Regarding the Conditions of Repenting From Injustice
Question: I was ignorant, and Allah bestowed His favour upon me with Islam. Before that, I had committed some wrongs against others, which I cannot mention here. I have heard the hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in which he said: “Whoever has a wrongdoing against his brother concerning his honour or anything else, let him seek his pardon today before there will be no dinar nor dirham,” to the end of the hadith. What advice do you give me, O noble Shaykh, may Allah preserve and protect you?
Answer from Shaykh Bin Baz : Allah has legislated repentance for His servants. Allah, Glorified is He, said:
وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
“And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you may succeed.” (Surah An-Nur 31)
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا
“O you who believe, turn to Allah in sincere repentance.” (Surah At-Tahrim 8)
وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِّمَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى
“And indeed I am Most Forgiving to whoever repents and believes and does righteous deeds, then remains guided.” (Surah Ta Ha 82)
Whoever commits any act of disobedience must hasten to repentance, regret, stopping the sin, being cautious, and resolving never to return to it. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, accepts the repentance of the one who repents when he is truthful in his repentance by regretting what has passed, resolving not to return to it, and abandoning it out of reverence for Allah and fear of Allah.
He repents to him, and Allah wipes away his past sins out of His bounty and kindness, Glorified and Exalted is He.
However, if the sin involves wrongdoing against people, then this requires giving back the right. He must repent from what occurred by regret, stopping, and resolving not to return, and along with that he must return the right to its rightful owner, or seek to be absolved from it, such as by saying: Forgive me, my brother, or pardon me, or the like, or by giving him his right, due to the hadith mentioned by the questioner and other hadiths and verses.
The believer should therefore be keen to free himself and be safe from the right of his brother. Either he fulfils it or seeks absolution from him. If it concerns honour, then he must seek absolution if he is able. If he is not able, or fears harmful consequences and that informing him will result in greater harm, then he seeks forgiveness for him, supplicates for him, and mentions him with the good qualities he knows of him instead of what he previously mentioned of evil.
That is, he washes away the first bad deeds with later good deeds. He mentions the good he knows about him, does not lie, spreads his good qualities in place of the wrongs he previously spread, seeks forgiveness for him, and supplicates for him. In this way, the matter comes to an end.
Majmu Fatawa Bin Baz 28/451–454
Sharh of the Hadith The Messenger ﷺ said: “Whoever has a wrongdoing against his brother, let him seek his pardon
210 – It is reported from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: ‘Whoever has an injustice with his brother, concerning his honour or anything else, let him seek release from him today before there will be no dinar and no dirham. If he has righteous deeds, they will be taken from him according to the measure of his injustice. If he has no good deeds, it will be taken from the bad deeds of his companion and carried upon him.’
Narrated by al Bukhari.
Explanation
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Whoever has an injustice with his brother, concerning his honour or anything else, let him seek release from him today,’ meaning in this life, ‘before there will be no dinar and no dirham,’ and that will be on the Day of Resurrection.
In this life a person can free himself from injustices by returning them to their people or by seeking their pardon. In the Hereafter there is nothing except righteous deeds.
On the Day of Resurrection retribution will be taken from the wrongdoer for the wronged person from his good deeds. His good deeds, which will be his capital on that Day, will be taken. If anything remains, then that is so. Otherwise, some of the bad deeds of the wronged person will be taken and placed upon the wrongdoer, and he will increase in sins upon his sins. Refuge is sought with Allah.
The apparent meaning of this hadith shows that a person must seek release even in matters of honour, whether the wronged person knew or did not know. Injustices are either against the self, against wealth, or against honour, as the Prophet ﷺ said:
‘Indeed your blood, your wealth, and your honour are sacred to you.’
If the injustice concerns the self, such as injuring him, striking him until he was wounded, cutting off one of his limbs, or killing someone belonging to him, then he seeks release by enabling the rightful person to take retribution or by offering blood money if retribution is not carried out.
If the injustice concerns wealth, then he must give him his wealth. If he holds property belonging to someone, it is obligatory to return it to its owner. If the owner is absent, his location unknown, and hope of finding him is lost, then it should be given in charity on his behalf.
Allah knows and will deliver the right to its owner. If the owner has died, it must be given to his heirs, because wealth after death transfers to the heirs. It must be handed to them. If they are unknown and he has no knowledge of them, it should be given in charity on their behalf, and Allah will inform them and give them their right.
If the injustice concerns honour, such as insulting someone in a gathering or backbiting him, then he must seek release from him if he knows that he was insulted. He should go to him and say: I did such and such, and I have come to apologise. If he pardons him, this is a blessing from Allah for both, for Allah says:
فمن عفا وأصلح فأجره على الله إنه لا يحب الظالمين
‘Whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward is upon Allah. Indeed He does not love the wrongdoers’ (Surah al Shura 42:40).
The Prophet ﷺ also said:
إن دماءكم وأموالكم وأعراضكم حرام عليكم
‘Indeed your blood, your wealth, and your honour are sacred to you’ (Riyad As Salihnin 1524)
Allah says:
الۡيَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡقِصَاصُ فِي ٱلۡقَتۡلَى ٱلۡحُرُّ بِٱلۡحُرِّ وَٱلۡعَبۡدُ بِٱلۡعَبۡدِ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰ بِٱلۡأُنثَىٰ فَمَنۡ عُفِيَ لَهُۥ مِنۡ أَخِيهِ شَيۡءٌ فَٱتِّبَاعُۢ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَأَدَآءٌ إِلَيۡهِ بِإِحۡسَـٰنٍۗ ذَٰلِكَ تَخۡفِيفٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَةٌۭۗ فَمَنِ ٱعۡتَدَىٰ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَهُۥ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
‘O you who believe, prescribed for you is retaliation regarding those killed: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But whoever is pardoned by his brother in any matter, then there should be a fair following and payment to him with excellence. That is a relief from your Lord and a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that, for him is a painful punishment’ (Surah al Baqarah 2:178).
This verse is related to retribution in blood, and the sanctity of blood, wealth, and honour is established in the Farewell Sermon reported in Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim
If he does not pardon, then he may give him wealth to satisfy him until he grants release. If he refuses, and Allah knows that the repentance of the wrongdoer is sincere, then Allah will satisfy the wronged person on the Day of Resurrection.
Allah says:
وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ
‘No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another’ (Surah al Anʿam 6:164).
And He says:
وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ
‘Do not kill the soul which Allah has made sacred except with right’ (Surah al Isra 17:33).
Some of the scholars said regarding honour: if the wronged person did not know, there is no need to inform him. For example, if he insulted him in a gathering and then repented, there is no need to inform him. Rather, he should seek forgiveness for him, supplicate for him, and speak well of him in the gatherings in which he used to insult him. In this way he seeks release from him.
Know that the matter is serious. The rights of people must be given to them, either in this life or in the Hereafter.
Sharh Riyaad As Saliheen By Ibn Uthaymeen 2/508–510
