FatwaFederal TerritoriesEthics, Remembrance & Supplication
AL-KAFI #863 : MENEBUS DOSA ORANG YANG TIDAK DITEMUI
How can one atone for stealing as a child when the shop owner can no longer be found?
Short answer
Repentance is obligatory, and wrongs between people are absolved by seeking forgiveness from the person wronged.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Ethics, Remembrance & Supplication
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Repentance is obligatory, and wrongs between people are absolved by seeking forgiveness from the person wronged. If the owner cannot be traced, the fatwa cites al-Ghazali via al-Nawawi that the property is spent on public interests of the Muslims or given to the poor, and it may also be given as charity on the owner's behalf with sincerity. Where the owner is known and has died, the property goes to the heirs. If information about the person is found but he has already died, the fatwa advises seeking forgiveness from Allah.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Namun begitu, harus diketahui dosa diantara manusia terhapus hanyasanya dengan meminta kemaafan daripada manusia yang dizalami itu.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #863 : MENEBUS DOSA ORANG YANG TIDAK DITEMUI”, 22 October 2018. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/2702-al-kafi-863-menebus-dosa-orang-yang-tidak-ditemui. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/atoning-for-theft-owner-cannot-be-found/