Ahadeeth which Encourage the Covering up of Sins
1 – From Ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
( اجتنبوا هذه القاذورة التي نهى الله عز وجل عنها ، فمن ألمّ فليستتر بستر الله عز وجل )
‘Keep away from immoral sins which Allaah Azza wa Jal has prohibited, whosoever falls into them then he should conceal them with the concealment of Allaah Azza wa Jal.’
[Collected by al-Bayhaqi and authenticated by Albaani in Saheehah no.663]
2 – From Abu Hurairah from the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- who said:
( لَا يَسْتُرُ اللَّهُ عَلَى عَبْدٍ فِي الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا سَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ )
‘Allaah does not conceal a sin for a slave of His in the Duniya except that He conceals it for him on the Day of Judgement.’
[Collected by Muslim]
3 – Hafidh Ibn Hajr -rahimullaah- commented on the story of Maa’iz bin Malik -RadhiAllaahu anhu- about the claim of committing Zina saying:
‘What is derived from his case: that it is recommended for the one who fell into similar circumstances that he repents to Allaah Ta’ala and that he conceals himself and not to mention it to anyone as Abu Bakr and Umar indicated to Maa’iz.
Also that whoever comes across this then he conceals that for him with what we have mentioned, he does not expose him, nor does he raise the matter to the Imam [Muslim Leader] as the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said in this story:
” لو سترته بثوبك لكان خيراً لك “
‘If you had concealed this with your garment then that would have been better for you.’
This is what ash-Shafi’aee -radiAllaahu anhu- was decisive of and he said:
This is what ash-Shafi’aee -radiAllaahu anhu- was decisive of and he said:
‘I like it for the one who committed a sin and Allaah concealed it for him that he conceals it for himself and repents to Allaah.’
He used as evidence the story of Maa’iz with Abu Bakr and Umar.
He used as evidence the story of Maa’iz with Abu Bakr and Umar.
In the story: it is recommended for the one who fell into sinning, regretted it, hastened to repent from it, not to tell anyone about it, and to conceal it with the concealment of Allaah, and if he happened to tell someone, then it is recommended for that person to order him with repentance and to conceal that from the people as occurred for Maa’iz with Abu Bakr and then Umar.’
[Fath al-Bari 12/124]
Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya for Miraathpubs.net