The ruling on taking something from what a company discarded after finishing its work?
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Question:
So the last question in this session is from (E. K.) from Iraq. He says: I used to work for a foreign company, not an Iraqi one, in the year 1972, meaning 1992. After the company finished its work, they took some surplus items and threw them in an area exposed to the sun and winter rain. I took some of those items. After about four years, a company came and I worked for it. They mentioned those items and asked me to buy them because they needed them. I sold them for the sum of one hundred and fifty Iraqi dinars. Is this considered forbidden? And how do I get rid of it?
Because I have repented to Allah with sincere repentance, if Allah wills.
Answer:
If they threw them away because they had no desire for them, had no need for them, and wanted whoever wished to take them, then there is no harm. If they threw them away because they had no desire for them, had no need for them, and wanted people to take them, then there is no harm. Whoever takes something from them owes nothing.
However, if they placed them there to return to them, or appointed someone to sell them, or something similar, meaning they did not leave them because they had no desire for them, but left them in that place to dispose of them themselves or through their agents, then the one who took from them must return them to them or to their agents. If no agents are found and no one is found to take their place, he should give it in charity to some of the poor, and that is sufficient.
So the last question in this session is from (E. K.) from Iraq. He says: I used to work for a foreign company, not an Iraqi one, in the year 1972, meaning 1992. After the company finished its work, they took some surplus items and threw them in an area exposed to the sun and winter rain. I took some of those items. After about four years, a company came and I worked for it. They mentioned those items and asked me to buy them because they needed them. I sold them for the sum of one hundred and fifty Iraqi dinars. Is this considered forbidden? And how do I get rid of it?
Because I have repented to Allah with sincere repentance, if Allah wills.
Answer:
If they threw them away because they had no desire for them, had no need for them, and wanted whoever wished to take them, then there is no harm. If they threw them away because they had no desire for them, had no need for them, and wanted people to take them, then there is no harm. Whoever takes something from them owes nothing.
However, if they placed them there to return to them, or appointed someone to sell them, or something similar, meaning they did not leave them because they had no desire for them, but left them in that place to dispose of them themselves or through their agents, then the one who took from them must return them to them or to their agents. If no agents are found and no one is found to take their place, he should give it in charity to some of the poor, and that is sufficient.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.