upon him is its sin, along with the sin of everyone who puts it into practice until the Day of Resurrection.”
This is one form of public sinning, but the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—did not dwell on it because it is self-evident. Instead, he pointed to something else that might escape some people’s notice. He said that among the ways of sinning openly is for someone to commit a wrongful act during the night while Allah has concealed it from others. The same may happen inside his home: Allah covers his deed and lets no one know of it. Had he repented privately before his Lord, it would have been far better for him. Yet when morning comes and he mixes with the people, he says, “Last night I did such-and-such; I did this, I did that.” Such a person is not in a state of well-being. On the contrary—Allah’s refuge is sought—Allah had shielded him, but he chose to expose himself.
People who behave like this do so for one of two reasons:
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The first is heedlessness and naïveté: the person commits the sin and then talks about it out of what he imagines to be a pure heart, without caring in the least.
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The second is bragging and brazen disregard for the Majesty of the Creator—Allah’s refuge is sought. They speak of their sins boastfully, as though they had captured some prize. These, Allah protect us, are the worst of all.
There are also those who act this way only with their close friends, recounting hidden matters that should never be mentioned to anyone. Because he feels no concern about doing so, he too is not among those granted well-being; he is one of those who sin openly.
In short, a person must shield himself with Allah’s covering and give thanks