Fatwa: # 15535
Category: Jurisprudence and Rulings...
Country: United States
Date: 15th August 2007

Title

I used someone elses name to get a credit card

Question

I have committed a sin that i regret i used someone elses name to apply for credit and ive been using it and now i cant afford to pay it and they have found out and its been deleted from there record so basically they probably wont owe anything and i feel terriable and i want to repent and pray to allah to forgive but what can i do to repay them without revealing who i am? would send them an amount of money each month be reasonable annonomously? or donating the money to a mosque of which i have used and didnt pay back? please help me on what to do i want to repent badly and i would love for allah to forgive me of my sins

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

Allah is Tawwaab. He is most forgiving. He loves the repentance of His sincere servants. Make shukr to Allah that He gave you the realization of your wrong and the ability to repent.

You did not explain in detail how you used the credit. Was it through credit card or general credit? The principle is if you have taken somebody’s item, you should return the item if it is available or pay the value of the item to the person. In doing so, you do not have to reveal your identity and the reason for doing so.

If that is not possible, you should dispose of the defrauded amount by giving it in charity to the poor and needy.

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa

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