Defining Lost Property by Means of Identification
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Fatwa No. ( 3517 )
Q: Since the company began operating its buses within cities and between cities in the Kingdom , we have encountered the issue we summarize as follows: Many passengers often forget their belongings, including money, and leave them on the buses. We have accumulated a large number of items belonging to passengers that were found on the buses, some of which have no value. The company has prepared a place to store these items belonging to passengers that were found. Despite several months passing, no one has come forward to claim them. Some of those in charge of operating the buses proposed several solutions to address this situation, but we saw fit to present the matter to your eminence to benefit from your opinion regarding what should be done with the belongings of passengers that are found on the buses, whether they are money, valuable items, or items of no value. We thank and appreciate your eminence for enlightening us about the matters of our noble Shari'ah.
for passengers, which are found on buses, whether they are money, valuable movable property, or items of no value. We thank you and appreciate your enlightening us about the matters of our noble Shari'ah.
A: If what is found on the buses—whether luggage or money—is something of value that people care about and inquire after, it is obligatory to identify it by whatever means of identification are available; such as advertisements posted on the company’s offices and vehicles, and calling out at the doors of mosques near its offices after the Friday prayer, and announcing it on the radio or in newspapers if that is feasible, and on television. If its owner comes and identifies it by its characteristics, it is given to him. Otherwise, it is sold after the passage of one year, and its price becomes the property of the company. The company may give it in charity to charitable projects. If its owner comes, the company informs him of what it did. If he approves, that is fine; otherwise, they pay him its value. As for what has no value that people care about, it does not require identification.
Q: Since the company began operating its buses within cities and between cities in the Kingdom , we have encountered the issue we summarize as follows: Many passengers often forget their belongings, including money, and leave them on the buses. We have accumulated a large number of items belonging to passengers that were found on the buses, some of which have no value. The company has prepared a place to store these items belonging to passengers that were found. Despite several months passing, no one has come forward to claim them. Some of those in charge of operating the buses proposed several solutions to address this situation, but we saw fit to present the matter to your eminence to benefit from your opinion regarding what should be done with the belongings of passengers that are found on the buses, whether they are money, valuable items, or items of no value. We thank and appreciate your eminence for enlightening us about the matters of our noble Shari'ah.
for passengers, which are found on buses, whether they are money, valuable movable property, or items of no value. We thank you and appreciate your enlightening us about the matters of our noble Shari'ah.
A: If what is found on the buses—whether luggage or money—is something of value that people care about and inquire after, it is obligatory to identify it by whatever means of identification are available; such as advertisements posted on the company’s offices and vehicles, and calling out at the doors of mosques near its offices after the Friday prayer, and announcing it on the radio or in newspapers if that is feasible, and on television. If its owner comes and identifies it by its characteristics, it is given to him. Otherwise, it is sold after the passage of one year, and its price becomes the property of the company. The company may give it in charity to charitable projects. If its owner comes, the company informs him of what it did. If he approves, that is fine; otherwise, they pay him its value. As for what has no value that people care about, it does not require identification.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.