A teacher who wronged her students and did not do her best in teaching, then repented: what should she do to make her repentance valid, and how should she seek forgiveness from those students, given that there are many of them?

The questioner : He says: Your Eminence, this woman says that she did not do her best in teaching, and that she wronged the students. But now that she has learned the ruling, she has repented and regretted it. She asks what she should do so that Allah will accept her repentance? And how should she seek forgiveness from those students and be absolved by them, given that there are many of them?

The Shaykh : If what she did previously was an exercise of independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) on her part, and it later became clear to her that she was mistaken in that reasoning, then she owes nothing, because a scholar who makes an error in his reasoning receives a reward. However, if that reasoning involved taking money, for example, then she must return the money to its owners. But if it was merely beating, detention, suspension, or something similar, and it stemmed from her reasoning, then it does not harm her, and she bears no sin for it. The same applies if a man did so. But if it was due to injustice rather than reasoning, then she must seek to be absolved by those she wronged to the extent of her ability, before it becomes a time when there is no dirham or dinar. I think this will be easy, if Allah wills. If it becomes impossible for her, Allah the Exalted said: It is sufficient for her to be sincere in her repentance to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and by His grace, He will bear the burden for her and compensate the wronged parties according to the extent of their injustice.