How can a man repent who accumulated his wealth from illicit sources and developed it through usury and unlawful trade over sixty years, especially given that some of those he dealt with have died and he does not know many of the rightful owners of the money?

Whoever acquires ill-gotten wealth, repentance becomes obligatory upon them, and one of its conditions is to dispose of this wealth. Ill-gotten wealth is of two types:

The first type is wealth taken unjustly without the owner's consent, such as stolen goods or usury. This must be returned to its owner or their heirs. If they cannot be identified, then it should be given as charity on their behalf.

The second type is wealth taken with the owner's consent but which is Islamically forbidden. This type should be spent on the welfare of Muslims.

If the amount of ill-gotten wealth is unknown, one must strive to estimate it and disburse it.

As for the profits generated from ill-gotten wealth, there is a difference of opinion among scholars. Some believe that these profits belong to the investor, based on the rule "benefit follows liability" (al-kharaj bi al-dhaman). However, piety dictates disposing of them.