Question
Reference number: 911820 | Miscellaneous | Aug. 5, 2026
Is a Repentant Person Required to Reveal Their Identity When Restoring Others’ Rights?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Repentance for taking other people’s money or belongings is not complete without remorse, desisting from the wrongdoing, and resolving never to return to it, in addition to restoring the right to its rightful owner if known, or compensating for its value if the item has been lost or damaged.
You are not required to reveal your identity to the person whose rights you violated if doing so would cause harm or a significant adverse consequence. Rather, you may return the full amount owed through any reliable means, such as a bank transfer, through a trustworthy intermediary, by anonymous delivery, or by depositing the money into the person’s account. This is because the objective is to ensure that the rightful owner receives what is owed to them, not to identify the person who wronged them.
If the rightful owner refuses to forgive you or refuses to accept the money unless you disclose your identity, this does not absolve you of the obligation to restore their rights. Rather, you should make every reasonable effort to return what is owed through an available means without revealing your identity.
You should not resort to giving the money in charity on the owner’s behalf as long as you are able to return it to them. Charity is a last resort when the rightful owner cannot be identified or reached, not merely because they refuse to accept the money under these circumstances.
Accordingly, you are not required to confess your past wrongdoing or expose yourself to public disgrace. What is required is to return the full amount to its rightful owner, while seeking Allah’s forgiveness and making sincere repentance.
And Allah knows best.
