with his stick. By Allaah, there were marks left on

the rock by his stick, three or four or five. This is what Allaah said

(interpretation of the meaning): ‘O

you who believe! Be not like those who annoyed Moosa (Moses), but Allaah

cleared him of that which they alleged, and he was honourable before

Allaah’ [al-Ahzaab 33:69].”

(Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 3404)

The scholars quoted this hadeeth as evidence that it

is permissible to be naked when one is alone, especially if that is for a

reason such as taking a bath. Most of the scholars regarded this as being

permissible, as al-Haafiz said in al-Fath

(1/385). Al-Bukhaari gave this chapter the title “Chapter on one who

bathes naked when he is alone, although whoever covers himself, covering

is preferable.” The fact that covering oneself is preferable is taken

from the hadeeth which was narrated by the authors of Sunan

and classed as hasan by

al-Tirmidhi and as saheeh by

al-Haakim, from Mu’aawiyah ibn Haydah, who said: “I said, ‘O Prophet

of Allaah, when should we cover our ‘awrah and when may we uncover

it?’ He said, ‘Protect (cover) your ‘awrah from everyone except your

wife and those whom your right hand possesses (concubines).’ I said,

‘O Messenger of Allaah, what about when one of us is alone?’ He said,

‘Allaah is more deserving than the people that you should be modest

before Him.’”

And Allaah is the Source of strength.