Lost and Stolen items

Q:

1. While at university we used to play table soccer at the café that was on the campus. We cheated by not paying for this as we knew how to manipulate the game machine. I have now made towbah for this. Can I give an estimated amount of money to the current owners of the café as repayment? If yes, do I give it to one of the employees at the café? What do I say to them? I am also not sure if the café is still being owned by the same owners as this happened over 20 years ago. Also, I am not sure if the machines belonged to the café or to a third party. The café was not owned by the university but was run by an independent company.

2. As a child (naabaaligh) I stole sweets from my uncle’s shop and money from my brother’s cupboard. I am too shy to now approach them to tell them this. Is there any way I can pay back for this without them coming to know? Can I give it to them as a gift without telling them what it is for? Also does it have to be returned as money or can I give them a gift in kind (eg. fruit, books, etc) to the exact amount?

3. As a child (naabaaligh) I stole scissors and rulers from my school stockroom. Can I pay back to the government through an extra amount of tax?

4. When I was a child (naabaaligh), I used to steal money from a game in a café. I may perhaps be able to trace the owner of the café. But I do know that the games were owned by a third party whom I do not know. How do I pay back for this?

5. As a child, another child gave me toy cars that he had stolen from a shop. Do I need to pay back for this and how?

Q: If a person leaves something in someone's house and then he forgets about the thing and the other person also does not give his thing back to the person who owns it and now the owner of the thing is not in contact with the person. Someone told the person that he has to give money to some Islamic center if he can't return it. What is the solution that would be better?

Q: I have a Muslim friend and he shared something with me secretly but I couldnt answer... he said that once he stole a telephone from someone, and he is still using that, but he cant find the owner to return it. I told him to sell the phone and give the money in charity.. but I am not a scholar so I am not sure what he should do?

Q: I'm using a banking app, so I have transferred funds from 1 account to another but the transaction failed and the balance has been deducted from my account. After a few minutes, I received a refund but my 2nd account has also been credited with that amount... So I'm asking that should I return it to the merchant as I have been paid this extra amount mistakenly.

Q: When I was about 7 or 8 years (now I am 30 yrs ), I was at my uncle's place where I took some halalas (coins) almost 3 saudi riyals, (not in term of thief). On the way home my father asked me from where did I get this? I didn't want to dishearten my father so I spoke a lie and said that I took it from my house. It was almost 23years ago. I still remember this as I did a big sin. I also gave sadqa of 30 riyals to give them sawab. Actually, now I am not in the state of giving money back to them as I am far away nor can I talk about it. Can you please give me a solution.

Q: In my youth money was taken from a family member. The money was meant to be given to the poor. I am not sure of the amount and I don't have the means or the money to give back. I am afraid that my relationship with the family member will drift apart if I come forward with what I did. Please advice what to do.

Q: An electrician once came to my home and left his cutter. Now, I don’t have any chance of meeting him. Can I use the cutter myself?

Q: Thirty years ago, when I was a child, I found a gold necklace. My sister took it from me and kept it. Two months ago she returned the item back to me saying she is not entitled to it. The local police law states that if you find something you must hand it in to a local police station and if no one claims it within 28 days then it becomes legally mine. I handed it in to the local police station and no one claimed it. I couldn't say I found it thirty years ago because I might have got into trouble for keeping it so long. Obviously no one claimed it so the police have said I can keep it. I don't want to be sinful so what should I do with the necklace?

Q: My job requires me to work in public environments most of the time. I find small amounts of money on the ground occasionally. What should I do with the money found?

Q: I used a blade without permission but that person owed me money worth more then the value of blade and I deducted value of that and forgave them. I was aged around 14-16 when I used the blade.