MUI Urges Corruptors to Repent Before It's Too Late

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Buya Anwar Abbas has reminded perpetrators of corruption to repent immediately and return all assets obtained through false means to their rightful owners. According to him, corruption is a major sin that not only harms society but also brings severe punishment in the hereafter, as warned in the Quran and the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Buya Anwar stated that humans come into this world not by their own will but by the will of God. Therefore, one must ask God about His purpose for bringing humans into this world. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala says: ‘Wa mā khalaqtul-jinna wal-insa illā liya‘budūn(i).’ (I did not create jinn and mankind except to worship Me - QS Az-Zariyat Verse 56). ‘That means we are required to live and fill our lives with things He desires. What God wants from us is to be faithful and pious,’ Buya Anwar told Republika on Thursday (23/7/2026). The MUI Deputy Chairman emphasised that being a believer means having faith in God’s existence and trusting in Him. The logical consequence of this belief is to be a pious person who always observes His provisions by following all His commands and avoiding all His prohibitions. ‘One of God’s prohibitions is taking and consuming something that is not our right. In Islam, something becomes our right if we obtain it through lawful means or methods justified by religious teachings,’ Buya Anwar said. Conversely, Buya Anwar explained that the right to property is void if the property is obtained through false means or in violation of religious provisions, such as through corrupt practices. Thus, corruption in Islam is a highly reprehensible act because it is an act of injustice. Therefore, corruption is considered a major sin because it harms many people. So great is God’s wrath towards them that corruptors will face severe punishment on the Day of Judgement; they will come before God carrying the wealth they corrupted. Buya Anwar explained a hadith in which the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that a perpetrator of ghulul (corruption) will come on the Day of Resurrection carrying the corrupted wealth on his shoulders, before being cast by the angels into the fire of hell.