The ruling on one who innovated a bad practice and people followed him, then he repented
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Question:
If a person innovates a bad practice and people follow him, and then he repents while his followers continue to follow him, does he bear a sin?
Answer:
It appears that if he repents with a sincere repentance, he owes nothing, unless they are near him and he is able to reach them; in that case, he has to inform them so that they do not imitate him.
As for if he is unable to reach them, we hope that his repentance is sufficient for him, and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is greater than that.
But if he can obtain their addresses, or if they are near him, he has to inform them: "I made a mistake in this matter and I have turned back from my mistake," so that they do not take him as an example.
If a person innovates a bad practice and people follow him, and then he repents while his followers continue to follow him, does he bear a sin?
Answer:
It appears that if he repents with a sincere repentance, he owes nothing, unless they are near him and he is able to reach them; in that case, he has to inform them so that they do not imitate him.
As for if he is unable to reach them, we hope that his repentance is sufficient for him, and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is greater than that.
But if he can obtain their addresses, or if they are near him, he has to inform them: "I made a mistake in this matter and I have turned back from my mistake," so that they do not take him as an example.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.