A married man with children who was not guided to the right path and was corrupted by his companions, who taught him gambling and drinking alcohol, and then Allah guided him to the path
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The questioner : The honorable Shaykh says that he is married.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And he has a number of children. He says: "I was not guided to the straight path, and my companions corrupted me by teaching me gambling and drinking alcohol. I say that I played gambling and drank alcohol, and I was extravagant with myself and my children. After that, Allah guided me to the straight path, and to reading the Qur'an, prayer, and fasting, after I used not to fast in Ramadan. Please advise us, may Allah reward you with good. Is there an expiation for that deed I did, for what came from me in the past days? I hope for advice from the honorable Shaykh, may you be rewarded?"
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that this is a great and important question, and it contains the great evils mentioned by the questioner, such as alcohol and gambling, and the greatness of the sins to which the questioner referred. But I say that the door of repentance has not ceased to be open, and praise be to Allah. Allah has opened His door for the repentant at all times. The Exalted and Majestic extends His hand by night for the sinner of the day to repent, and by day for the sinner of the night to repent. And Allah, Glorified and Exalted, has made clear in His Book that He forgives all sins for whoever repents. So He, the Exalted, said:[Az-Zumar 39:53].
And Allah, the Exalted, said:[Al-Furqan 25:68-70] So Allah mentioned in this verse associating partners with Allah, killing the soul without right, and unlawful sexual intercourse. These are transgressions against Allah, transgressions against souls, and transgressions against honor. And yet, He made clear that whoever repents from these great sins, then Allah, Glorified and Exalted, will replace their evil deeds with good ones.
And He, the Exalted, said:[Al-Anfal 8:38] And if the disbeliever stops his disbelief and repents to Allah from it, Allah forgives him what has passed. So likewise, the sinner, if he stops his disobedience and repents from it, Allah forgives him what has passed.
But the rights pertaining to the servants, such as usurping wealth and taking it without right, it is obligatory for its owner, meaning it is obligatory for the repentant person, to return it to its owners. If they have died, he returns it to their heirs. If he does not know them, he gives it in charity on their behalf, and it reaches them, and his conscience is cleared by it. This is if he did not take these moneys through exchange, contract, and transaction with their owners. If he took these moneys through a contract, transaction, and exchange with their owners, then he does not return them to them, such as the gambling mentioned by the questioner.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That he used to take it. If this is through a contract issued from the consent of the other party, then he is not obligated to return to him what he took from him. But he gives it in charity to get rid of it, and he does not return it to its owner. Because if he returned it to its owner, he would combine for him the consideration and the considered item. Or if he returned it to its owner, he would return it to him while he is pleased with its departure in a forbidden manner. Yes, if it is assumed that its owner is ignorant that gambling is forbidden, then here we say: return it to its owner, because he gave it to you while excused.
And in summary: whoever repents from any sin, then Allah accepts his repentance.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : But if the sin pertains to the rights of human beings that must be returned to them, then repentance is not complete except by returning these rights to their people. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. This questioner did not mention the name. Actually, here he says: The honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And he has a number of children. He says: "I was not guided to the straight path, and my companions corrupted me by teaching me gambling and drinking alcohol. I say that I played gambling and drank alcohol, and I was extravagant with myself and my children. After that, Allah guided me to the straight path, and to reading the Qur'an, prayer, and fasting, after I used not to fast in Ramadan. Please advise us, may Allah reward you with good. Is there an expiation for that deed I did, for what came from me in the past days? I hope for advice from the honorable Shaykh, may you be rewarded?"
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that this is a great and important question, and it contains the great evils mentioned by the questioner, such as alcohol and gambling, and the greatness of the sins to which the questioner referred. But I say that the door of repentance has not ceased to be open, and praise be to Allah. Allah has opened His door for the repentant at all times. The Exalted and Majestic extends His hand by night for the sinner of the day to repent, and by day for the sinner of the night to repent. And Allah, Glorified and Exalted, has made clear in His Book that He forgives all sins for whoever repents. So He, the Exalted, said:
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُAnd Allah, the Exalted, said:
(68) And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. (69) Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated - (70) Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
وَالَّذِينَ لا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا ءاخَرَ وَلا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلا يَزْنُونَ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا * يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا * إِلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَءامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُوْلَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًاAnd He, the Exalted, said:
Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them. But if they return [to hostility] - then the precedent of the former [rebellious] peoples has already taken place.
قُلْ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ يَنتَهُوا يُغْفَرْ لَهُمْ مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ وَإِنْ يَعُودُوا فَقَدْ مَضَتْ سُنَّةُ الأَوَّلِينَBut the rights pertaining to the servants, such as usurping wealth and taking it without right, it is obligatory for its owner, meaning it is obligatory for the repentant person, to return it to its owners. If they have died, he returns it to their heirs. If he does not know them, he gives it in charity on their behalf, and it reaches them, and his conscience is cleared by it. This is if he did not take these moneys through exchange, contract, and transaction with their owners. If he took these moneys through a contract, transaction, and exchange with their owners, then he does not return them to them, such as the gambling mentioned by the questioner.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That he used to take it. If this is through a contract issued from the consent of the other party, then he is not obligated to return to him what he took from him. But he gives it in charity to get rid of it, and he does not return it to its owner. Because if he returned it to its owner, he would combine for him the consideration and the considered item. Or if he returned it to its owner, he would return it to him while he is pleased with its departure in a forbidden manner. Yes, if it is assumed that its owner is ignorant that gambling is forbidden, then here we say: return it to its owner, because he gave it to you while excused.
And in summary: whoever repents from any sin, then Allah accepts his repentance.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : But if the sin pertains to the rights of human beings that must be returned to them, then repentance is not complete except by returning these rights to their people. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. This questioner did not mention the name. Actually, here he says: The honorable Shaykh.