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Fatwa CenterRepentant actress bears no sin for her works that people watch
Question
If a non-Muslim actress converts to Islam, will she still earn sins if people watch her act in her movies in which she was not wearing a hijab? And is the money that she gained through acting haram? And what if some people have downloaded pictures of her before she converted in which she was not wearing a hijab, will that also count as a sin?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
If this woman embraced Islam, then her conversion wipes out all that was before it of disbelief and sin, and she would not bear a sin for what is left of the traces of her past misdeeds, whether that be that people watch her movies or that they download her photos without the hijab. Al-Qaari 
wrote:
"Ibn Hajar said, 'If the person who calls others to commit a sin repents to Allaah but people continued to commit the sin to which he called them, then will the sin that he bears for guiding others to commit this sin be wiped out by his repentance because repentance wipes off all past sins, or will it not be wiped out because the validity of repentance is conditioned to the settlement of the injustice and transgression and giving up the sin? Since the sin is still being committed by people because of him, does he bear a sin for that, and is it as if he has not given up the sin and repented?' ... The first view is the preponderant one in this regard. Otherwise, it would have entailed declaring his repentance invalid and unacceptable; no scholar held such an opinion. Moreover, the settlement of injustice and giving the wronged person his due rights are conditioned to what is possible. Giving up a sin is determined based on the nature of the sin. Moreover, the compensation for calling others to do a good deed or commit a sin is conditioned to the consent and content of the person calling them to such an act with their actions. This means that if the person calling people to commit a sin repents to Allaah and gives up the sin, he shall no longer bear the sins of those who acted upon his call and committed the sin. Similarly, if the person who calls people to carry out good deeds were to fall into the abyss of misguidance - may Allaah safeguard us - he would no longer earn the rewards that he had been earning because of the people who carry out the good deed to which he called them. Many of the disbelievers used to call people to disbelief and misguidance, and their conversion to Islam was accepted because Islam wipes out all past sins. Repentance is as strong as such, and even more; the repentant from a sin is like the one who has never committed the sin." [Al-Mirqaah]
As for the money that she earned from acting and received before embracing Islam, she is allowed to benefit from it and it is lawful for her. Al-Qaraafi wrote, "If the person embraces Islam and still has the price of wine, then there is no harm in that because Islam wipes out the sins that were committed before it..." [Ath-Thakheerah]
Al-Jassaas wrote, "Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means): {So whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desists may have what is past, and his affair rests with Allaah.} [Quran 2:275] It means that whoever is deterred by the prohibition and gives up dealing with interest (Riba) is entitled to what he received before the prohibition of interest was revealed. This does not apply to what was not yet received." [Ahkaam Al-Quran]
For more benefit, please refer to fataawa 18958 and 83259.
Allaah knows best.
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