A man found a sum of money (120 riyals) in the sacred sites of Hajj in Mina and distributed it to the poor and needy in the sites
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Your Eminence, in the Hajj of the year 1411 AH, I found a sum of money, approximately 120 Saudi riyals, in the sacred sites in Mina. I distributed this amount to the poor and needy in the sites and the Makkah Haram, giving out five and six riyals until it was all gone. Is my action valid? I ask for clarification.
The Shaykh : This action is not correct, because a lost item in the Haram is not permissible to take except for one who announces it; that is, it is not permissible to take it except for one who intends to announce it for as long as he lives, as established in the authentic hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said while discussing the rulings of Makkah:Sahih Muslim 1355a Therefore, it is obligatory for one who finds a lost item in the Makkah Haram to announce it for as long as he lives. If he says that this is not possible for him, we say: give it to the authorities of the land, such as the judge or someone similar to him.
Therefore, we say: this action you took when you distributed the money you found is not correct. You must repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and seek His forgiveness for what occurred from you, and not return to such an action. You are not liable for these coins, because you spent them in this manner based on your independent legal reasoning, and its error became apparent. These coins did not enter your possession; rather, they went out from you. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.
The Shaykh : This action is not correct, because a lost item in the Haram is not permissible to take except for one who announces it; that is, it is not permissible to take it except for one who intends to announce it for as long as he lives, as established in the authentic hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said while discussing the rulings of Makkah:
it is not lawful for anyone to pick up a thing dropped but one who makes public announcement of it
لا تحل ساقطتها إلا لمنشدTherefore, we say: this action you took when you distributed the money you found is not correct. You must repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and seek His forgiveness for what occurred from you, and not return to such an action. You are not liable for these coins, because you spent them in this manner based on your independent legal reasoning, and its error became apparent. These coins did not enter your possession; rather, they went out from you. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.