Should We Conceal Our Sins?

Question

Is there any issue or prohibition in informing someone about our sins and misdeeds, or should a person conceal even the sins they have repented from? [AR_ID:615]

Answer 1

Peace be upon you.

It is generally forbidden for a person to humiliate themselves and expose their faults in front of others. Therefore, if mentioning sins and misdeeds in front of others leads to self-humiliation (which is often the case), it is prohibited. In fact, some narrations have warned against revealing one's flaws to others:

For example: (He who broadcasts his sins is forsaken, while he who conceals his sins is forgiven)

And: (Beware of openly committing sins, for it is one of the gravest sins)

And: (All my community is safe except for those who openly declare their sins, who commit acts at night while their Lord conceals them, then in the morning they say: 'O so-and-so, I did such and such last night...').

The prohibition against revealing one's faults has several reasons, the most important of which are:

1: Others may exploit the believer's flaws to harm them.

2: The sinner may become accustomed to repeating the act if the listener does not deter them from the sin or does not regard it as serious; the listener may even trivialize the sinner's sin.

3: It spreads the forbidden among people, making it easier for others to commit it under the pretext that everyone does it.

However, if informing others is the only way to rid oneself of the sin, it may become necessary as a means to abandon the forbidden. But it is essential to choose a suitable, aware, and religious person when intending to disclose the flaw and sin.