A friend deposited a trust with me consisting of gold, papers, and other items about a year ago. Then I traveled to Yemen, and upon my return, I checked it and found
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The questioner : From Rashid al-Sulayman al-Saghir al-Wasabi, who is at the Ghunayman station at the intersection of ... the Sadr Road, he sent this message: A friend deposited a trust with me consisting of gold, papers, and other items about a year ago. Then I traveled to Yemen, and upon my return, I checked it and found that the gold in the trust had been lost. The current value of the lost gold is approximately eight hundred riyals. My friend still knows nothing about the loss of the gold. Should I buy a replacement for him, or should I be honest with him and give him the cash value? Thank you for your excellence.
The Shaykh : Be honest with him and tell him what happened. Then, if you had kept this trust in a safe place like it, and you saw that keeping it with you was safer than giving it to another person, then you are not liable for compensation in this case.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because you did what was obligatory upon you regarding its preservation. However, if you were negligent and placed it in a place where it was exposed to being taken, then you are liable to compensate for it. In any case, be honest with your friend so that the matter becomes clear.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : Be honest with him and tell him what happened. Then, if you had kept this trust in a safe place like it, and you saw that keeping it with you was safer than giving it to another person, then you are not liable for compensation in this case.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because you did what was obligatory upon you regarding its preservation. However, if you were negligent and placed it in a place where it was exposed to being taken, then you are liable to compensate for it. In any case, be honest with your friend so that the matter becomes clear.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.