Disposing of lost property without identifying it
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The first question of Fatwa No. ( 1441 )
Q: He found an amount of 330 (three hundred and thirty) riyals twenty years ago, and he did not recognize it; rather, he bought a camel with it for his marriage. And he was asked
by some of his relatives: Where did this money come from? So he told them that it was from his salary. Then he asked some students of knowledge about it, and they ordered him to distribute this amount among the poor. Now he asks what is obligatory for him?
A1: It is obligatory for him to identify this amount in the place where he found it. If he finds someone who claims it and knows the descriptions it had on the day he found it, he gives it to him. Otherwise, he gives it in charity to the poor on behalf of the owner from whom it fell. If the owner is identified in the future, the finder informs him that he gave it in charity on his behalf. If the owner is satisfied with that, the finder’s conscience is cleared; otherwise, he must pay it to him. Then he must seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him for his negligence in identifying it for that long period, and for his lying to those who asked him about obtaining the price of the camel he bought for his marriage. It is possible that one of them lost this amount.
Q: He found an amount of 330 (three hundred and thirty) riyals twenty years ago, and he did not recognize it; rather, he bought a camel with it for his marriage. And he was asked
by some of his relatives: Where did this money come from? So he told them that it was from his salary. Then he asked some students of knowledge about it, and they ordered him to distribute this amount among the poor. Now he asks what is obligatory for him?
A1: It is obligatory for him to identify this amount in the place where he found it. If he finds someone who claims it and knows the descriptions it had on the day he found it, he gives it to him. Otherwise, he gives it in charity to the poor on behalf of the owner from whom it fell. If the owner is identified in the future, the finder informs him that he gave it in charity on his behalf. If the owner is satisfied with that, the finder’s conscience is cleared; otherwise, he must pay it to him. Then he must seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him for his negligence in identifying it for that long period, and for his lying to those who asked him about obtaining the price of the camel he bought for his marriage. It is possible that one of them lost this amount.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.