Repentance from Transgressing the Rights of People

13-7-2023 | IslamWeb

Question:

I used to eat haram food earlier Now I am trying to give those whose rights I have lost, will my prayers be accepted?
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

You did well by repenting and being keen to return the money to its owners, because this is one of the conditions of repentance, and there is no doubt that consuming people’s money unjustly is a presumption that the acts of worship would not be accepted, as we explained in previous fatwas. But if you repent to Allah the Almighty with a sincere repentance that fulfills all its conditions, then Allah the Almighty forgives you and accepts your repentance and prayers, as in the hadith: “The one who repents from sin is like the one who did not commit sin.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah. The acceptance of repentance entails that Allah the Almighty lifts the punishment from the servant, and not accepting the worship of the one who consumes haram is in itself a punishment, so it is lifted by repentance, Allah willing.

Allah knows best.

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