Islam cautions everyone, both men and women, about committing sins, whether in public or in private. Sins committing in public propmt other to follow the suit and divulging sins in private creates stir in public and make them privy to the crime of the sinners and may not only harm them in some way but also encourage others to add darkness to their lives.
When it comes to committing sins, the onus of doing so particularly lies on men because of their greater responsibilities, influence, and social authority in many spheres of life. Men may have more freedom or opportunity to commit certain sins (e.g., financial fraud, abuse of power, illicit relationships, physical aggression), especially in societies where they are less restrained than women.
Islam puts barriers (ḥudūd) and warnings to prevent these from being abused. Thus a man is accountable not only for himself but also for those under his care. Sinning can damage his ability to lead justly. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has therefore warned the believers to refrain from committing sins openly and also in private and then boasting about it as to prove his manhood and strength to do so as and when he so wishes.
Text of the Hadith
Narrated by Abu Huraira :
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying. "All the sins of my followers will be forgiven except those of 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,' though he spent his night screened by his Lord (none knowing about his sin) and in the morning he removes Allah's screen from himself."
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَخِي ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " كُلُّ أُمَّتِي مُعَافًى إِلاَّ الْمُجَاهِرِينَ، وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْمَجَانَةِ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ الرَّجُلُ بِاللَّيْلِ عَمَلاً، ثُمَّ يُصْبِحَ وَقَدْ سَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ، فَيَقُولَ يَا فُلاَنُ عَمِلْتُ الْبَارِحَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا، وَقَدْ بَاتَ يَسْتُرُهُ رَبُّهُ وَيُصْبِحُ يَكْشِفُ سِتْرَ اللَّهِ عَنْهُ ".
What does the Hadith Mean
In this hadith, word Mujāhir is used to denote those who commit a sin in the dark (metaphorically or literally) and boast or casually reveal it afterward.
It is for such people who commit sins in private and public, Allah has warned:
“Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): ‘(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al‑Fawaahish (great evil sins and every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge’” [Surah Al-A’raaf 7:33]
Despite the sins, Allah still reassured the sinners that He may forgive sins committed in private if the sinner immediately repents and seek the Divine forgiveness, for Allah alone is the witness. But if a man commits sins privately and then publicly confesses or showcases without genuine repentance.
Why disclosure of sins is so Serious
- It removes Allah’s concealment: Allah conceals our mistakes—revealing them ourselves is like tearing away His protective cloak
- It can promote sin: Publicly declaring sins isn’t just personal recklessness—it normalizes them, encouraging others to sin
Wisdom Behind the Guidance
- Protect Allah’s Mercy: Concealing sins invites His forgiveness; exposing them blocks it.
- Guard one’s dignity & community: Shame is a tool to prevent wrongdoing. Flaunting sin
- Prevent sin from spreading: By hiding our faults, we limit their influence on others.
Scholars' view point
Most scholars agree the hadith primarily refers to major sins or the attitude of proudly flaunting any sin.
However, if someone openly brags about even a “minor” sin (like watching prohibited content) without shame, it counts as removing Allah’s concealment and becomes spiritually dangerous
Bottom Line
This hadith teaches that while Allah’s mercy is vast, publicly showcasing sins, even minor ones, can block our forgiveness. It’s a reminder to value humility, discretion, and sincere repentance.
In view of the gravity of sins so committed and then even boasting them publicly, the believers have been specially cautioned to conceal their sins. And if someone has mistakenly or in ignorance divulged these in public, then one must instantly repent and seek Divine forgiveness. And the same time apologise to those whose character has been tarnished. We have to cautious to not even divulging one's secrets in public as a joke and this hurting personal honour and dignity and that of those who were the accomplices.
However, this Hadith may not be taken as a leverage to continue committing sins and then keep repenting. One must earnestly repent one's sins and pledge not to do these again.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Please refer to our exclusive reference page: A good Muslim should NEVER boast of his wealth nor expose his secrets for more posts on the subject.
You may also refer to our reference page: Collection of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Warning and Cautions for more Hadiths on the subject
For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing. one may also consult local Muslim Imaan of the masjid for more calrification.
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