Does repentance waive the rights and debts of others?
We summarize what you have mentioned in the following points:
1. Sincere repentance erases sins, but it does not absolve one of the rights of others. The penitent must restore rights to their owners. If the owners or their heirs cannot be found, the penitent should give charity on their behalf. 2. If the owner of the right was a disbeliever and is deceased, the penitent should dispose of the money in charitable causes. 3. The rights that must be restored do not include what the has rendered valueless and forbidden in itself, such as alcoholic beverages. Their value is void, and there is no guarantee for them for one who stole them. 4. Therefore, you are not obligated to do anything in repentance for stealing alcohol. 5. As for stealing international calls, you must restore their value to their owners (government or individuals) in an appropriate manner. 6. A distinction is made between stolen items that are forbidden in themselves and have no benefit (like alcohol), in which case the penitent is not obligated to pay their value, and forbidden items that have benefit (like the wood of a lute), in which case the value of what can be benefited from must be guaranteed.
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- 24981
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