A man found a valuable watch at a gas station and spent it, then repented; what is required of him now?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : A man was traveling and found a valuable watch at one of the gas stations, so he took it and did not know its owner. After a period of time, he repented to Allah and wanted to get rid of this watch. Should he give it in charity, or give it to the one in authority, or what?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is obligatory for him, after Allah has accepted his repentance and guided him to it, to estimate its value. However, the value should be that of when he found it. That is to say: he should estimate its value as if it were in better condition than it is now, because time may have passed and its condition may have changed. So, he should estimate its value today as what it would be worth if it were in the same condition in which he found it. Then he should give it in charity to its owner, or he should sell it and then calculate the difference between its value as if it were new, as he found it, and its current value. He should determine the difference and give it in charity, along with the price for which he sold it.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : A man was traveling and found a valuable watch at one of the gas stations, so he took it and did not know its owner. After a period of time, he repented to Allah and wanted to get rid of this watch. Should he give it in charity, or give it to the one in authority, or what?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is obligatory for him, after Allah has accepted his repentance and guided him to it, to estimate its value. However, the value should be that of when he found it. That is to say: he should estimate its value as if it were in better condition than it is now, because time may have passed and its condition may have changed. So, he should estimate its value today as what it would be worth if it were in the same condition in which he found it. Then he should give it in charity to its owner, or he should sell it and then calculate the difference between its value as if it were new, as he found it, and its current value. He should determine the difference and give it in charity, along with the price for which he sold it.