How does a person free himself from the injustices of people, whether they are in wealth, backbiting, or talebearing? And if they are in wealth and he does not know how to return them, what should he do? We ask for guidance.
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The questioner : This listener has used the initials S.S. for his name, Abu Abdullah, from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He says: O honorable Shaykh, how does a person free himself from the injustices of people, whether they are in wealth, backbiting, or talebearing? And if they are in wealth and he does not know how to return them, what should he do? We ask for guidance?
The Shaykh : A person frees himself from the rights of people by one of two things: either by fulfilling them or by obtaining their pardon. As for fulfilling them, if they are in wealth, he returns them to their owners if he knows them. If he has forgotten them, let him try to remember. If he does not know where they are, let him search. If finding them becomes difficult, let him give them in charity on their behalf; they will have the reward of the charity, and he will have the reward of repentance. If the owners have died and left behind heirs, he searches for their heirs and delivers the wealth to them, because the wealth has passed to the heirs after the death of the deceased. If he does not know the heirs and knows nothing about them and is unable to find them, then as mentioned before, he gives it in charity on their behalf, because it has passed to them. If the right is in honor, meaning he spoke about a person's honor and insulted him, he frees himself from it by asking for his pardon. He says, "I hope you will pardon what I said about you; I said such and such and such." The wronged person from whom pardon is asked should pardon, because this is his brother who has come to apologize to him; he should accept his apology.[Ash-Shuraa 42:40] As Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nahl 16:126] And He the Exalted said: [Al-Baqarah 2:237].
If this wronged person in his honor has not received the news, meaning he does not know that you have backbitten him, for example, some of the scholars say: go to him, inform him, and ask for his pardon. Others say: do not inform him as long as he does not know, but seek forgiveness for him and praise him with the good qualities he possesses in the places where you backbitten him, for good deeds erase bad deeds.
If they are other rights, follow this path: go to him and seek his pardon. If he pardons you, this is part of the completion of your repentance. If it is decreed that you have backbitten a person who has died and you are unable to seek pardon for the backbiting, then if Allah knows the sincerity of your intention in your heart, He, the Exalted and Majestic, is the most generous of the generous. Perhaps He will bear this injustice from you and reward its owner and give him a reward for it. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : A person frees himself from the rights of people by one of two things: either by fulfilling them or by obtaining their pardon. As for fulfilling them, if they are in wealth, he returns them to their owners if he knows them. If he has forgotten them, let him try to remember. If he does not know where they are, let him search. If finding them becomes difficult, let him give them in charity on their behalf; they will have the reward of the charity, and he will have the reward of repentance. If the owners have died and left behind heirs, he searches for their heirs and delivers the wealth to them, because the wealth has passed to the heirs after the death of the deceased. If he does not know the heirs and knows nothing about them and is unable to find them, then as mentioned before, he gives it in charity on their behalf, because it has passed to them. If the right is in honor, meaning he spoke about a person's honor and insulted him, he frees himself from it by asking for his pardon. He says, "I hope you will pardon what I said about you; I said such and such and such." The wronged person from whom pardon is asked should pardon, because this is his brother who has come to apologize to him; he should accept his apology.
but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation - his reward is [due] from Allah
فمن عفا وأصلح فأجره على اللهAnd if you punish [an enemy, O believers], punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed. But if you are patient - it is better for those who are patient.
وإن عاقبتم فعاقبوا بمثل عوقبتم به ولئن صبرتم لهو خير للصابرينAnd to forego it is nearer to righteousness
وأن تعفوا أقرب للتقوىIf this wronged person in his honor has not received the news, meaning he does not know that you have backbitten him, for example, some of the scholars say: go to him, inform him, and ask for his pardon. Others say: do not inform him as long as he does not know, but seek forgiveness for him and praise him with the good qualities he possesses in the places where you backbitten him, for good deeds erase bad deeds.
If they are other rights, follow this path: go to him and seek his pardon. If he pardons you, this is part of the completion of your repentance. If it is decreed that you have backbitten a person who has died and you are unable to seek pardon for the backbiting, then if Allah knows the sincerity of your intention in your heart, He, the Exalted and Majestic, is the most generous of the generous. Perhaps He will bear this injustice from you and reward its owner and give him a reward for it. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.