Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question: As salam alaykum,
I stole candy and gum from a store and I can’t return it because I’ve already eaten it. I can’t pay it back because I don’t have a salary as I am 13. Will Allah forgive me?
Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,
I pray that this message finds you well, insha’Allah.
Yes, Allah will forgive you for your mistake if you repent because He is All-Forgiving and Ever-Merciful.
However, considering you took from somebody else’s property without paying for it, you need to adequately redress this wrong.
The simplest thing to do would be to save up the value of the items taken, and then return this enveloped to the shop with a message stating what you did and that you are sorry. Strive to do this anonymously so that it doesn’t end up making matters worse.
May Allah bless you and grant you facilitation and success.
Please also see: A Reader on Tawba (Repentance) and: How Do I Repent From the Theft I Committed Many Years Ago When I Was a Teenager? and: Does Sincere Repentance Eradicate Sin?
And Allah alone knows best.
wassalam,
Tabraze Azam
Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani