علانیہ (کھلے عام ہونا)

العَلانِيَة

In the lexicon, alaniya comes from proclaiming and showing a thing, and is the opposite of secrecy ¹. Public voice (jahr) is narrower than openness, and secrecy is what is hidden in the heart ^{1 2}. Acts of worship divide by openness: some are prescribed to be public, such as the call to prayer, the sermon, jihad and enjoining good; some are better kept private, such as reciting silently in the silent prayer; and some may be either, such as charity. An obligatory alms-giving is better shown when there is no fear of showing off, so that others may follow it, while a voluntary gift is better hidden where display is feared ^{1 2 3}. The faults of narrators, witnesses and those entrusted with charities and endowments must be made public when they affect their fitness, and the scholars hold this is not forbidden backbiting ². The judge is recommended to proclaim the restraint of a bankrupt and to call witnesses to it, and one Shafi'i view makes it obligatory ³.