took 2 coffee mugs from workplace kitchen

Question

Assalamualikum,

Took 2 coffee mugs from a workplace kitchen 10 years ago in a different country. I do not know if it belonged to the workplace or a co-worker at the workplace. I have heard about the hadith where a shaheed was admitted to hell because he stole a cloak. I did repent and vow never to do such a thing again.

I was not a practicing Muslimah at the time I took the mugs. I did foolish things around that time. But in the last year or so, I have come closer to Allah and now I am a practicing Muslimah. I have taken hijab, fasting, praying 5 times and try to get up for tahhajud and ask for forgiveness.

I would like to beg for forgiveness from Allah for this act and want to make things right.

I still have the coffee mugs. I do not plan to return to the country of the workplace in the near future. I am not able to sleep at night because of this. Since I do not know who the owner is do I mail the coffee mugs to the workplace and ask them to leave it in the kitchen? What if mugs belonged to the person who does not work there anymore as it has been 10 years? Do I donate the coffee mugs because I do not know who/where the owner is ? Do I pay the price of the coffee mugs to the needy?

Jazāk Allāhu Khayran

Answer 1

و عليكم السلام و رحمة الله و بركاته First of all, I would like to congratulate you for reaching that level of faith, dignity and honour, not so many Muslims are like that. As long as you commited tawba, then Allah will forgive you, while you can't return the coffee mugs to the owner(s), you can instead give the ones in need the price of them by the intention of the owners, and by that I mean as if they were the people who gave that Sadaka. May Allah bless you