What is required of one who has repented for stealing money and is unable to return it?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
This questioner (M. M.) says: Your Eminence, she mentions that she is a girl who is twenty years old. She says: I stole approximately three thousand riyals from my stepmother, and I was fourteen years old at the time. Allah guided me and I repented for what I did. About six years have passed since then. She says: Your Eminence, what should I do? Because I am unable to return the money I took from my stepmother; because I am an orphan of my father, and I do not have enough. I do not consider it—may Allah will it—anything but a mistake on my part, and I have repented. So what is required of me?
May Allah reward you.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
It is obligatory for you to return the money to its owner and seek her forgiveness. Say: "Please forgive me." This is what is obligatory for you. Strive until you return the money to her; this is what is obligatory for you. If you are unable to do so—say—inform her, perhaps she will forgive you. If you inform her and she forgives you and grants you permission, there is no harm. Say: "I made a mistake when I was young, and I made a mistake. I hope you will forgive me. I do not have money to give you." If she forgives you, there is no harm. Otherwise, it is obligatory for you to strive to pay it to her, even by borrowing, if you are able to repay. If you are able to repay, borrow and pay it to her, then repay the loan to its owner if you are able to settle it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah preserve you.
This questioner (M. M.) says: Your Eminence, she mentions that she is a girl who is twenty years old. She says: I stole approximately three thousand riyals from my stepmother, and I was fourteen years old at the time. Allah guided me and I repented for what I did. About six years have passed since then. She says: Your Eminence, what should I do? Because I am unable to return the money I took from my stepmother; because I am an orphan of my father, and I do not have enough. I do not consider it—may Allah will it—anything but a mistake on my part, and I have repented. So what is required of me?
May Allah reward you.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
It is obligatory for you to return the money to its owner and seek her forgiveness. Say: "Please forgive me." This is what is obligatory for you. Strive until you return the money to her; this is what is obligatory for you. If you are unable to do so—say—inform her, perhaps she will forgive you. If you inform her and she forgives you and grants you permission, there is no harm. Say: "I made a mistake when I was young, and I made a mistake. I hope you will forgive me. I do not have money to give you." If she forgives you, there is no harm. Otherwise, it is obligatory for you to strive to pay it to her, even by borrowing, if you are able to repay. If you are able to repay, borrow and pay it to her, then repay the loan to its owner if you are able to settle it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah preserve you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.