Selamun Aleykim,
I am 33 years old.
When I was approximately 26 years old, I was working for a company
owned by 3 people. I was the manager at that time and in charge of the
business.
I had been working withthis group since the age of 18 and they are
(and still are) close friends and family.
Whilst working with them, at the ages of 26-27 I stole money fromthem.
I lost my ways, and began to make friends with the wrong people. Iknew
the mistake I was making but because of the life I was leading, the
people I was involved with substancesinvolved, I could not bring
myself out of it. But I kept a record of themoney that I took and it
is approximately$24,000.
I lose sleep over this and ask Allah in my dua's to help me with this,
it's the biggest burden I have on my life and I don't know what to do.
No body knows about this but myself, my wife and Allah (swt). – and now you.
Elhamudulillah, Allah hastaken me away and has shown his mercy upon me
and I am now married, focused on my deen and doing the best I can
Inshallah.
I have researched your site regarding fatwas you have given on this
subject, but if you could please answer the point form I have left
below, itwould help me;
Please answer the rulingof my questions below;
- I am not in a position to pay this money back, what happens if I die
tomorrow will the gates to Jannah be closed for me?
- Am I to attempt to pay this money back somehow?
- I still have some things I used that money to buy(clothes, items
etc) what do I do with them? Throw them away, give them to the poor?
- If I can never pay this money back, will my prayers, fasts and
zakkats be accepted by Allah (swt)?
- Can I go to Hajj for pilgrimage?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Praise be to Allah Who has guided you to the path of truth and saved
you from the company of bad friends.
It is well-known that sinsare of two types:
1.
Sins that have to do withthe rights of Allah. Allah may forgive these,
if a person repents sincerely,as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And He it is Who acceptsrepentance from His slaves, and forgives sins"
[ash-Shoora 42:25].
2.
Sins that have to do withthe rights of other people. In order for
repentance from these sins to be accepted, it is stipulated that the
individual should restorethose rights to them or ask them to let him
off, by asking them to forgive him and forget the dues he owes to
them. Al-Bukhaari (6534)narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said: "Whoever has wronged his brother, let him ask him to
forgive him, for there (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection) there will
be no dinars and no dirhams, before some of his good deeds are taken
and given to his brother, and if he has nogood deeds to his
credit,some of his brother's bad deeds will be taken and thrown onto
him."
See also the answer to question no. 43017
Secondly:
If you cannot return the money at present, then it remains something
that you owe and you must return it when you are able to do so.
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:If the sin involved
wronging people, then repentance from it is notvalid unless the
propertyis returned to its rightfulowner – whether it is the exact
property itself or otherwise – if he is able to do that. If he is not
able to do that, then he must resolve to return it whenever he is able
to do so, at the earliest possible opportunity.
End quote from Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 18/200
If it so happens that a person is not able to return property to its
rightful owners before he dies, but he intended to return it, then it
is up to Allah, and perhaps Allah will pay it back for him on the Day
of Resurrection.
Thirdly:
Acceptance of righteous deeds, such as prayer, zakaah, Hajj and other
acts of worship, is up to Allah, but there is the hope that if a
person does an act of worship in the manner required Islamically, that
Allah willaccept it from him.
In the answer to question no. 107241 we stated that the fact that a
person does acts of disobedience and major sins does not mean that
other, righteous deeds will not be accepted from him. This applies
tothe one who has not repented from those sins, so how about the one
who has repented and has decided to return property to its rightful
owners.
Based on that, your previous sins do not mean that your righteous
deeds, such as prayer, zakaah and so on, will not be accepted from
you.
With regard to Hajj, it is well-known that Hajj requires financial
resources; if you have money that is surplus to your needs, then what
you have to do is use it to pay off what you oweof dues to others, and
what you took from people's wealth, even if it is less than what is
owed. So what you haveto do is reduce these dues as much as you
can."On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear"
[al-Baqarah 2:286].
We ask Allah to help you to pay off your debt and to forgive us and
you, for He is able to do that.
And Allah knows best.
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