Is theft a right of Allah or a right of people?

Question

I had asked about theft — whether it belongs to the rights of Allah or the rights of people (huquq al-‘ibad): are theft and the like forgiven through repentance or not? The Prophet ﷺ said, probably three times, “Even if he committed fornication and even if he stole” (وإن زنى وإن سرق). I had considered theft a right of people, since it is a servant’s property that was taken?

Answer

Theft is both a right of Allah, in that it goes against the law laid down by Allah ﷻ, and a right of the servant, in that it takes another’s property. If the property still exists, returning it is obligatory. Because it is a right of Allah, there will be punishment for the theft.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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