Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question:
If we ask for forgiveness for a sin, it is wiped, but if someone asks if I did this particular sin and I say no because I repented, does this count as lying, or should I acknowledge that I did it? What if they knew that I sinned? Could I still lie about it?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question. It is not permissible for you to expose a past sin, even if you have not repented for it, but using a half-truth is far superior to lying. If the person knows that you have sinned, you should just avoid the topic and say that you are not comfortable discussing your past. You should still not expose it to them. See this link for full details:
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/general-counsel/can-we-deny-having-committed-sins-after-weve-repented-from-them/
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/general-counsel/swear-quran-cover-past-sin/
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.