Major Principles of Islam: Conceal the faults of others

One of the principles that is important in Islam: the concept of “satr,” which is concealing faults and mistakes. This concept applies in two directions: personal and private mistakes, and the mistakes or sins of others.

Satr – concealing faults

Concealing faults is one of the main principles in Islam. Islam encourages us to conceal sins—not to commit sins, of course, but if they happen, to conceal them rather than expose them, whether they are your own fault or someone else’s. One of Allah’s names, as we covered in our series on the Beautiful Names of Allah, is As-Sitteer, the One who conceals sins, faults, and mistakes. This name should be reflected by His servants, who should emulate this attribute by concealing their own mistakes and the mistakes of others. However, if something is harmful or damaging, it’s not recommended to conceal it, but rather to expose it, though there are conditions for how to do this.

We are not perfect

Allah loves the concealment of sins, faults, and mistakes. As humans, we have weaknesses and are not perfect beings. Unlike the angels—who never err and have no faults or sins—we as humans have a tendency to commit mistakes, as well as a tendency to be spiritual, righteous, and good. This is where the choice lies: the angels have no choice, as they simply follow Allah’s commands. Humans, however, have the choice to obey or rebel, though these choices come with consequences. This demonstrates our potential to excel in both good and bad actions.

Because of our inherent weakness, all of us have committed and continue to commit mistakes. Imagine if every mistake were to be publicised. In today’s social media culture, people search for and expose the mistakes and sins of others. This is haram and completely prohibited. Instead, Allah encourages the opposite. But why? If you expose others, they will expose you, spreading evil in the community. The ethos behind the concept of concealment is to help the community remain within Allah’s boundaries and to discourage brazenly crossing those boundaries.

There are numerous narrations illustrating the importance of concealing sins and mistakes. For instance, Allah says in an ayah:

Do you not see that Allah has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and He has completed His blessings upon you, both apparent and hidden? (Luqman: 20)

Al-Baghawi, in his tafsir commented that Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The apparent blessings are Islam and the Quran, and the hidden ones are those sins that Allah has concealed for you and has not hastened to punish you for them.

Imagine the opposite: if Allah exposed our sins and punished us immediately, we would be doomed. By concealing our sins and giving us another chance, Allah teaches us to offer others another chance as well.

During the Prophet’s lifetime (peace be upon him), an incident occurred where a new Muslim, unaware of the boundaries, took a public shower while naked. It was out of his ignorance, as jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance) imposed no such limits. The Prophet (peace be upon him) addressed this and said “Allah is modest and loves modesty.” He instructed that if someone takes a shower, they should cover themselves to avoid exposure.

Ya’la (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw a man performing ghusl in an open place, so he ascended the Minbar and praised and glorified Allah, then he said:

عن يعلى بن أمية أن رسولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رأى رجلًا يَغْتَسِلُ بالبَرازِ ، فصَعِدَ المنبرَ ، فحَمِدَ اللهَ وأثنى عليه ، وقال : إن اللهَ عزَّ وجلَّ حليمٌ حييٌّ ، سِتِّيرٌ ، يُحِبُّ الحياءَ ، والسِتْرَ ، فإذا اغتسَلَ أحدُكم فلْيَسْتَتِرْ. رواه النسائي

Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, is forbearing, modest and concealing, and He loves modesty and concealment. When any one of you performs Ghusl, let him conceal himself. (Nasa’i)

Another beautiful narration states that on the Day of Judgment, Allah will remind the believer of his sins, which the believer will acknowledge, thinking they are doomed, but then Allah will forgive him.

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:

Indeed, Allah will bring the believer close and place His protection over him, covering him. Then He will say: ‘Do you recognize this sin and that sin?’ The believer will reply: ‘Yes, my Lord.’ Until He has reminded him of all his sins, and the believer will feel as though he is doomed. Then Allah will say: ‘I concealed them for you in this world, and I forgive them for you today.’ Then the believer will be given his book of good deeds. (Bukhari)

How to attain Allah’s concealment of your sins

Scholars have also commented on attaining Allah’s concealment. They suggest reasons and conditions, such as refraining from openly declaring sins and mistakes. In today’s world, people often share their sins on social media, which destroys this protection. If someone commits a sin, they should conceal it, repent, and seek Allah’s forgiveness without informing anyone.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said every member of his Ummah will be forgiven, except those who sin openly.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

Every member of my Ummah will be forgiven except the open sinners. And among the forms of open sinning is when a person does something wrong during the night, and his Lord conceals it for him, but when morning comes, he says, ‘O so-and-so, I did such-and-such last night,’ even though his Lord had concealed it for him. He spent the night under Allah’s cover, but in the morning, he exposes Allah’s covering. (Bukhari)

By exposing what Allah has concealed, they forfeit His protection. This is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasised that forgiveness is for those who are discreet when they sin.

Do not challenge Allah by breaking His commands openly

Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) commented that when someone openly commits a sin, there is a disregard for the rights of Allah because they are breaking the limits, showing that they don’t care about His commands. It is like challenging Allah and they may face punishment from Allah as well as possible punishment from the court. It depends on the case and the details.

In Fath al-Bari, Ibn Hajar said:

“Ibn Battal said: In openly committing a sin, there is a disregard for the rights of Allah and His Messenger, as well as for the righteous believers. It also involves a kind of defiance towards them. Concealing the sin, on the other hand, ensures safety from such disrespect, as sins humiliate their doers. They may face punishment if the sin warrants a legal penalty, or disciplinary action if it does not. But when the matter is purely the right of Allah, He is the most generous of the generous, and His mercy precedes His anger. Therefore, if Allah conceals a sin in this world, He will not expose it in the Hereafter. However, the one who openly commits the sin loses all of that protection.”

Concealing the mistakes and faults of yourself and your brothers and sisters is encouraged and recommended. Many narrations state this,

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

No servant covers the fault of another servant in this world, except that Allah will cover him on the Day of Judgment. (Muslim)

This is such a beautiful narration. In another narration, he said:

Whoever conceals the fault of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his fault in this world and the Hereafter. (Muslim)

Al-Bayhaqi said: Al-Sittir means that He is the Concealer who covers His servants abundantly and does not expose them in public. Likewise, He loves that His servants cover themselves and avoid actions that would bring them shame.

Al-Aini said: It is part of His nature and will to love concealment and protection.” He loves concealment, which means that a person should cover his own faults, and also cover the faults of his Muslim brother if he sees him doing something inappropriate.

Ibn al-Qayyim said in his poem Al-Nuniyah:

He is the Most Modest, so He does not expose His servant 

When the servant openly commits disobedience. 

Rather, He casts His covering upon him, 

For He is the Concealer (Al-Sittir) and the One who forgives. (Al Nuniyah)

One cannot guarantee that they will never make a mistake or need others to cover them. We are weak and can make mistakes at any time in the very simplest way. May Allah protect us.

Not publicising sin is not the same as turning a blind eye to sin

Does it mean if we see someone doing something wrong, we shouldn’t say anything? No, definitely not. If someone is still engaged in wrongdoing, they should be stopped. If you know about it, you should offer advice to them in private. This is the Islamic position.

How to receive Allah’s protection

One reason we can gain the cover of Allah for our sins and mistakes—not to be exposed—is to be charitable.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

 Whoever among you is able to shield himself from the Fire, even by giving half a date in charity, let him do so. (Muslim)

This shield and protection can be achieved through small acts of charity, which Allah may reward by granting His protection.

Another narration encourages raising and treating daughters kindly and giving them a good upbringing. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

 Whoever is responsible for any of these daughters and treats them well, they will be a shield for him from the Fire.  (Bukhari).

One additional reason is covering the deceased while washing them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

 Whoever washes a deceased person and covers him, Allah will cover him from his sins. And whoever shrouds him, Allah will clothe him with silk. (Tabarani)

The meaning here is clear, but there is more depth to it. Those engaged in washing the deceased may witness signs on the body—such as light or darkness on the face. Good signs may be shared, but anything else should remain concealed.

Another reason to receive Allah’s protection is simply to ask for it. This was part of the Prophet’s regular supplications.

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) never neglected these supplications when he would enter the evening and morning:

O Allah, I ask You for well-being in this world and the Hereafter, for my religion and my worldly affairs, for my family and my wealth. O Allah, cover my faults and calm my fears. Protect me from in front of me and behind me, from my right and from my left, and I seek refuge in Your greatness from being taken by surprise from beneath me. (Abu Dawood)

When we ask Allah for protection, He grants it.

A scholar of hadith elaborated on the concealment of sins after referencing many hadith on the topic. People, he said, are of two kinds. The first kind consists of those who are generally concealed and not known for committing sins—they are dignified, respected people in the community. If such individuals make a mistake or lapse, it is not permissible to expose or speak about it. Mistakes happen with everyone, but this should not define their character.

One evidence supporting this is in the Quran:

Those who love the indecency and sins to be spread among the believers will receive a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. (19:45)

Allah teaches us not to expose mistakes of dignified people who have lapses.

Tendency to focus on sins over goodness

Some people focus only on the dark side of someone, ignoring all the good they do. This is unfair, as Islam is a religion of fairness and justice. One teacher illustrated this with an example: He wrote several correct equations on a board and deliberately made one mistake. Students focused only on the mistake, ignoring the correct ones. This shows human tendency—to pick on errors rather than acknowledge overall correctness.

Exposing sins increases sins in the community

Exposing sins and mistakes of dignified individuals tarnishes their image within the community, potentially leading them to commit further sins. We must be careful in how we deal with sinners among us and avoid pushing them over the edge.

If someone commits a mistake, don’t share it and spread it. If you can give advice and keep it concealed, that is best. Ibn Hajar mentioned that there are people who are known for their sins, their viciousness, and their evil. If they are harming and cheating others, you should expose them. You need to warn people against them. If they are cunning and pretend to be good while they are playing games and cheating people do not say, “We should conceal because Allah likes concealment of sins,” as this is the trap of the Shaytan, who wants you to conceal the sin, so he can keep cheating or harming others.

One of our late teachers wrote a book on a topic about people in a certain city, from which the majority of his students came, which turned them against him. Before this he had been honoured, respected and dignified, but they became vicious towards him. They may have disagreed with him politely about certain points, but they threw all his work in the bin – and he had authored about a hundred books.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

Give pardon to those who are of good standing when they slip. (Abu Dawood)

This means if well-respected people in the community make a mistake, do not define them by their mistake. This is unfair.

The second type of person is one who is widely known for committing sins and openly declares them without any concern for what has been done or what is said to him. This person is the open sinner (fajir al-mu’lin), and it is not forbidden to discuss their case in order to carry out the legal punishments (hudud). This is a position explicitly stated by Al-Hasan al-Basri and others.

For such a person, there is no harm in investigating their matter to ensure the appropriate punishment is carried out. Some of our scholars have supported this position, citing the hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him):

Go, O Unais, to the woman of this man, and if she confesses, then stone her.  (Bukhari)

Help sinners reform

One of the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was an alcoholic. This may surprise some, but the companions were not angels at the end of the day. This companion used to drink and then get punished for drinking – he would be lashed. People are often unforgiving, and those around him, annoyed that he kept coming back for this sin, started cursing him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“Stop. Do not curse him. Do not help the Shaytan against him.” (al-Mukhalliṣīyāt 1572)

He knew that this person was a believer, but addicted to alcohol and struggling to give up. He did not want to curse him and nor did he want to encourage people to curse him. The doors for repentance never shut (until you are in the throes of death). Even in the famous hadith about the man who was a serial killer and had murdered 99 people, but wanted to repent sincerely, there was forgiveness.

Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ كَانَ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ رَجُلٌ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ إِنْسَانًا ثُمَّ خَرَجَ يَسْأَلُ، فَأَتَى رَاهِبًا فَسَأَلَهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ هَلْ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ قَالَ لاَ‏.‏ فَقَتَلَهُ، فَجَعَلَ يَسْأَلُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ ائْتِ قَرْيَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا‏.‏ فَأَدْرَكَهُ الْمَوْتُ فَنَاءَ بِصَدْرِهِ نَحْوَهَا، فَاخْتَصَمَتْ فِيهِ مَلاَئِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلاَئِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ، فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَى هَذِهِ أَنْ تَقَرَّبِي‏.‏ وَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَى هَذِهِ أَنْ تَبَاعَدِي‏.‏ وَقَالَ قِيسُوا مَا بَيْنَهُمَا‏.‏ فَوُجِدَ إِلَى هَذِهِ أَقْرَبُ بِشِبْرٍ، فَغُفِرَ لَهُ ‏”‏‏.‏

Amongst the men of Bani Israel there was a man who had murdered ninety-nine persons. Then he set out asking (whether his repentance could be accepted or not). He came upon a monk and asked him if his repentance could be accepted. The monk replied in the negative and so the man killed him. He kept on asking till a man advised to go to such and such village. (So he left for it) but death overtook him on the way. While dying, he turned his chest towards that village (where he had hoped his repentance would be accepted), and so the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment quarrelled amongst themselves regarding him. Allah ordered the village (towards which he was going) to come closer to him, and ordered the village (whence he had come), to go far away, and then He ordered the angels to measure the distances between his body and the two villages. So he was found to be one span closer to the village (he was going to). So he was forgiven.

As Allah stated in the Qur’an, “Allah will never forgive shirk, but He will forgive all sins other than shirk.” So it needs sincere repentance. For those who are well known for their sins—the type two of people—if they commit a sin, then we should not conceal it; we should warn people against them. Now, if they want to repent, it’s a different story. We should not be fooled, as sometimes they may play games with us to fool us and say, “I want to repent,” and then come back again.

If you are sincere, Allah will accept your repentance. So who are we to close these doors, when Allah is the one who opens these doors, and no one can close them but Him. This teaches the Ummah how to deal with sinners in the community—how to conceal their sins. I’ve been asked many times when people are looking to get married, about sins they have committed in the past. Is it incumbent on him or her to share their sins with each other? Of course not. No, you shouldn’t share your sins. Now, there are some exceptions, some details. Sometimes it is case-by-case, let’s say. Generally speaking, no—you shouldn’t share your sins with anyone. Allah concealed them for you, so keep them between you and Allah and do not share them with anyone.

We keep asking Allah, the Almighty, to protect us against sins and against the evil people around us. We ask Allah to enable us to be among those who are following the footsteps of the righteous. We ask Allah to conceal our sins, forgive our sins, make us righteous, and bless our offspring and loved ones. Ameen.

Delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim to the Convert Club on 5^th May 2025