Fatwa ID: 04652

Answered by: Mufti Muhammad Adnan

Question

I’ve been doing business by lying to my parents. I used my parents’ money for college tuition for doing software business. So, I didn’t use it for education instead of I used to fund my software development costs. I’ve to ask permission from my mother to use her money to do this business though. But, my father didn’t know yet. I know from the beginning that this is a sin and wrong deed.

I was really wondering:

– How do I repent from this? I’m going to tell my parents anyway, ask for their forgiveness and give them all money that I’ve got from my business. Is this enough?

– Suppose my parents forgive me and tell me to continue my business, is it ok to continue my business from the left profits that I made or should I find money from another source?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer

It is a sin that you deceptively attained money from your parents. Repentance is important from such sin, the conditions for repentance are enlisted below, the scholars state that there are three conditions for the validity of repentance:

1)      Leaving the sin

2)      Regretting committing the sin

3)      Making a firm intention not to commit the sin again.

If one wrongfully took another person’s right such as money etc, then there is an additional condition: that he returns the right to its owner or that he seeks his forgiveness.

If any of the above conditions are not fulfilled then the repentance will not be valid. If one fulfills all the conditions then Insha Allah he/she will be forgiven, for Allah is the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. After the repentance, if one happens to commit the same sin again, he should repent again. As long as he repents sincerely with the above conditions, Allah will forgive him. (Riyaadus Saaliheen)

Coming to your query, it will be sufficient to only tell your father and seek his forgiveness if he doesn’t forgive then you will have to return the money he gave you. If he forgives and permits you to, you are free to carry on your business. All this after you fulfill the first three conditions of repentance.

Only Allah Knows Best 

Written by Mufti Muhammad Adnan

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham