Returning the value of a stolen item to the owner

Q: I stole something which costs around 860 rupees MRP and I want to give the money to the owner 700 rupees but I don't know the owner. 

My question is, can I give this money to a poor non Muslim person or to my relatives who are in small debt?

A: You should make an effort to look for the owner, and then under some pretext, give the money to him. Since you had taken something to the value of 860 rupees, you should give him the amount of 860 rupees, not 700 rupees.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)