Why Making Things Right with People Matters in Islam

Assalamu alaikum! I recently learned something eye-opening and wanted to share it with you all. In Islam, we often hear that if someone sincerely repents to Allah (swt) for their mistakes, they can be forgiven. For private sins like eating non-halal food or drinking, that’s usually enough. But it’s different when your actions affect other people. A simple example that made it click for me is about a thief. Imagine someone stole a bunch of items from a neighborhood shop. Later, he feels really guilty and makes tawbah to Allah wholeheartedly. But even with that repentance, he’s still on the hook. Why? Because he didn’t try to fix things with the person he wronged-the shop owner. The right way would’ve been to return what he took and apologize properly. Even if this person became a new Muslim and all his past sins were wiped clean, if he knowingly keeps benefiting from those stolen goods, it’s a continuous sin for him. So, if you mess up-like you lose your temper with your spouse and say hurtful words, then repent-your tawbah isn’t complete until you also address the hurt you caused the other person. It’s about honoring their rights. And if you genuinely try to set things right for Allah’s sake, insha’Allah, He will settle your affairs on the Day of Judgment. Wallahu a'lam.