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Islam and Reporting Abuse: A THREAD
Let’s start with the topic of Satr, defined as “covering/protecting one’s privacy” and its social application of “Lowering the veil of privacy over the shortcomings/flaws/sins of others (not involving other’s rights) as opposed to exposing them to the public eye or reporting...”
“What happens then when a person is subject to or witnesses an injustice or crime? Does satr still apply? In other words, is the subject of abuse (or any other form of injustice) expected to keep silent in order to be a good Muslim? Of course not; that would be inherently unjust.
Yet, some Muslims have confused satr with impunity. They believe that the duty of satr is unconditional and requires Muslims not to expose each other, regardless of the circumstances.
This confusion is not new despite the fact that Muslim jurists clearly defined satr as “forgiving and covering someone’s sin or crime if nobody else’s rights were involved.[i]”
In the criteria jurists set...they include being “limited by victim’s rights. If an act of satr perpetuates an injustice done to the victim, then it is prohibited...the person who covers for a wrongdoer is an accomplice in the crime of violating the victim’s right.[ii]”
In other words, “when the sin violates the rights of other people, as in the case of sexual harassment and domestic violence, it is no longer just a sin. It becomes a crime that has to be addressed in a way that restores the right of both the victim and society at large.”
For further explanation, https://karamah.org/what-do-we-have-to-hide-the-islamic-principle-of-satr-and-cultural-bias/ is an excellent article covering this topic, and was quoted in the tweets above.
What about a community that refuses to condemn this evil of abuse? What does Islam say about them?
The Prophet (peace be upon him), said, “Verily, Allah will not punish a community for the sins of a few unless they see evil appear among themselves and they are able to reject it but do not. If they do so, then Allah will punish the entire community along with the sinners.”
Source: Musnad Ahmad 17627 https://abuaminaelias.com/dailyhadithonline/2012/09/02/prophet-punishes-rapist/
Is there an example on how our Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) handled the topic of rape and abuse?
A woman went out to pray during the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and she was met by a man who attacked her and raped her. She screamed and he ran away. Then another man passed by and she said, “This man has molested me!”
A group of emigrants were passing by and again she said, “This man has molested me!” They caught the man whom she thought was her attacker and brought him to her and she said, “Yes, this is the one.” They brought him to the Prophet and he issued orders concerning him...
...but the one who had attacked her stood up and he said, “O Messenger of Allah, I am the one who attacked her.” The Prophet said to her, “Go now, for Allah has forgiven you,” and the Prophet said kind words to the man who had been mistakenly arrested.
The Prophet said to the man who had attacked her, “Stone him,” and the Prophet said, “Verily, he has repented in such a manner that if the people of Medina were to repent in this way, it would be accepted from them.”
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1454 https://abuaminaelias.com/dailyhadithonline/2012/09/02/prophet-punishes-rapist/
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1454 https://abuaminaelias.com/dailyhadithonline/2012/09/02/prophet-punishes-rapist/
In an authentic Hadith, there is an example of not only how our Prophet (peace be upon him) handled a case of rape, but also a mistaken accusation. Notice how he (peace be upon him) immediately believed the woman and took action.
Abuse is a crime and not an ordinary sin. It is to be treated and punished as such, and it is our Islamic obligation to uphold this tenant of justice just as our Prophet (peace be upon him) did before us.
