What does one who wishes to repent from his sins do?
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Question:
A man commits sins such as theft, unlawful sexual intercourse, and others. He may steal and not return what he stole, or borrow money and not return it, and his sins have accumulated. What is obligatory for him to do regarding repentance?
Answer:
Allah’s pardon is vast, and the door of repentance remains open until the sun rises from the west, or until one dies. He must hasten to repent, feel remorse, and sincerely abandon these sins. He must also exert his utmost effort to return rights to their owners, returning the wealth to its owners by any means. If he does not know them and cannot reach them, he should give it in charity on their behalf to the poor and those in need, with the intention that it be for them. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, will pay it on his behalf.
The cure for sins is repentance to Allah; this is its cure: sincere, earnest repentance. It is sincere through remorse for the past, abandoning sins, guarding against them, and following up the repentance with righteous deeds. This is how the sincere ones are, as He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: : [Al-Furqan: 70], and He, Glorified is He, said: [An-Nur: 31], and He, the Exalted, said: [At-Tahrim: 8]. Thus, through sincere repentance, Allah erases sins.
And the servant, if he is sincere, must return the right to its owner: whether it is theft, betrayal, or other wealth he took, or killing; he must surrender himself to be killed in retaliation, or accept the blood money from him, until he fulfills the rights owed to him sincerely. If he does not know the owners of the rights, he gives in charity on their behalf the wealth he stole, or took from them, or borrowed from them and wasted upon them, if he does not know them and has forgotten their location, or forgotten their country; he gives it in charity on their behalf. And if he knows them, he returns their right to them by the means that will reach them, even if he does not name himself. He returns their wealth to them by the method that enables him to do so, without naming himself. There is no need to name himself.
A man commits sins such as theft, unlawful sexual intercourse, and others. He may steal and not return what he stole, or borrow money and not return it, and his sins have accumulated. What is obligatory for him to do regarding repentance?
Answer:
Allah’s pardon is vast, and the door of repentance remains open until the sun rises from the west, or until one dies. He must hasten to repent, feel remorse, and sincerely abandon these sins. He must also exert his utmost effort to return rights to their owners, returning the wealth to its owners by any means. If he does not know them and cannot reach them, he should give it in charity on their behalf to the poor and those in need, with the intention that it be for them. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, will pay it on his behalf.
The cure for sins is repentance to Allah; this is its cure: sincere, earnest repentance. It is sincere through remorse for the past, abandoning sins, guarding against them, and following up the repentance with righteous deeds. This is how the sincere ones are, as He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: :
Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good
إِلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍAnd turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَO you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًاAnd the servant, if he is sincere, must return the right to its owner: whether it is theft, betrayal, or other wealth he took, or killing; he must surrender himself to be killed in retaliation, or accept the blood money from him, until he fulfills the rights owed to him sincerely. If he does not know the owners of the rights, he gives in charity on their behalf the wealth he stole, or took from them, or borrowed from them and wasted upon them, if he does not know them and has forgotten their location, or forgotten their country; he gives it in charity on their behalf. And if he knows them, he returns their right to them by the means that will reach them, even if he does not name himself. He returns their wealth to them by the method that enables him to do so, without naming himself. There is no need to name himself.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.