Is merely repenting to Allah the Almighty sufficient for falsely accusing a non-Muslim of theft, or is it obligatory to apologize to him personally despite fearing legal repercussions?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is not permissible to accuse anyone of theft except with clear evidence or strong circumstantial indicators, such as fingerprints and video recordings. Otherwise, it would be a false accusation. The general rule is the obligation to seek forgiveness for an injustice. However, if apologizing would lead to a greater harm, such as being compelled to pay compensation, then seeking forgiveness is not obligatory. In such a case, repentance suffices, along with publicizing his innocence in the places where he was accused. Compensation for emotional damages is not legislated.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/24482
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 24482
- 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.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy