The Ruling on Labeling One Who Commits a Sin as an Open Sinner

Question:
Is one who commits a sin called an open sinner, and do we say to him: "O open sinner" when he commits the sin?

Answer:

Many scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) mentioned that one who commits sins and publicizes them is called an open sinner. They said: One who persists in a minor sin, or publicizes a major sin, becomes an open sinner. Thus, the one who engages in sins is called an open sinner; because open sinfulness is the departure from obedience. If it is a major sin, such as unlawful sexual intercourse, intoxicants, or undutifulness to parents, there is no doubt—and I am not aware of any disagreement among scholars—that he is called an open sinner.
As for minor sins, which are the light sins for which no warning has come, no warning of the Fire, no warning of the anger of Allah, and for which there is no fixed punishment in this world, scholars say regarding them: It is obligatory to be cautious of them, to stay away from them, to repent from them, and not to persist in them. If he does not persist in them, he is not called an open sinner; rather, his exposure to them increases, but he does not persist.
However, if he persists in them and continues with the sins that are called minor, he is called—according to a group of scholars—an open sinner due to his persistence. For this reason, it was reported from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that he said: "There is no major sin with seeking forgiveness, with repentance, and there is no minor sin with persistence." This is well known from Ibn Abbas and established from him. It indicates that one who persists in sins—even if they are minor—is called an open sinner, and that one who commits a major sin, if he repents to Allah and turns away from it, is forgiven, and its ruling is removed from him due to repentance and seeking forgiveness.
Thus, seeking forgiveness erases the major sin; it is seeking forgiveness accompanied by repentance, accompanied by regret, accompanied by ceasing, accompanied by the sincere resolve not to return to sins. So there is no major sin with seeking forgiveness, meaning with sincere repentance, and there is no minor sin with persistence, for it becomes, by persistence, in the ruling of a major sin according to the apparent meaning of what Ibn Abbas said, and its danger becomes great. We ask Allah for safety.