Issue No. 2192- If a person takes something from a seller to see and check it so that he may purchase it if he likes it and it perishes, as an obligatory precaution, he should pay compensation for it to its owner.
Issue No. 2193- If one finds a lost property which does not bear any sign by which its owner maybe known (e.g., paper money or a gold coin), the obligatory precaution is that it should be given as ṣadaqa on behalf of its owner, and if the finder himself is entitled to ṣadaqa, he can keep it for himself. However, if it is an important property, the obligatory precaution is that he should get the Mujtahid’s permission.
Issue No. 2194- If a person finds a property which bears a sign [to identify its owner] but its value is less than a dirham (equal to 12.6 chickpeas of coined silver) and its owner is known, he cannot pick it up without the permission of its owner. However, if its owner is not known the finder can pick it up and keep it as his own property. And if it perishes, it is not necessary to compensate for it. Even if he has not intended to own it and it perishes without it being his fault, it is not obligatory to give its substitute.
Issue No. 2195- If in the area of the Haram in Makkah, one finds a property whose value is equal to a dirham or more, as an obligatory precaution, he should not pick it up.
Issue No. 2196- If a person finds a property which bears a sign and its value is equal to a dirham or more, it is obligatory upon him to make an announcement about it for a year irrespective of whether the found property belongs to a Muslim or a non-Muslim under the protection of Muslims. However, if he announces it every day for a week from the day he found it, and then announces once a week until the end of the year at the place of gathering of the people, it will be sufficient.
Issue No. 2197- If, instead of announcing verbally, he makes a written announcement at places where people come and go, and the people there are mostly literate or the literate individuals read out the announcement to the illiterate ones, and if it remains there for a year, it will be sufficient.
Issue No. 2198- If before the year comes to an end, a person loses all hope of finding the owner of the lost property which he has found or he has no hope of finding the owner from the beginning, he should, as an obligatory precaution, give that property on behalf of its original owner to the poor.
Issue No. 2199- If a place is allocated to the lost property in one of the Holy Shrines or Mosques and if people know that they should refer to that place for their lost property and if the people in charge of that place are reliable, it is sufficient to deliver the lost property to that place. And the persons in charge of that place should keep it for one year and in case its owner does not show up, they should act according to the next issue. Moreover, if in some cities such a place has been allocated for the lost property and people are aware of it, the obligation of announcing this lost property is lifted from the finders through submitting the object to those places.
Issue No. 2200- If it is announced for a year or it is kept in the allocated place for lost properties and the owner does not show up, he (the finder) may choose between the following four options:1- Keep it for himself with the intention that whenever its owner shows up he may return it to him, or give its substitute if the same property is no longer available.2- Keep it for the owner as a trust (amānah).3- Give it as ṣadaqa in the way of Allah on behalf of its owner.4- Give it to the Mujtahid. However, the recommended precaution is to give it as ṣadaqa or to hand it over to the Mujtahid.
Issue No. 2201- If after announcing for one year, the owner of the property does not show up, in case he keeps it as a trust for its owner and it perishes, he will not be responsible for the loss if he has not been negligent or extravagant in looking after it. However, if he gives it as ṣadaqa on behalf of the owner and if the owner turns up and does not give consent to the giving of it as ṣadaqa, he should give its replacement.
Issue No. 2202- If a minor finds a property, his legal guardian should, as an obligatory precaution, make an announcement and if its owner does not show up after having announced for a year, he should act according to one of the four options mentioned while taking into consideration the child’s interest.
Issue No. 2203- If during the year in which a person has been making an announcement (about the lost property which had been found), the property perishes, he is not responsible, unless he has been negligent or extravagant in looking after it.
