Q656 :A few years back I came to offer the Umrah and
I feel that Allah has answered my prayer to help me have only
legitimate earnings. Since then, all my innete netes from legitimate
sources, praise be to Allah. I am, however, confused about my past
earnings which included some portions from illegitimate sources. A part
of such innete has been used in the building of our family home, which
is the only shelter for our extended family. I will be grateful for
your guidance.
A656 : I have previously explained that Allah
forgives such offenses and sins which are within the relationship
between Himself and His servant. He does not forgive an act of
aggression netmitted against another human being unless that person
forgoes his rights first. If Allah, however, wishes to spare any
servant of His the difficulty of neting face to face with people who
have rights to claim against him, He undertakes to satisfy them so that
they forgo their right. It is of paramount importance, therefore, to
try to give every person his right in this life, so that we do not nete
face to face with opponents who press their claims against us in front
of Allah. If they have a rightful claim, then Allah will make sure that
it is given them by crediting them with some of our good deeds. No one
has a surplus of good deeds to be able to afford repayment in the life
to nete. Whatever we can repay in this life should be repaid. Your
illegitimate earnings represent rights which other people are entitled
to press against you. Therefore, you are required to repay them to
their rightful owners. Whatever method you can determine to ensure that
any particular person from whom you got some money in an illegitimate
way is repaid his right in full is acceptable. You do not need to make
it known to him how you got away with what should have been his. You
should try to give it back to him and make sure that he knows that it
is his right to have it. There are various reasons which may make it
impossible. The most obvious one is that a person may not know the
rightful owner of something that he has got unlawfully. In this case,
you should give the amount which you have earned unlawfully to charity.
It is even better to pay more in sadaqah and charity than what you
think you have earned unlawfully. The more you give, the better is your
chance that Allah will grant you forgiveness in the hereafter. If you
act on this advice and pay back to anyone you know what you got from
him unlawfully or you pay in sadaqah what you can to offset your
illegitimate earnings, you may keep your house and other belongings.
You remain hopeful that Allah will forgive you, Insha’Allah. You should
always try to be charitable to others. There is nothing better to help
prevent evil and promote good than sadaqah. The more you give, the
better person you are.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )