Evening Reminder. Tuesday. We conclude with our topic on LOST AND FOUND RULINGS IN ISLAM. It is not permissible for anyone to pick up any kind of lost property unless he can be sure that he will deal with it properly and that he is able to make the necessary announcements, because of the hadeeth of Zayd ibn Khaalid al-Juhani (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked about lost gold and silver. He said, ‘Know the details of the purse and the string, then announce it for a year. If no one claims it, then dispose of it, and it is like a trust in your hands. Then if the owner comes along some day, give it to him.” He was asked about the sheep, and he said, “Take it, because either it is for you, or your brother, or the wolf.” He was asked about lost camels, and he said, “What has it got to do with you? It has its water, it can walk to find water and it can eat trees until its owner finds it.” (Agreed upon). The meaning of the phrase “Know the purse and the string” refers to the kind of purse or wallet that money is kept in and the way it is fastened or tied up. The meaning of the phrase “then announce it for a year” is that it should be mentioned to people in the places where they gather, such as in market places and by the doors of the mosque etc. “A year” means for one full year. In the first week after it is found, it should be announced every day, because it is more likely that the owner will come in that first week. After that it should be announced as often as is customary among the people. This was the method of announcing lost property in the past. Nowadays people should make lost and found announcements in whatever way is appropriate. What matters is achieving the desired result, so one must do whatever it takes to return property to its rightful owner. The hadeeth indicates that it is obligatory to know exactly what the lost property is. The phrase “Know the purse and the strings” indicates that it is obligatory to know what it looks like, so that if the owner comes and describes it properly, it can be given to him, but if his description is at odds with the true description, then it is not permissible to give it to him. The phrase “If no one claims it, then dispose of it” indicates that the finder takes possession of the property after one year has passed and after announcing it, but he should not dispose of it before he knows exactly what it is, i.e., until he knows “the purse and the string”, and he knows its value, nature and description. If the original owner comes along some time later, and describes it accurately, he should then give it to him, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If someone comes looking for it some day, then give it to him.” Source: From al-Mulakhkhas al-Fiqhi by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzan Aal Fawzaan, p. 150. From all of these, we learned that Islam urges us to cooperate in goodness. We ask Allaah to help us all to stand firm in Islam and to die as Muslims.Aameen Ya-Jabbar !!!
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 17:41:43 +0000