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Fatwa CenterDisclosing Past Sins To People
Question
I disclosed my sins to people and I regret it now, what shall I do so that Allah will forgive me and not deprive me of his pardon because of me exposing my sins after Allah has concealed them?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
The scholars have stated that if the sinner informs some people of his sin for a valid purpose, like informing a scholar of his act of disobedience or a Daa’iyah (a person who calls to Islam, preacher), who is hoped to teach him a way out of his disobedience, or to teach him how to avoid doing such a sin in the future, or to tell him the reason that might have led him to commit the sin, or to supplicate for him, and the like, then there is nothing wrong with this. Rather, this is a good thing to do as stated by An-Nawawi in Al-Athkaar. However, if the purpose can be achieved without mentioning the details of what happened, then this is better.
If there is no valid purpose, then it is disliked to inform people about the sin. As a matter of fact, the scholars said that it is forbidden if the sinner informs about it out of pride or to remind himself with its leasure, because this contradicts regretting the sin, which is one of the pillars of an accepted repentance.
Indeed, the Prophet warned us against committing sins openly (or informing about them), as he said, “All my nation are forgiven for their sins except those who sin openly (or disclose their sins to the people). An example of such disclosure is that a person commits a sin at night, and though Allah screened it from the people, he comes in the morning, and says, “O so-and-so, I did such-and-such (evil) deed last night. Though he spent his night screened by his Lord (none knowing about his sin), yet in the morning he removes Allah's screen from himself.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
The Prophet urged the sinners to conceal their sins and not to expose them to the people as he said: “Avoid these filthy things (sins) which Allaah has forbidden. If someone happens to commit any of them, then he should conceal himself with the screen of Allah and repent to Allah, because if anyone uncovers his hidden sins to us, we shall inflict on him the punishment prescribed by Allah, The Al-Mighty.” [Al Bayhaqi and Al-Haakim who classified it as authentic, and Ath-Thahabi agreed with him]
Moreover, Sa’eed ibn Al-Musayyib 
narrated that a man from Aslam came to Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq 
and said to him: “I have committed Zina.” Abu Bakr said to him: “Did you mention this to anyone else other than me?” The man said: “No.” so, Abu Bakr said to him: “Repent to Allah and conceal yourself (your sin) with the screen of your Lord, as Allah accepts repentance from His Slaves.” The man still went to ‘Umar, and said to him the same thing that he had said to Abu Bakr. Again, ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him the same thing that Abu Bakr had told him……” [Maalik and An-Nasaa'i]
As regards what you must do so that Allah will forgive you, then the answer is that forgiveness is achieved by a repentance with all its conditions fulfilled, such as regretting the sin and being determined not to return to it again. So, if you regret and are determined not to return to the sin again in the future, then you have really repented from the sin, and whoever sincerely repents, Allah accepts his repentance.
For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 1863, and 256084.
Allah knows best.
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