Is informing a mufti of a sin that one has committed considered a public exposure of one’s sin?  

Falling into sin is something that affects all human beings except those whom Allah has protected against it; everyone else is liable to sin whether in great or small measure.  However, persisting in sin without seeking repentance from Allah Almighty is blameworthy in Islamic law and incurs grave repercussions in this world and in the next. Therefore, a person who commits a sin must repent immediately, regret committing the sin, and resolve never to return to it again. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Every son of Adam commits sins and the best of sinners are those who repent” (recorded by Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah).

Disclosing sins when seeking a fatwa

To publicize sin is to magnify it. This includes committing a sin in public or in private and publicizing it after Allah has concealed it. Abu Huraira narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say, “All members of my Community will be pardoned, except those who commit sins openly. Among the forms of exposing sins is when a person commits a shameful act during the night, and though Allah has concealed it, when morning comes he says, ‘O so-and-so, last night I did such-and-such.’ His Lord had veiled his sin through the night, yet, by morning he pulls away the cover with which Allah concealed it for him” (Bukhari and Muslim). The hadith demonstrates that among the meanings of open sinning is publicizing sinful behavior and informing others of it in the absence of any necessity or legitimate need.

Soliciting a fatwa is one example of a situation that qualifies as a case of necessity and legitimate need. In such instances, it is necessary to inform the mufti of the relevant details, since a ruling on a matter is based on an accurate understanding of the case. Disclosing a sin in such a context is not considered offensive, as the intention is to seek guidance rather than to boast or make light of the wrongdoing. An example of this is the report of the Bedouin who informed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about his violation of Islamic law during the fasting hours of Ramadan and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not admonish him. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a man once approached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “I am destroyed, O Messenger of Allah! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “What has destroyed you?” The man replied, “I was intimate with my wife during [the fasting hours of] Ramadan.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Are you able to free a slave?” The man said, “No.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him, “Are you able to fast for two consecutive months?” The man said, “No.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, "Are you able to provide enough food for sixty poor people?" The man said, “No.” The man sat down whereupon a basket of dates was brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who then told the man, “Give this as charity.” The man said, “There is no family between the two plains of Medina that is poorer than mine.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) laughed and said, “Go and feed your family” (Muslim). The hadith indicates that any public exposure of sin is not blameworthy when the intention is to seek the ruling of Islamic law on it, ask for guidance on how to desist from it, request a sincere supplication, understand the causes that led to it, or any other purpose recognized by Islamic law.

In the chapter titled ‘It is disliked for a person who has been afflicted with a sin or something similar to inform others about it,’ al-Nawawi stated in Al-Adhkar (p. 368), “One should repent to Allah Almighty by desisting from the sin at once, regret what one has done, and resolve to never do the like of it again. These three things are the pillars of repentance, which is not valid without them. There is no harm in telling about a sin to one’s sheikh or another person who may be expected to teach one how to desist from the sin, refrain from similar acts, apprise one of the causes that led to it, pray for one, and so forth. In these instances, informing him is not objectionable, but commendable.”

The ruling

Informing a mufti of a sin that one has committed in the context of soliciting a ruling is not considered blameworthy public exposure, but is part of clearly presenting the case, especially when the ruling depends on that sin. What is blameworthy is speaking about sins openly with the intention of boasting about it or making mockery of its gravity. 

And Allah Almighty knows best.