Paying Back Stolen Money
Question :

When I was younger and did not care about what is permissible or not, I took some money from my father’s company, while I was working for him. Do I have to admit this to him?
I took out a loan for my father and he was supposed to pay it back in a year but he could not. So if I agree to make the repayments every month instead of him paying it, can I repay him in this way without telling him that I took money from him all those years ago? Or should I tell him?

Answer :

You should pay back what you have taken from him, and it is not necessary for you tell him what you had done in the past. The monthly payments can be considered as repayments to him, if you are paying on his behalf, rather than contributing.

Stealing
Question : When I was in school I went to a supermarket with my friends and I stole a magazine, this again was before I was practicing Islam. Now the supermarket isn't there and there is a new one. So, my question is how should I atone for this? Should I give money to charity on their behalf?
Answer : You should look for the shop owner and pay him/her the said amount and you do not need to inform the owner why you are paying when you find him/her. If you could not reach him/her, it is enough to be prepared to pay the owner his/her dues when possible.
Paying the amount as a charity on behalf of the owner when he/she can not be reached is a good thing but it is not mandatory and does not remove the obligation on you to satisfy the owner whenever you can reach him/her.
Could not Find the Owner of a Stolen Item
Question :

What if a person has stolen something and he cannot find the owner? Is it then sufficient if he pays the value in Sadaqa? What if it is a big company or and it is hard to find out how he should pay it back?

Answer :

Yes, it can be paid as a charity on behalf of the item’s owner, but it is not obligatory. It is sufficient to intend to give it back when the owner is found, although it is better to pay it as a charity on the owner’s behalf.
If you stole from a big company, then the owner is known. He should turn the item or its value to the manager or deposit the amount in the company's bank account where the owner can access it.

Return of Stolen Item
Question :

Many years ago, when I was 12 or 13 years ago, I stole something from my relative. I was immature then, but I know what I did was wrong and deeply regret it. Admitting this to them will create major problems between families. I have sincerely repented from this kind of sun, but is this enough?

Answer :

You should return what you took from them. If those items are not present, you should give something similar. If this is not possible, then the value of the stolen items should be given. They don’t need to know it’s from you, or that it is you returning what you had stolen.

Stealing
Question :

If someone had stolen something from a person who does not care for the thing, and the stealer then seeks forgiveness from Allah Almighty, is this sufficient? Can he then use the item, or does he have to return it to the owner?

Answer :

It is not permissible to use the item without the owner’s approval. The stealer is obligated to seek the owner’s approval, or he must return the item to owner even if this is done without the later knowing it was stolen in the first place.