Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Asalam O alikum
i have a question reguarding this Hadith:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "All the sins of my followers will be forgiven except those which are disclosed to the people. For example a person commits a sin at night and though Allah screens it from the public, in the morning he says. “O so-and-so, I did such-and-such evil deed"

Sahih Bukhari Hadith No. 980 Book 78, Chapter 60 Narrated by Hazrat Ibn ‘Umar (r.a.)

does this mean that confessions r not allowed in islam...if i comitt a sin which involves another person for example if i back bite and then i realise that it was wrong of me to do so and i go to the person whome i talked about behind his back and tell him about what i said in order to seek forgivness...is such form of confession not allowed?...
plz answer soon 

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Answer:

Confession of sins

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.95 Narrated by Abu Huraira

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) 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 from 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 knew of the sin except the one who committed it and Allah) and in the morning he removes Allah's screen from himself."

A person who commits a sin in private, and Allah Subhanah in His Mercy screens that sin from the public so that the sinner may seek repentance….but that evil-doer without any fear or remorse, comes and daringly brags to people about the transgression he did in privacy….it is evident that such an evil-doer is neither ashamed at the transgression of the boundaries of Allah through the commission of his sin, nor repentant, nor fears the Accounting of Allah Subhanah; to the extent that he daringly brags and boasts about his transgression to others without any fear of repercussion or penalty!

Your Question:…..does this mean that confessions r not allowed in islam...if i comitt a sin which involves another person for example if i back bite and then i realise that it was wrong of me to do so and i go to the person whome i talked about behind his back and tell him about what i said in order to seek forgivness...is such form of confession not allowed?...
If one transgresses one of the boundaries of Allah Subhanah through the commission of a sin, and the Lord Most Gracious in His Mercy screens that sin from the people, it is only becoming and befitting of a believer who sincerely fears Allah and His Tribunal that he turn unto Allah Subhanah in ‘taubah’ and seek sincere repentance for their transgression; if one is indeed sincere in their transgression, it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

If one has stolen something from another, or one has back-bitten another, or one has oppressed or usurped the rights of another….not only should one seek repentance from Allah Subhanah, but it would be very courageous indeed, and akin to piety and righteousness in the Sight of Allah that one approach the person whom one has unjustly wronged, and in all humility, remorse, and regret beseech his brother/sister to forgive him his transgression towards them….such sincere confessions are not only allowed and encouraged in Islam, but it would be the best, purest, ultimate and true form of repentance or ‘taubatann-nasooha’ in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 66 Surah Taubah verse 8:

8 O ye who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance (‘taubattan-nasooha’): in the hope that your Lord will remove from you your ills, and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow; the Day that Allah will not permit to be humiliated the Prophet and those who believe with him.

But if there is one who (Allah forbid) commits ‘zina’, or consumes alcohol, or indulges in gambling, or in ‘riba’, etc. and then goes around and in brag and in boast declares his indulgence with sin to all and sundry, it is obvious that such an evil-doer is neither ashamed nor repentant at his transgressions, nor fears Allah, nor the Last Day…..it is such evil-doers who will have a severe accounting in the Presence of their Lord Most Majestic on that Inevitable Day of Judgment.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan