What does one do if he finds a sheep and does not know its owner?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
This questioner is Yusuf Muhammad Sudani, and he says in his question: He has sheep, and one that is not his was mixed in with them. It has been with them for a long time and has multiplied, and no one knows who it belongs to. What should he do with it?
Answer:
This sheep is in one of two situations: either he announces it according to the Shari'ah definition for a full year; because sheep are to be announced, and if the year passes and it is not recognized, then it is his wealth; based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 2438 And he said: Sahih Muslim 1725 So if he announces it for a year, then it is his. Or he hands it over to the ruler, the Shari'ah ruler, and the Shari'ah ruler does what he sees as preserving it, or selling it, or putting it in the public treasury if no one is found for it.
The point is: the Shari'ah ruler acts by appointing someone to announce it, or by placing it in the public treasury, looking into matters that preserve it. It may have been there for a long time, or it may be possible to identify it.
So the result is: the one who found it announces it for a full year, and if it is not recognized, then it is his. And if he gets rid of it and gives it to the ruler, or the prince, or the committee prepared for lost items, he is free from responsibility for it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
This questioner is Yusuf Muhammad Sudani, and he says in his question: He has sheep, and one that is not his was mixed in with them. It has been with them for a long time and has multiplied, and no one knows who it belongs to. What should he do with it?
Answer:
This sheep is in one of two situations: either he announces it according to the Shari'ah definition for a full year; because sheep are to be announced, and if the year passes and it is not recognized, then it is his wealth; based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
It is for you, for your brother, or for the wolf.
هي لك، أو لأخيك، أو للذئبHe who found a stray article is himself led astray if he does not advertise it.
من آوى ضالة؛ فهو ضال ما لم يعرفهاThe point is: the Shari'ah ruler acts by appointing someone to announce it, or by placing it in the public treasury, looking into matters that preserve it. It may have been there for a long time, or it may be possible to identify it.
So the result is: the one who found it announces it for a full year, and if it is not recognized, then it is his. And if he gets rid of it and gives it to the ruler, or the prince, or the committee prepared for lost items, he is free from responsibility for it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.