If money is found whose owner is known, is it obligatory to return it to him?

Question : Peace be upon you. And upon you be peace. This is not the question. It is a question over the phone. The sister questioner says, may Allah guide you, Honorable Shaykh: A young man, when he was small, before he reached puberty, found a sum of money and spent this sum on some workers. She says: When he grew up, he distributed this sum. The young man heard a fatwa that it is obligatory to return the money. He knows the owner of the money now. So what is required of him?

Answer : It is obligatory for him to return it to its owner. By any means. And it is possible for him to return it to him with a friend of his. And if it is not possible for him to send it to them by mail. Excellent. He must be certain that it reached its owner. If the owner of the money is known, it must reach him by any means. But if it is not known, he gives it in charity on his behalf.