The Ruling on a Found Item and Whether It Is Permissible to Use It

Question : May Allah reward you with good. In her second question, she says: A woman found a necklace and had it repaired. Is it permissible to use such a necklace, O Shaykh?

Answer : It is obligatory for the one who finds a necklace—and it appears from the question that it is a gold necklace and that it is valuable—it is obligatory for the one who finds any of that to identify it, meaning he should ask for someone who knows it, inquiring about it in the newspapers, at the doors of mosques, and in the markets. Until he has completed a year and no one has come forward, then it is his. It is not permissible for him to dispose of it before the year has passed, because it is the property of another. And this woman, as it appears from her question, has passed the time for identification, so she now has nothing to do but sell this necklace she found and give its price in charity to the poor.