Hiding your sins is not from hypocrisy – Explained by Shaykh bin Baz

Hiding your sins is not from hypocrisy

Explained by Shaykh bin Baz

The following is a summary translation



Questioner: Broadcasting sins is consider a sin, while the hypocrite is the one whose hidden affair contradicts what is apparent, thus he is sinning. So how do we reconcile between the two? Meaning is it hypocrisy to hide the sins and display righteousness?



Shaykh bin Baz: It is obligatory upon the Muslim to screen himself with the screen of Allah and to not expose his/her sins. Rather if he/she commits a sin he covers himself with the screen of Allah and he repents to Allah. This is based upon the statement of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم:

كُلُّ أُمَّتِي مُعَافًى إِلَّا الْمُجَاهِرِينَ

All of my Ummah will be pardoned except for the Mujahirin (those who commit a sin openly or disclose their sins to the people)



He deemed them to be from those who would not be pardoned.

أُمَّتِي مُعَافًى إِلاَّ الْمُجَاهِرِينَ، وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْمَجَانَةِ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ الرَّجُلُ بِاللَّيْلِ عَمَلاً، ثُمَّ يُصْبِحَ وَقَدْ سَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ، فَيَقُولَ يَا فُلاَنُ عَمِلْتُ الْبَارِحَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَ

All of my Ummah will be pardoned except for the the Mujahirin (those who commit a sin openly or disclose their sins to the people). An example of such disclosure is that a person commits a sin at night and though Allah screens it from the public, then he comes in the morning, and says, ‘O so-and-so, I did such-and-such (evil) deed yesterday’



Thus it is obligatory upon the Muslim to cover himself with the screen of Allah and to not expose the sins, and he/she must repent to Allah.



If the sin is hidden it only harms the sinner, but if it is publicized and not disapproved of it hurts the general populace. Therefore it is upon the sinner to fear Allah and to hide his/her sins and to repent to Allah from the sin, and to struggle against his/her soul. And the sinner must not publicize his sins because publicizing the sins is a great evil. It gives courage to others to sins by following his/her example, and not giving concern to sins, and having very little shyness.



If he/she commits the sin in private he is more likely to repent, thus Allah will accept his/her repentance. And this is not from hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is to hide disbelief while displaying the religion; this is hypocrisy. We ask Allah for safety and security.



Translated by Rasheed ibn Estes Barbee

Taken from:   http://mtws.posthaven.com/hiding-your-sins-is-not-from-hypocrisy