The Ruling on Lost Property and Its Definition
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The questioner:
A person says: I found one hundred thousand riyals in one of the public streets in Riyadh, and I took it. This street has no houses and no shops.
The Shaykh:
Yes.
The questioner:
A person says: I found one hundred thousand riyals in one of the public streets in Riyadh, and I took it. This street has no houses and no commercial shops. What is the ruling on this lost property? Is it permissible to take it, or not?
The Shaykh:
Do it without it.
The questioner:
One hundred thousand.
The Shaykh:
Were they dirhams?
The questioner:
Yes?
The Shaykh:
So what is obligatory for you is that you described it, so you counted it, saying "Who is looking for money? Who is looking for money? Who is behind that?" And if someone comes and describes it to you, you keep in mind what it is and what its description is. So if its description matches what is known, you hold onto it. This is what is obligatory for you. And it is obligatory for you to know what it is and know the place from which you took it, and you call out for it and announce it until the completion of one year. If a year passes and you call out for it and describe it and no one comes to you, then if you wish, you may give it in charity after the completion of the year. If you wish, you may keep it. If you wish, you may give it in charity, there is no harm.
A person says: I found one hundred thousand riyals in one of the public streets in Riyadh, and I took it. This street has no houses and no shops.
The Shaykh:
Yes.
The questioner:
A person says: I found one hundred thousand riyals in one of the public streets in Riyadh, and I took it. This street has no houses and no commercial shops. What is the ruling on this lost property? Is it permissible to take it, or not?
The Shaykh:
Do it without it.
The questioner:
One hundred thousand.
The Shaykh:
Were they dirhams?
The questioner:
Yes?
The Shaykh:
So what is obligatory for you is that you described it, so you counted it, saying "Who is looking for money? Who is looking for money? Who is behind that?" And if someone comes and describes it to you, you keep in mind what it is and what its description is. So if its description matches what is known, you hold onto it. This is what is obligatory for you. And it is obligatory for you to know what it is and know the place from which you took it, and you call out for it and announce it until the completion of one year. If a year passes and you call out for it and describe it and no one comes to you, then if you wish, you may give it in charity after the completion of the year. If you wish, you may keep it. If you wish, you may give it in charity, there is no harm.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 51 من 64 / شرح القصيدة النونية / يا قوم فرض الهجرتين بحاله / صالح الفوزان / العقيدة / كبار العلماء — youtube.com (1:15:40)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.