A way of returning stolen property

Question

Question: A man committed many thefts, then Allah Most High guided him. Now he wants to repay the stolen property, but because of the large number of thefts he has forgotten the rightful owners, and the goods themselves no longer exist either. How should he now repay it?

Answer

He should determine the amount of the stolen property by estimation and deliver it to the owner or his heirs. If the owner or his heirs are not known, then he should give that same amount in charity (sadaqa) to the poor with the intention of it being on the owner’s behalf, and keep on making repentance (tawba) and seeking forgiveness (istighfar) before Allah, the Pure.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.