Will Allah Forgive Me After Stealing Something That Can’t Be Returned?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question
I stole candy and gum from a store and I can’t return it because I’ve already eaten it. I can’t pay it back because I don’t have a salary as I am 13. Will Allah forgive me?
Answer
I pray that this message finds you well, insha’Allah.
Yes, Allah will forgive you for your mistake if you repent because He is All-Forgiving and Ever-Merciful.
However, considering you took from somebody else’s property without paying for it, you need to adequately redress this wrong.
The simplest thing to do would be to save up the value of the items taken and then return this enveloped to the shop with a message stating what you did and that you are sorry. Strive to do this anonymously so that it doesn’t end up making matters worse.
May Allah bless you and grant you facilitation and success.
Please also see:
- A Reader on Tawba (Repentance)
- Reader on Stealth and Returning Stolen Items
- Does Sincere Repentance Eradicate Sin?
And Allah alone knows best.
wassalam,
[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorized the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan, and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.
