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853625/03/2004

Used to Take Things From Work; What Now After Repentance?

Question: 47791

I am an employee in a government department. I used to take some pens, paper, paper clips and erasers home with me. After that Allah enabled me to repent and follow the right path, praise be to Allah. But what should I do about these things so that I may clear my conscience? Please note that I do not remember from which office I took them. What should I do?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Allah has commanded us to keep our trusts, and He has forbidden us to take
people’s wealth or property in unlawful ways. 

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those, to
whom they are due.” [4:58] 

It was narrated that Abu Humayd al Sa’idi said: The Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “By Allah, no one of you
takes anything unlawfully but he will meet Allah carrying it on the Day of
Resurrection. I will certainly recognize some of you who meet Allah carrying
a camel that is groaning or a cow that is lowing or a sheep that is
bleating.” Then he raised his hand until the whiteness of his armpit could
be seen and said: “O Allah, have I conveyed (the message)?” [al-Bukhari,
Muslim]. 

Who has enabled you to repent. This is a blessing from
Allah to you, for which He deserves to be thanked. So praise Allah and ask
Him for more of His bounty and help. 

You do not have to disclose to the department what you have done; rather it
is sufficient for you to return the things themselves or the equivalent in
whatever way you can. If you cannot return them then you can give an
equivalent amount in charity. 

You should try to find the office from which you took them; if you cannot do
that, then it is sufficient – in sha Allah – for you to return them to the
department itself. 

The Standing Committee was asked about a man who used to work in the armed
forces and took a coat without permission. They replied: 

You have to return something equivalent to the coat that you took or its
value to the section from which you took it. If you cannot, then give the
equivalent amount in charity to a poor person. 

Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daimah. 

For more information please see questions no.


43100
,

40019
,

33858
.


20062
.

And Allah
knows best.

Source

Islam Q&A

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