Exposing one’s sins publicly on the Day of Judgment Fatwa No: 129805
- Fatwa Date:4-12-2009
Assalaamu alaikum, On the Day of Judgement will every person's sins be known/exposed to everyone? Jazak Allah khair
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
It is confirmed in religious texts that the sins of some people will be concealed and not exposed in front of all other creatures (on the Day of Judgment). The Prophet said: “Allaah will bring a believer near Him and shelter him with His screen and ask him to confirm his sins: “Do you know such and such sin?, the person would respond: “O my Lord, I know, O my Lord, I know.”, Then Allaah would tell him: “I did screen your sins in the worldly life, and I will forgive them for you today.” As regards the others or the disbelievers, their evil acts will be exposed publicly and the witnesses will say (what means): {These are the ones who lied against their Lord.” Unquestionably, the curse of Allaah is upon the wrongdoers.}[Quran 11:18]
This Hadeeth – as Ibn Hajar said –means that Allaah will conceal the sins of the believers on the Day of Judgment, the evidence is that He made an exception in the rule of concealing one’s sins the disbelievers, as well as the hypocrites in another narration.” This means that the sins of the non-Muslims and the hypocrites will be exposed publicly on the Day of Judgment.
It is also reported in some Ahaadeeth that some sins will be shown as a way of exposing its doer even if he is a Muslim because of it being a major sin, among which is treachery and deception. Ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Prophet said: “On the Day of Judgment, a banner will be raised for a treacherous person, and it will be said: “This is the treachery of so and so.”, (i.e. this will be the sign of his treachery).
Among this also is what is reported in regard to the one who steals people’s money or takes their money unjustly as Allaah promised to expose him publicly on the Day of Judgment, and this is by making him on the Day of Judgment carrying whatever he had stolen." The Prophet said: “I would know one amongst you who meets Allaah carrying a camel that grunts, a cow that moos and a sheep that bleats.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Allaah Knows best.