Is it obligatory to return ill-gotten gains to their owner who has repented, or to give them away in charity on their behalf?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Theft is a grave sin (kabirah) whose punishment is the cutting off of the hand, and it indicates a deficiency in faith. The thief must repent sincerely ( nasuh), increase in righteous deeds, and return the stolen money to its owner, or seek forgiveness from him, even if the owner of the money does not pray or give charity. Judging a person's money as unlawful requires knowledge of all their sources of income, which is difficult.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/46747
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 46747
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- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Read the full answer on Ftawy