Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
In my past I have stolen vast sums of money from places I have worked. I cannot afford to pay them all back at once, can I pay as and when I am able? What will happen to me if I die before I pay them all back?
Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
Repentance wipes out sin, but does not lift one’s responsibility towards others. One has to have the resolve to pay back all such debts, and then take genuine means towards repayment. If one died while doing this, one can hope that Allah will forgive one’s remaining debts. However, if one is remiss in repayment, then these will be a tremendous fitna for one on the Day of Judgment, and such debts will be repaid in the form of giving away one’s good deeds.
Faraz Rabbani.
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