Assalamu Alaikum.My father passed away few days ago. He had cancer. As he is gone, I am remembering everything about how much he cared and loved me and I hurt him so much. I remember so many incidents, where I hurt him a lot. I used to take lot of money from him lying, I need money for this and that. Before he died, I knew his time was near but I was always too shy to ask for forgiveness.Now, it’s making me scared. I am afraid of hellfire and punishment of the grave.I am always making dua for him so that Allah may forgive him. I am scared for myself. He is gone, I have no chance to ask for his forgiveness. What can I do to repent/ Kaffara?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
If you offended your father during his lifetime and failed to fulfill his due rights, it is incumbent on you to repent to Allah, The Exalted, and make up for what you have neglected of the enjoined dutifulness towards him by supplicating Allah in his favor, asking Allah for forgiveness for him, spending in charity on his behalf, upholding ties of kinship with his relatives, and honoring his friends.
An-Nawawi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said in his Fataawa: “However, after regretting that (failure to show dutifulness towards one’s parents during their lifetime), he should ask Allah to forgive them, supplicate Allah in their favor abundantly, spend in charity on their behalf if he can afford it, honor those whom they loved to honor, such as their friends and the like, maintain ties with their relatives, pay off their debts, or whatever he can do of that.” [End of quote]
If you wrongfully took any of his money, it is incumbent on you to return this money to the inheritance to be divided among the eligible heirs. If you do not know the exact amount that you wrongfully took from his wealth, you should make an estimate to the best of your ability of what you think would most likely cover the amount that you wrongfully took, seek forgiveness from Allah, The Exalted, perform righteous deeds abundantly, and aspire to the pardon and forgiveness of Allah, for he is indeed Ever-Pardoning and All-Forgiving.
Allah Knows best.