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Does Allah accept the repentance of one who acquired unlawful wealth and intends to purify it, but is currently unable to return what was taken without the owners' knowledge?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

We ask Allah to accept your repentance and grant you steadfastness. Repentance from ill-gotten wealth is detailed as follows:

1. Ill-gotten wealth taken without the owner's consent (such as theft or usurpation): It must be returned to its owners. If you are unable to do so, ask them for forgiveness or a deferral. 2. Ill-gotten wealth taken with the owner's consent (such as usurious bank interest): Do not return it to the bank. You must dispose of it by giving it as charity. If you consumed it while you were wealthy: You are required to give its equivalent in charity from your own wealth. If you consumed it out of necessity and were poor: Nothing is required of you, even if you become wealthy later. However, if you spent it unnecessarily or had sufficient lawful wealth, then you would be transgressing, and you must absolve yourself when repenting.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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