He says in his letter: My question is that I stole about five car rims, and after the prayer I regretted what I did, and since my regret does me no good, I wished that my hand had been cut off.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : This is a letter we received from the presenter, Zaban Duhawi, the afflicted one from Tabuk. He says in his letter: My question is that I stole about five car rims, and after the prayer I regretted what I did, and since my regret does me no good, I wished that my hand had been cut off. Please guide us, and may Allah protect you and reward you. Amen?
The Shaykh : As for these rims that you stole, if you know their owner, it is obligatory for you to return them to him by any means.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If the owner has died, it is obligatory for you to return them to his heirs. If he has no heirs, then you must return them to the public treasury or spend them on public interests, if there is no one from the state to accept them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If you do not know the owner of the car from which you stole the rims, and you do not know whose car it is, then it is obligatory for you to give charity with their value, because the unknown is like the nonexistent. Since it has become difficult to know this person from whom you stole these rims, you give charity on his behalf, meaning with their value. And Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, knows him and will reach him with that, and you are absolved of your obligation by this.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for these rims that you stole, if you know their owner, it is obligatory for you to return them to him by any means.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If the owner has died, it is obligatory for you to return them to his heirs. If he has no heirs, then you must return them to the public treasury or spend them on public interests, if there is no one from the state to accept them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If you do not know the owner of the car from which you stole the rims, and you do not know whose car it is, then it is obligatory for you to give charity with their value, because the unknown is like the nonexistent. Since it has become difficult to know this person from whom you stole these rims, you give charity on his behalf, meaning with their value. And Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, knows him and will reach him with that, and you are absolved of your obligation by this.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.