Is it permissible to interpret the attribute of shyness (al-haya’) of Allah Almighty, mentioned in the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "As for the other, he felt shy (istahya), so Allah felt shy of him (istahya Allah minhu)"?

It is not permissible to interpret the attribute of shyness (al-haya’) for Allah Almighty; rather, it is obligatory to believe in it and let it pass as it has come, while negating Allah’s resemblance to creation. Its status in this regard is like the attributes of contentment (al-rida), anger (al-ghadab), and love (al-mahabbah). A group of scholars has explicitly affirmed this attribute, among them Ibn Surayj, who emphasized that all verses and narrations regarding Allah’s attributes must be believed in as they have come, without interpretation, anthropomorphism, or explanation. This is the doctrine of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah, and anything that contravenes it is an innovation.