Raqif Makhdoomi
Everyone sins, and Allah may forgive every sin except shirk. Shirk is the only sin that will not be forgiven without seeking repentance for it. There are people who feel remorse for their sins, but unfortunately, there are also people who publicize their sins. They feel proud of them. They speak about them as if it is an achievement. One of the most bragged-about sins is premarital intercourse. Premarital intercourse is considered one of the most serious sins mentioned in the Qur’an. When I say “premarital intercourse,” I mean all sexual relations with a woman whom you are not married to. Allah says in the Qur’an: “And do not even go near zina. Indeed, it is one of the worst sins.” But unfortunately, people brag about it and consider it an achievement.
A hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari explains the seriousness of publicizing sins.
Narrated 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 and in the morning he removes Allah’s screen from himself.”
The problem with people is that they think bragging about their sins makes them look cool. They do not realize that they are putting themselves in trouble, because those to whom you disclose your sins may become witnesses against you on the Day of Judgment.
In Islamic tradition, sins committed or exposed in public (known as mujaharah) are considered severe because they spread immorality, normalize evil, and show a lack of shame before God. While Allah may forgive private sins, those who flaunt their transgressions openly or boast about hidden sins forfeit this immediate forgiveness. When someone speaks publicly about his or her sins, it removes the screen that Allah had placed between the person and the people.
Another problem with making sins public is that when you turn away from them and take the path of guidance, people may start taunting you and make it difficult for you to improve yourself, because they keep reminding you of what you disclosed. It is better to keep sins concealed when they are committed behind closed doors.
Not only committing the act publicly, but also disclosing private sins—such as posting about them on social media—after Allah has concealed them is dangerous. Such actions destroy personal reputation, foster an environment of disobedience, and make the sin worse than if it had remained private.
There is another hadith in Sahih Muslim which says:
“Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: All the people of my Ummah would get pardon for their sins except those who publicize them. It means that a servant commits a deed during the night and tells the people in the morning that he has done so and so, whereas Allah has concealed it, or he commits a deed during the day and tells the people at night, whereas Allah has concealed it.”
People need to understand that the Qur’an repeatedly warns against sin. Every sin has its consequences, yet Allah also speaks of forgiving sins when one seeks forgiveness. The unfortunate reality today is that people brag about their sins without knowing the consequences of making them public. While you are boasting, people may laugh with you. But when you later repent and choose the right path, they may mock you and remind you of what you once revealed.
Every one of us is a sinner, yet we often judge others for sins that we ourselves do not commit or have not committed yet. We try to justify our own sins while holding others responsible for theirs.
We often preach to others about what we ourselves fail to practice, and Islam calls this hypocrisy. Both the Qur’an and hadith warn against such behavior and urge people to refrain from it. The Qur’an highlights this issue, stating that it is “most hateful” to Allah to say what you do not do. Verses such as Surah As-Saff (61:2–3) question those who speak without acting, and Surah Al-Baqarah (2:44) asks whether people order righteousness while forgetting themselves.
According to the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), those who instruct others to do good but fail to do so themselves will face consequences. The Prophet (peace be upon him) described a severe punishment in the Hereafter for such people. He mentioned a person being punished in Hellfire who admits: “I used to order you to do good, but I did not do it myself, and I used to forbid you from evil, but I used to do it myself.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3094; Sahih Muslim)
We must remain aware that we are human and prone to sin. The Qur’an does not say that you will never sin; rather, it warns against sin, outlines its consequences, and speaks of forgiveness for those who repent. Matters become serious when a person becomes proud of sin and repeatedly tells others about it. When something remains between you and Allah, you need not fear exposure. But when a third person enters that space, the entire situation changes.
We are all sinners, but we must focus on improving ourselves and seeking forgiveness.
