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Fatwa CenterSeeking pardon of people one lied to or cheated
Question
Assalaamu alaykum. I am wondering about this hadith:
“Whoever has wronged his brother with regard to his blood, his wealth or his honour, let him come and set matters straight before there comes a Day on which there will be no dirhams and no dinars, only good deeds and bad deeds, and if he has good deeds (they will be taken and given to the one whom he wronged); otherwise, some of the bad deeds of the one whom he wronged will be taken and added to his burden, and then he will be thrown into the Fire.”
Does this happen only if a person wrongs another person when it comes to his blood, wealth, and honor, or does this apply to wronging a person in general. Does this include cheating and lying? For example, if a person cheats another person, will that person that was cheated take the other's good deeds etc.? Is it like taking someone else's rights? Even if that person did not get harmed by the cheat or lie? If it includes lying and cheating, will the wronged person get good deeds just for that cheat or lie, or even for all the consequences that resulted from that lie/cheat? Please answer as soon as possible, and may Allah bless you.
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 
is His slave and Messenger.
The injustice/wrong that was reported in the hadeeth is general. Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet said, "Whoever has wronged his brother, in his honor or anything else, should ask for his pardon (before his death), as (in the Hereafter) there will be neither a dinar nor a dirham…" [Al-Bukhaari]
The wrong is generally in regard to blood, honor, and wealth. With regard to lying and cheating, if they do not cause harm nor damage to the wronged person, then they are not among the wrongs that one is obliged to seek pardon for; however, it is obligatory to repent from it, because they are sins related to the right of Allah, the Creator, and not to the right of the creature.
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah 
said, "If someone fabricated a lie against another person, this is impermissible because lying is prohibited for the right of Allah (who prohibited it)..."
However, if this kind of lie causes harm or damage to the person, then it is included in the wrong that a person must seek pardon for. The wrong is assessed according to the harm or damage that is caused to the person, and not according to the lie or cheating.
So if the harm or damage was caused to the person's body or property, then it is an obligation to seek his pardon, but if it is related to honor, then the preponderant opinion that we adopt at Islamweb is that it is enough to supplicate with goodness for the person, and it is not an obligation to seek his pardon, as this may lead to bad consequences (if it was revealed).
Allah knows best.
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