What is the ruling on one who took money without right, then repented and returned it to its owner, but people spoke about him in gatherings? What should he do?

The questioner : If he returned the money to its owner, some people may still speak about him even though he returned the money to its owner.

The Shaykh : What?

The questioner : They speak about the person, or the person who took the money, in gatherings: so-and-so took the money and did such and such.

The Shaykh : He stole from him and confronted him here.

The questioner : Yes

The Shaykh : As I said, if he fears harm that he can convey through a trustworthy person, yes. Otherwise, there is a real problem. I mean, some people may be worse. As is mentioned about a certain person: two thieves, two thieves, one of them went ahead. When they were in Iraq, they saw a Jew in Iraq before the issue of Palestine, and the Jews were people of wealth, people of wealth. So one of them went ahead and dropped a bag, a bag of coins containing a dinar, containing a dinar. His companion, the thief, followed the Jew, walking behind him. When the bag fell, the Jew picked it up and said, "O so-and-so, this bag fell from you." The thief said, "The rest is upon you. This is a fulfillment of your kindness in that you informed me and did not take it." The Jew said, "No, why would I take it?" He opened it. "This only contains a dinar. My bag contains ten dinars." The thief said, "Absolutely not, I took this from the ground and called out to you." The Jew said, "No, it contains ten. I took it, meaning..."

The questioner : nine.

The Shaykh : nine. He said, "Absolutely not." He said, "Who will testify for you?" He said, "This one." The man testifies for him, his companion who was behind the Jew, who was walking behind the Jew. Yes, do you testify? He said: "Yes, I testify. I testify that there were ten in it." They disputed and went to the judge. The three went to the judge. The owner of the bag said, "My bag fell from me and this Jew took it. It contained ten dinars, and he took nine and left one." He said it was like that. The Jew said: "Absolutely not. It fell on the ground and I called out to him immediately and gave it to him." He said, "I have this witness." He said, "And swear an oath with him." He said, "And I will swear with him." Do you know that if one witness testifies and the plaintiff swears an oath, yes, judgment is given in his favor? He said, "Testify." He said, "I testify that there were ten dinars in it." He said to the plaintiff, "Swear." He said, "I swear that there were ten dinars in it." He said, "And what is in this bag?" He said, "There is only one in it." He said, "Then your bag is not this bag. This is not your bag. Go look for your bag. This bag will remain with us until its owner comes. And go look for your bag, yes."

The questioner : This one is clever.

The Shaykh : Yes, now his right is lost. He did not get a dinar or ten dinars. Yes, the judge apparently knew the case that they were people of tricks. The important thing is he kept the bag with him and said, "Go on, leave. This is not your bag, and you go look for yours. And this one, leave it with us until its owner comes." And the Jew left. The Jew was safe, and these people lost out, yes. Later, they made a mediation. The one who told me, and he is a trustworthy man, said they made a mediation and they got their bag with the dinar in it. Yes, I mean, some people, if you come as a repentant person, may accuse you. They accuse you, and you do not know. It remains for us, it remains for us. We took revenge, with our souls and our wealth, and we remain in our honor. If a person violates the honor of his brother, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed: is it obligatory to go to him and seek his forgiveness, or is it sufficient to seek forgiveness from Allah for him? As is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: So some of them said it is necessary to go to him and seek his forgiveness, whether he knew of the backbiting or not, and seeking forgiveness from Allah is not sufficient. And some of them said seeking forgiveness from Allah is sufficient. And some of them distinguished and said if he knew of the backbiting, it is necessary to go to him and seek his forgiveness, and if he did not know, seeking forgiveness from Allah is sufficient. And this is the middle opinion, and it is the correct one. The correct one is this, yes.

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : We took three, what?

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : Ah?

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : What?

The questioner : He says if he committed zina...

The Shaykh : Yes, yes, Allah accepts his repentance.

The questioner : Does he go to them?

The Shaykh : As he said, absolutely not, and nothing.

The questioner : Does he seek their forgiveness?

The Shaykh : Nothing. The apparent meaning of the verse: ... , is that there is no need to seek their forgiveness. And there is no doubt that if it was by the choice of the woman with whom he committed zina, she has no right to seek his forgiveness. But the question is if she was coerced, is it obligatory for him to verify his repentance by seeking her forgiveness or not? The apparent meaning of the verse is general, that repentance is sufficient.