Re: Islamic Version of Confession
Assalam O Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,
I may have misunderstood your question but when I hear confession, only thing comes to mind is exposing your dark side to someone to seek advice. That's the concept only found in Christianity and in Sufi culture probably but it has no basis in Islam.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "
Every one of my followers will be forgiven except those who expose (openly) their wrongdoings. An example of this is that of a man who commits a sin at night which Allah has covered for him, and in the morning, he would say (to people): "I committed such and such sin last night,' while Allah had kept it a secret. During the night Allah has covered it up but in the morning he tears up the cover provided by Allah Himself."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
وعنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: "كل أمتي معافًى إلا المجاهرين، وإن من المجاهرة أن يعمل الرجل بالليل عملاً، ثم يصبح وقد ستره الله عليه فيقول: يا فلان عملت البارحة كذا وكذا، وقد بات يستره ربه، ويصبح يكشف ستر الله عنه" ((متفق عليه)) .
Arabic/English book reference: Book 1, Hadith 241
https://sunnah.com/muslim/5/164
In another hadith: Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
All the people of my Ummah would get pardon for their sins except those who publicize them. And (it means) that a servant should do a deed during the night and tell the people in the morning that he has done so and so, whereas Allah has concealed it. And he does a deed during the day and when it is night he tells the people, whereas Allah has concealed it. Zuhair has used the word hijar for publicizing.
حَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ، وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، قَالَ عَبْدٌ حَدَّثَنِي وَقَالَ، الآخَرَانِ حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَخِي ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ سَالِمٌ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " كُلُّ أُمَّتِي مُعَافَاةٌ إِلاَّ الْمُجَاهِرِينَ وَإِنَّ مِنَ الإِجْهَارِ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ الْعَبْدُ بِاللَّيْلِ عَمَلاً ثُمَّ يُصْبِحُ قَدْ سَتَرَهُ رَبُّهُ فَيَقُولُ يَا فُلاَنُ قَدْ عَمِلْتُ الْبَارِحَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا وَقَدْ بَاتَ يَسْتُرُهُ رَبُّهُ فَيَبِيتُ يَسْتُرُهُ رَبُّهُ وَيُصْبِحُ يَكْشِفُ سِتْرَ اللَّهِ عَنْهُ " . قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ " وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْهِجَارِ " .
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2990
In-book reference: Book 55, Hadith 68
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 42, Hadith 7124
https://sunnah.com/muslim/55/68
Whatever we do is between us and Allah Subhanahu Wa Taa'la. Don't expose your sins if you want those to be kept in secret in hereafter. If you do want to confess then confess to the One Who can forgive you and that is only Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala.
Muslims are also supposed to cover not only their sins but the faults of others because according to several hadiths
"Whosoever covers (the sins of) a Muslim, Allah covers (his sins) on the Day of Judgment."
If we find it too difficult to keep it secret, the most we are allowed to do is discuss the issue with the person, in private, and try to encourage them to stop committing the sin(s).
The only exception to this is if we find out that someone has committed an actual crime that has left someone injured (emotionally, physically and including sexual abuse) or killed, or in which something was stolen or someone was denied something to which they were entitled to. In these cases, we MUST make the information public so that the person is brought to justice.
And Allah knows the best!
Ma'aSalaam
