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The question

Is the thief obligated to return the exact amount he stole twenty years ago, even though the currency has depreciated, and does this ruling differ from the rulings on loans and other debts?

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Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

The established right owed due to usurpation (ghasb), theft, or procrastination in debt repayment must be returned at its value on the day it was taken, along with guaranteeing any damage incurred to stolen physical items. As for other debts, a distinction is made between minor changes (less than one-third), in which case the like (mithl) must be returned, and significant changes (one-third or more), in which case reconciliation through the distribution of harm is necessary. If recourse is made to value, it is estimated at the price of gold or the purchasing power of the currency at the time the debt was incurred, and payment is made in a different currency.

Summary from Ftawy's records · added here

Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.

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Where this answer came from
Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
18803
Added here
. This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
Text
Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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Read the full answer on Ftawy