Concealing Faults

[Honeey]

Concealing Faults

On the authority of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who said, "Whoever conceals [the faults of] a Muslim, Allah will conceal [his faults] in this life and the Hereafter." [Muslim]

A true believer would not like the mistakes and faults of others to be broadcast about. If a person made a mistake, it is not good that his sin be told to everyone and he be made a spectacle. When a person is happy with such events, it is a sign that his faith has a shortcoming.

Everyone should love that Allah would conceal their faults and not reveal them to others. Part of Allah's concealing of a fault is His overlooking it and excusing it. If a person is desirous of that reward, he should not expose the slips and faults of his brother Muslims.

It must be noted that this hadith is giving a recommendation not a command. There is a consensus that if somebody witnesses a sin and he does not conceal that sin but he reports that action to the proper authorities, he is not committing a sin by not concealing the act.

Concealing sins must meet the following conditions:

1. The sin that the person committed must be one related to the "rights of Allah" and not the rights of mankind.

2. The sin must have been already finished. In other words, if a person is committing a sin at the present moment in front of another Muslim, he must put a stop to that sin, even if it means he must tell others about it.

3. The person must be a religious person who has made a mistake.

4. The concealment must not be in a situation where one has been called to be a witness to what has occurred.

5. The benefit of concealing the person's sin must outweigh the benefit of letting his sin be known.

Source:
"Commentary on the Forty Hadith" - By Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, pp. 1318 - 1322

[Andalousi]

Couldn't agree more Honeey - Silence is golden.

It's very easy to find faults in others and be overly judgmental but it takes someone special who doesn't just blurt out the first thing that comes to his/her head.

[moroccanchica]

If a person conceals the weakness of another in this world, Allah will conceal their weakness in the hereafter inshallah.

[Khalidz]

Mashallah...

I really hope we can put this to practice, ourselves, our familes, and our brothers and sisters inshallah...

[samawat]

hi, friends.

I definitely agree wholeheartedly that we should overlook other people's faults--and I love the word "conceal" there!

I have to remind myself to forgive people every time they get on my nerves. I have to remember that I have done worse things andit's easy to forgive when I remember that I need forgiveness, too.

But God doesn't need forgiveness because he is perfect. So his forgiveness is much more valuable and much more awe-invoking and very strange and even innapropriate, isn't it? There is no reason for him to forgive us, but he wants to. He does conceal our faults, he not only conceals them he obliterates and destroys them and erases them from our record for all time.

The only thing that can do that is Jesus' blood.