—to repentance is false, and his repentance will not be accepted.
Part of abandoning a sin and giving it up is to restore any injustices to their rightful owners whenever the wrongdoing concerns people’s rights. Thus, if the sin involved taking someone’s wealth, he must return that wealth to the person from whom he took it; if that person has died, then to his heirs. If he cannot identify the heirs, has forgotten who the victim was, or the person has gone to a place where he cannot be found—for example, a foreigner who returned to his homeland and whose whereabouts are now unknown—he must give the equivalent amount in charity, intending its reward for the owner whose money he owes.
If the sin was backbiting and the victim knows that he has been spoken against, the backbiter must go to him and seek absolution. It is proper for the victim, when his brother comes apologizing, to accept the apology and forgive him. Therefore, if your brother comes to you acknowledging his sin, pardon and overlook it: “Indeed, Allah loves the doers of good” (Al-Ma’idah, 5:13). Should he refuse to waive the backbiting unless compensated with money, then give him whatever satisfies him so that he will release you from liability.
Likewise, if the sin involved trading insults with someone—so much so that you even struck him—true repentance requires that you go to him, ask his pardon, and say, “Here I am before you; strike me as I struck you,” until he forgives you. The essential point is that whenever the sin pertains to another human being, you must obtain his pardon, whether the wrong involved wealth, bodily harm, or honor.
The fourth condition: he must firmly resolve never to return to the sin in the future. If he repents and refrains from the wrongdoing, yet harbors in his heart the intention that, should the opportunity arise, he will revert to it, then such