What Counts as Exposing of Sins?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Does watching Netflix with siblings or playing games with them, like League of Legends, expose your sin?
Does listening to music with them or near them count as exposing your sin?
Does going out with nakedness (awra) uncovered count as exposing your sin?
What counts as exposing your sins? Give me examples and answer them in depth.
Jazak Allah Khair
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
Allah Forgives Everyone but Sinners in Public
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Everyone from my nation will be forgiven except those who sin in public. Among them is a man who commits an evil deed in the night that Allah has hidden for him, then in the morning, he says: O people, I have committed this sin! His Lord had hidden it during the night, but in the morning, he reveals what Allah has hidden.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
The above does not count as exposing or publicizing, revealing of sins. Doing a sin or disliked action in public is not considered exposing a sin. Also, it is not referring to people who ignorantly or accidentally sin in public or mention a private sin without the intention of publicization. However, one should still refrain from talking about their past sins when there is no legal need or benefit to mention them.
Imam Munawi said, “This is because from the attributes and favors of Allah are the manifestation of the good and beautiful and the concealment of the vile. Revealing sins is showing immense ingratitude towards such a blessing.”
[Khadimi, Sharh Bariqa al-Muhammadiyya]
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.
Related Answers
- What Does the Hadith on Those Who Sin Openly Mean? (seekersguidance.org)
- Reader on Exposing and Disclosing Past Sins – SeekersGuidance
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
