Concealing the Sins of Your Brother

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam also says, “Whoever conceals the privacies of a Muslim, Allah will conceal their privacies on the day of judgment.” Awrah is something that you do not want others to see. That is why the private parts are also called awrah. Awrah also includes what you don’t want others to see, for example, your sins. Someone may commit a sin away from people because they don’t want others to know about it. For example, there are some people who pray, but suffer from an alcohol addiction. Nevertheless, this person still has a lot of love for Allah, and they know their weakness, and they ask Allah for forgiveness. They don’t want anyone to know. Somehow, you come to know. If you conceal that and don’t let anyone know, then Allah will conceal for you one of your privacies on the Day of Judgment. Every one of us has some privacies that we don’t want others to know. You might wonder – how can you do this if drinking is illegal in Islam? This is a major sin and there is a punishment for it. The intent of the hudood (criminal laws) in Islam is to keep the society clean from any sin that would become public and affect the people. The danger is when the sin becomes public. When a person does a sin privately, it doesn’t affect the society. It becomes a harm when it is public, because it attracts others to that sin.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “When people make fahishah (adultery and fornication) public, then Allah will afflict them with diseases that did not exist in their forefathers.”

Allah says, “Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you do not know.” (24:19) Some of the scholars say that this applies to the ones who go and spy about others and expose the evil to others in the society. This news that would go around would corrupt the people. Talking about evil of others causes corruption in the society – especially when it comes to things like zina, etc. When it is not in the minds of people, don’t bring it up.

The general rule is that everyone will be called before Allah and all of the creation (humanity and jinn) are surrounding and witnessing what is happening. They hear the conversation between the person and Allah. Allah would ask them about their sins – “did you do this sin?” Allah says, “That Day, you will be exhibited [for judgement]; not hidden among you is anything concealed.” (69:18) Everything will be made public that day.

There are some believers who Allah will call and RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that Allah will call them and come down, until he is right over the shoulder of the person and then Allah subhaana wa ta’aala will speak with that person about the sins that person has done in private. And Allah will not let anyone know about it. Then Allah will tell that believer, “I have concealed these sins for you in dunya, and I will conceal them for you today.”

One of the ways to be granted with this blessing is to conceal the privacies of others. Allah subhaana wa ta’aala told us not to spy on others. Every one of us has enough to be concerned with ourselves. When you see something in public, it is your duty to enforce enjoining good and forbidding evil. This is the advice of the early Muslims – it is part of the perfection of one’s faith to leave what is not your business. Then RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said in the end of the hadith, “Allah is in your assistance, as long as you are assisting your brother.”