Question

Assalamualaikum teacher. At one time, a teacher at my school asked us students en masse about who had committed this one sin. My question is, is it okay for me to cheat by not confessing to cover my shame? If we are told to swear anyway, is it possible to swear falsely to cover each other's shame?

Summary of Answers

1. The law of cheating to cover one's own shame is necessary as long as the sin is not revealed to others.

2. If asked to swear, it is required to perform tauriah such as saying "I did not do that thing" but intending what is meant is not to do that thing today.

3. This obligation is provided that the sin is not revealed to others and does not involve taking or denying the rights of others.

4. It must also be accompanied by repentance and efforts to leave the sin immediately so that it is not used as a way to continue those sins secretly.

 

Answer Description

Alhamdulillah, all praise be to Allah SWT, God of the universe, blessings and peace be upon the great leader of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and upon his family members and those who follow in his footsteps until the Day of Resurrection.

Basically, asking other people about their personal sins is a forbidden act and is included in Allah's prohibition to look for the faults and shame of others (al- tajassus) as in His words:

يَٰٰاَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱجتَنِبواْ KATHِيرِ مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعضَ ٱلَّنِّ إ١مٖٞ And do not spy and do not beware of your sins.

Meaning:  "O you who believe, stay away from most prejudices (so that you don't make forbidden assumptions) because some of those prejudices are sins, and don't look for the fault or shame of others and don't some of you slander others. "

(Surah al-Hujurat: 12)

According to Sheikh Wahbah al-Zuhaili, this verse contains the prohibition of the act of al-tajassus  which means looking for hidden shame from other Muslims.

Disgracing oneself by telling others about one's personal sins is haram if it is done with a feeling of pride or taking lightly the sin committed. It can cause the sin not to be forgiven if one does not repent as the Prophet SAW said:

 All of my nation is exempt except for the public, and it is from the public that a man acts at night, and then in the morning, God will cover him, and he will say: I did such and such last night, and God will cover him, and in the morning he will reveal the cover of God from him.

It means:  "Every one of my people is in a state of peace (safe from painful punishment) except al-Mujahirin (i.e. those who reveal their own sins). Indeed, one of the acts of revealing one's own sin is when a person commits a mistake at night, then in the morning in a situation where God has covered his mistake (from the public's knowledge), he publicizes it by saying: "I did so many things last night (sin), while his god had covered his shame, but he opened the veil of God from him." 

(Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

As for if the sin is told to other people not because of pride or taking lightly the sin so that it can influence others to do it too, then the ruling is makruh as mentioned by Imam al-Nawawi, he said:

يُكره للإِنسان ؟؟ا ابتُلي بمعسيةٍ Ùˆ حنيها أن ‌يخبرَ ‌غيرَه ‌بدلك

Meaning: "When a person is tested with a vice, then it is makruh to inform others of that vice."

Shaykh Ibn 'Allan explained Imam al-Nawawi's statement above that the law of makruh telling this vice is when it is not intended to have fun and remember the deliciousness of the vice. But if with that purpose then the law is illegal. It is best if someone commits a personal sin, continue to repent and ask for forgiveness from God and cover the shame.

In addition, Imam al-Nawawi also explained that if the sin is told to someone like a teacher to find a reason and find a way out, then the law should even be included in good things because it is beneficial to help get out of the vice.

In addition, cheating is originally illegal and is one of the major sins. However, according to Shaykh Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Saffarini, denying a personal sin committed by oneself or others is one of the situations in which it is necessary to deceive in order to avoid belonging to the group of people who reveal their own sins that God has covered provided that the sin is not again revealed by others.

Therefore, based on the situation described in the question above, it is required to deceive by denying the sin that has been committed to cover up one's own shame. If the person who asked the question continued to press and asked to swear anyway, then it is required to do tauriah , which is to use a verse that has a meaning that is clearly understood by the listener, but what is actually meant is something else that is vague and hidden. For example "I didn't do those things" but what is meant is not doing those things today.

However, this requirement is provided that the sin committed does not involve taking or denying the rights of others. If it involves the rights of others, then the law of cheating and tauriah  to deny the sin becomes haram. Related to the laws of tauriah  in Islam have been explained further in the article: Irsyad Hukum Series Ke 324: Hukum Tauriah Dalam Islam .

Furthermore, the necessity to deceive by denying the sins that have been committed must also be accompanied by true repentance from those sins so that it is not used as a way to continue those sins in secret.

Conclusion

• The law of lying to cover one's own shame is necessary as long as the sin is not revealed to others.
• If asked to swear, should do tauriah like saying "I did not do that thing" but intending what is meant is not to do that thing today.
• This requirement is provided that the sin is not revealed to others and does not involve taking or denying the rights of others.
• It must also be accompanied by repentance and efforts to leave the sin immediately so that it is not used as a way to continue those sins in secret.

God bless you

 

Reference:

1. Wahbah al-Zuhaili, al-Tafsir al-Munir fi al-'Aqidah wa al-Shari'ah wa al-Manhaj , (Damasik: Dar al-Fikr, 1991), vol. 27, p. 255.

2. Yahya bin Sharaf al-Nawawi, al-Azkar , (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1994), p. 368.

3. Muhammad bin 'Allan al-Siddiqi, al-Futuhat al-Rabbaniyyah 'ala al-Azkar al-Nawawiyyah , (T.tp: Jam'iyyat al-Nashr wa al-Ta'lif al-Azhariyyah, tt), vol. . 7 pages. 116.

His saying: (أن يخبر ‌بحدلك غيره) i.e. if it is not on the face of divorce and remembrance of its solution, otherwise it is forbidden because it leads to returning to it

4. Yahya bin Sharaf al-Nawawi, al-Azkar , p. 368.

If he informs his sheikh of his disobedience or his suspicions to those who hope to inform him that he will teach him the way out of his disobedience, or that he will learn from him what he will be saved from falling into it, or that he will know the reason why he committed it, or that he will pray for it, or that way, then it is not bad for him, but it is good, and he hates it. If you take this opportunity

5. Shamsuddin Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Saffarini al-Hanbali, Ghaza' al-Albab fi Sharh Manzumat al-Adab , (Egypt: Mu'assasah Qurthubah, 1993), vol. 1 page. 141.

وَقَالَ عَنْ قَوْلِ ابْنِ حَزْمٍ فِي كِتَابِ الْإِجْمَاعِ: اتَّفَقُوا عَلَى تَحْرِيمِ الْكَذِبِ يْرِ مُدَارَاةِ الرَّجُلِ امْرَأَتَهُ ØŒ أَوْ إصْلَاحٌ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ ØŒ أَوْ دَفْعُ مَظْلِمَةٍ مُسْلِمَيْنِ أَوْ مُسْلِمٍ وَكَافِرٍ ØŒ وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. فَهَذَا وَرَدَ فِيهِ النَُّّ وَيُقَاسُ عَلَيْهِ مَا فِي مَعْنَهُ كَكَذِبِ لِسْتْ مَالِ غَيْرِ عَنْ آَالِمٍ, وَإِنْكَارِ الْمَعْصِيَةَ لِلسّ تْرِ عَلَيْهِ أَوْ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ 

what he didn’t make known to others  , rather he forced the secret on his soul and it was not known

Date of Input: 14/10/2024 | Updated: 14/10/2024 | asmunir