Repentance for Wronging Others: Restoring Rights and Seeking Forgiveness
All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and his companions.
Someone regrets taking money but fears exposing the wrongdoing by returning it. Another person remembers hurtful words spoken behind someone's back and wonders whether explaining everything would only cause a fresh wound.
These situations are not treated alike. Money must be returned to its owner or validly waived; the owner does not necessarily need a detailed confession to receive what is owed. Seeking release from backbiting requires a different assessment. The aim is to put the wrong right, not simply to relieve the wrongdoer's conscience at someone else's expense.
Repentance Does Not Make Someone Else's Rights Yours
Repentance begins with stopping the sin for Allah's sake, regretting it and sincerely resolving not to return. When another person's right is involved, it must also be restored or otherwise properly settled, taking account of ability and the kind of right concerned. See How to Repent to Allah Sincerely for the general conditions.
Allah says:
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا﴾
Meaning: Allah commands you to deliver trusts to those entitled to them. [Al-Nisa 4:58, excerpt]
The Prophet said:
«مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ مَظْلَمَةٌ لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ عِرْضِهِ أَوْ شَيْءٍ فَلْيَتَحَلَّلْهُ مِنْهُ الْيَوْمَ».
Meaning: Whoever has wronged someone in their honour or anything else should seek that person's pardon today. Narrated by al-Bukhari (2449, excerpt). The report then explains that settlement in the Hereafter involves good and bad deeds, not dinars and dirhams. Someone able to return money cannot simply keep it while saying that they have sought Allah's forgiveness.
Wronging others includes more than theft. Withholding earned wages, taking an inheritance share, damaging property, harming a reputation and physical assault can all involve another person's rights. In the report about the truly bankrupt person, the Prophet described someone arriving with acts of worship after wronging others, then said:
«فَيُعْطَى هَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ وَهَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ».
Meaning: This person is given some of his good deeds, and that person some of his good deeds. Narrated by Muslim (2581, excerpt). This warns against taking injustice lightly. It does not call for abandoning prayer or despairing of repentance, nor does it authorise declaring a particular person's final fate.
Return the Money, Even Without Identifying Yourself
If the item taken still exists, the basic duty is to return that item to its owner. If it has been used up or destroyed, the appropriate replacement is owed. Assessing losses, profits made from the property or a disputed valuation may require expertise, a fatwa or a judicial decision. Sending an amount of your own choosing does not settle every case.
Ibn Baz explained that money can be returned through a trustworthy intermediary or another means that delivers it to the person entitled to it, without naming the repentant person. An intermediary might truthfully say, "This is your money, sent by someone who owed it to you." What matters is full delivery to the owner or an authorised recipient, not merely getting the money out of your own hands.
If the wrong was solely financial, the full right has been restored and no other harm remains to be addressed, a confession to theft or a separate request for pardon is not required. If you seek a waiver instead of payment, it must be a valid waiver from the rights-holder or someone authorised to give it. Embarrassment about apologising does not cancel the money owed.
Not all unlawful earnings are treated as stolen property. Some forms of riba and prohibited earnings require a different discussion. See Haram Money: How to Repent and Dispose of It.
If the Owner Has Died or Cannot Be Found
The owner's death does not cancel the money owed. It goes to the heirs or the person properly administering the estate. Giving charity on the deceased's behalf is not enough when the money can reach those entitled to it. Nor does handing it to an unauthorised relative necessarily discharge what is owed to everyone.
If the owner or their whereabouts are unknown, make a serious effort to trace them through available records, people who know them or an appropriate organisation. After genuine efforts fail to locate the owner or heirs, the money may be given to the poor on the owner's behalf, as Ibn Baz ruled. Keep a record of the amount and what you did without publicising people's private affairs.
If the owner later appears, explain what happened. If they accept the charity, that settles the matter; if they want their money, pay them, and the reward of the charity is yours, as the Shaykh explained. Here, charity on the owner's behalf is for when you genuinely cannot reach them, not simply when contacting them would be embarrassing.
Backbiting and False Accusations: Repair Harm Without Adding to It
Scholars differ over the details of seeking release from backbiting. Ibn Baz advised someone who had backbitten a Muslim to seek pardon where this is possible without causing further harm. If that person cannot be reached or disclosure is feared to cause discord and serious trouble, repent, pray for them, seek forgiveness for them and mention truthful good qualities in the settings where you spoke badly of them.
If the words reached the person and hurt them, seek pardon when an apology can be made without further harm. If they never heard them and disclosure would achieve no repair but only wound them and stir hostility, repentance should not become a recital of hurtful remarks. The concern here is real harm, not simply your discomfort at apologising.
False accusations must not be left in circulation. Correct false claims among those who received them as far as you can. Remove harmful posts and seek removal of copies and correction of their effects without bringing the details to a wider audience. If the original statement was true but amounted to backbiting, do not lie by denying the facts. Acknowledge that mentioning them was wrong, and speak of good qualities you genuinely know.
False testimony that deprived someone of a right, or an accusation that led to punishment or financial loss, requires more than praying privately. Its effects must be addressed through lawful means, with qualified scholarly advice and the appropriate authority involved in how this is done.
What If You Cannot Repay Now?
Do not wait until you have the money before stopping the wrongdoing and repenting. Repent now, intend repayment and do what you can through lawful earnings. You can seek an agreed extension, instalments or a waiver without pressuring the person or making promises you know you will not keep. Whatever has not been paid or validly waived remains owed.
Allah says:
﴿فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ﴾
Meaning: Fear Allah as far as you are able. [Al-Taghabun 64:16, excerpt]
Genuine inability is not the same as delaying while able to pay. The Prophet called a wealthy person's delay in paying a debt injustice; narrated by al-Bukhari (2400). A lawful debt not yet due, or an honest inability to pay, is not itself theft or denial of a right. Al-Bukhari (2387) also records a promise of Allah's help for someone taking people's money with the intention of repaying it; intention alone does not cancel the debt.
We hope for Allah's pardon for a sincere repentant person who has done what they can but remains unable. They should not be told that the door of repentance is closed. The creditor's right remains even when the debtor cannot pay. See Debts, Loans and Riba in Islam: Key Rulings for repayment and giving time to a debtor.
Asking for Pardon Does Not Entitle You to Demand It
Allah says:
﴿فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ﴾
Meaning: Whoever pardons and brings about reconciliation has their reward with Allah. [Al-Shura 42:40, excerpt]
Pardon that brings about reform is a great good. A victim may also seek their right without exceeding its limits, as the surrounding verses show [Al-Shura 42:40-42]. Do not say, "I have repented, so you are sinful if you do not forgive me." An apology must not become public embarrassment or pressure to surrender a claim.
Someone may pardon an insult without waiving money, or forgive part of a debt but not the rest. Understand what has actually been waived rather than reading more into the words. Pardon does not permit renewed harm, nor does it necessarily require the person to restore every aspect of a former relationship or stop protecting themselves from ongoing danger.
Assault and offences involving life or bodily injury, with possible rights to qisas or compensation, are not matters settled by a casual apology. They require qualified scholarly and judicial assessment. Individuals must not carry out punishments themselves, and one person's pardon does not cancel other people's rights.
Where to Begin
Write down what you know is established, not every possibility that crosses your mind. Separate what you can do now from matters needing advice or further enquiry:
- Stop ongoing harm, such as withholding money due or spreading hurtful material.
- Identify each rights-holder and the amount owed as far as possible, collecting useful records.
- Return money through a safe, lawful route, or agree on payment or a valid waiver.
- Correct false statements and repair harm within your ability, seeking pardon where appropriate.
- Record what has been settled and what remains, documenting outstanding rights so that they are not lost if you die.
Where a right is disputed or several kinds of harm overlap, present the facts honestly to someone qualified to advise or decide. General guidance cannot replace establishing what is actually owed in a particular case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Istighfar and Charity Replace Returning Money?
No, not when its owner can receive what is owed. Seeking forgiveness and repenting are necessary, but a donation does not make someone else's property yours. Charity for an untraceable owner has the conditions explained above; it is not an optional substitute for repayment.
Do Hajj or Umrah Cancel Debts and Other People's Claims?
A financial right is not cancelled merely by performing Hajj or Umrah. Neither replaces repaying debts or returning trusts. A valid pilgrimage is different from being free of liability to others. Whether pilgrimage expenses may take priority over a debt requires attention to when payment is due, ability to repay and the creditor's rights; wanting to perform Hajj does not settle the question.
I Returned the Money. Must I Confess What I Did?
You need not reveal theft or dishonesty if the full right has reached the person entitled to it and no other harm remains to be repaired. If someone else is still blamed for what you did, or harm remains that repayment does not remove, you must address that too through lawful means.
Is a General Message Saying "Everyone, Please Forgive Me" Enough?
Do not treat the message alone as proof that particular debts or claims have been waived. Someone may answer politely without intending to give up their money. A waiver of an unspecified right has scholarly details; a general phrase must not be used to conceal a claim you know the person did not mean to surrender.
I Cannot Remember the Amount I Took. What Should I Return?
Check available records and other evidence. If the amount cannot be established, make an honest, careful estimate that you reasonably believe clears what you owe. Do not simply choose the lowest figure because it is easier, or spiral into endless doubts. If the amount is disputed, your estimate alone does not bind the rights-holder.
I Took Money Before Puberty. Must I Return It Now?
Yes, unless the right has already been restored or validly waived. A child before puberty is not charged with the sin of theft, as indicated by the report about the pen being lifted from a child until puberty, narrated by Abu Dawud (4403) and authenticated by al-Albani. But that does not cancel the owner's claim. Return what remains or the appropriate replacement, taking account of the owner's circumstances and your ability to pay as explained above.
I Took Money from a Company or Public Body. Can I Give It to Charity?
Return it to the organisation entitled to it through a route that actually delivers its right. Money is not ownerless merely because it belongs to a company or public body, and an employee's pardon is insufficient if they lack authority to waive it. If the company has closed or ownership is complicated, seek advice rather than assuming the money is yours.
Must Money Be Returned to a Non-Muslim?
Yes. Return money and entrusted property you took from them without right. A difference of religion does not justify injustice or betrayal. The command to deliver trusts to their owners does not restrict ownership to Muslims.
The Person I Backbit Has Died. How Can I Repair the Wrong?
Repent to Allah, correct false accusations and repair their effects as far as you can. If the deceased was Muslim, pray for them, seek forgiveness for them and mention truthful good qualities where you spoke badly of them, as Ibn Baz explained. Forgiveness must not be sought for someone known to have died outside Islam, in accordance with the prohibition in Al-Tawbah 9:113; their rights must nevertheless be restored and the injustice addressed. Prayer does not replace returning money now owed to their heirs.
I Apologised but Was Not Forgiven. Should I Keep Asking?
Do not pressure or pursue the person. Offer a sincere apology and repair, and fulfil what you owe; requesting pardon is not the same as receiving it. If the wrong cannot be settled by returning money, ask a qualified scholar about your circumstances while praying for the person, respecting their boundaries and not despairing of Allah's mercy.
Should I Contact Someone Again Just to Apologise?
An apology must not be a pretext to restart a prohibited relationship or cause discord. Money or an appropriate apology can be conveyed through a safe intermediary; reputational harm requires the distinctions explained above. Where there is an ongoing threat or danger, seek appropriate help rather than arranging a meeting that causes fresh harm.
Must I Ask Pardon for Every Incident in Which I Might Have Been Unfair?
An obligation or wrongdoing is not established merely by a passing thought or possibility. Address what you know or what reliable evidence supports, rather than repeatedly apologising for unestablished events. This is different from knowing that you took someone's right and deliberately ignoring it.
I Deleted a False Accusation from My Account. Is That Enough?
Deletion is a start, but readers may still believe the claim. Correct the falsehood among those who received it as far as you can, and seek removal of reachable copies without widening the exposure. Resulting claims or losses need to be addressed according to the facts.
Half the Amount Was Forgiven. Is the Whole Debt Cleared?
No. The remaining half is still owed unless paid or validly waived. Likewise, if several people own the money, one person's waiver of their share does not cancel everyone else's shares.
Do Years Passing or the Owner's Silence Cancel the Wrong?
Time passing or the absence of a demand does not, in itself, establish that the owner has given you the money or pardoned you before Allah. If you know the right remains, work to restore it. Disputes, proof and claim procedures belong with the appropriate authority rather than your assumptions alone.
Allah says:
﴿قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ﴾
Meaning: Say: My servants who have wronged themselves, do not despair of Allah's mercy. Allah forgives all sins; He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. [Al-Zumar 39:53]
Do not wait until every past wrong has been resolved before turning back to Allah. Restore what you can today, explain any uncertainty honestly to a qualified scholar, and keep working on what remains owed.