I am fourteen years old and I found one hundred riyals dropped in an envelope written on it “owner of the hundred,” so I took it. Should I return it to its owner?
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The questioner : This questioner says: “May the Shaykh be respected, I am fourteen years old and I found one hundred riyals dropped in an envelope written on it ‘owner of the hundred,’ so I took it. Should I return it to its owner?”
The Shaykh : It is known that it is obligatory; it is obligatory for one who finds a lost item or a found object and knows its owner to inform him about it. So either he delivers it to him or he informs him; this is necessary. And this matter is not about a found object in the general sense. A found object, if a person finds something that people do not care about, it is his. But this is if he knows its owner, even if it is just one qirsh. So you must pay attention to this: if you find something belonging to a person you know, do not say, “Is it a lot or a little?” Even if it is just one riyal, it is obligatory for you to hand it over to him, or at least inform him of it, and he will come to take it from you. So based on this, we say to the brother who found one hundred riyals and knows their owner: it is obligatory for him to inform the owner, or he himself goes to him and hands it over to him. Yes.
The Shaykh : It is known that it is obligatory; it is obligatory for one who finds a lost item or a found object and knows its owner to inform him about it. So either he delivers it to him or he informs him; this is necessary. And this matter is not about a found object in the general sense. A found object, if a person finds something that people do not care about, it is his. But this is if he knows its owner, even if it is just one qirsh. So you must pay attention to this: if you find something belonging to a person you know, do not say, “Is it a lot or a little?” Even if it is just one riyal, it is obligatory for you to hand it over to him, or at least inform him of it, and he will come to take it from you. So based on this, we say to the brother who found one hundred riyals and knows their owner: it is obligatory for him to inform the owner, or he himself goes to him and hands it over to him. Yes.