Found and Lost Properties

كَانَ النَّاسُ فِي الزَّمَنِ الْأَوَّلِ إِذَا وَجَدُوا شَيْئاً فَأَخَذُوهُ احْتَبَسَ فَلَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ يَخْطُوَ[1] حَتَّى يَرْمِيَ بِهِ فَيَجِي‌ءَ طَالِبُهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ فَيَأْخُذَهُ وَ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدِ اجْتَرَءُوا عَلَى مَا هُوَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ‌[2] وَ سَيَعُودُ كَمَا كَانَ.

‘In the beginning of time when people found something and took it this (act) caused them to lose the ability to move even one step until they threw away what they had found. The rightful owner then came to pick it up. People became daring to greater wrong acts but it will in a certain time come back again.”’

فِي اللُّقَطَةِ يُعَرِّفُهَا سَنَةً ثُمَّ هِيَ كَسَائِرِ مَالِهِ‌[3].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that one who finds something of value must (continue to) announce his finding for one year. Thereafter it becomes like the rest of his property.” (Consult fatwa also)

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع رَجُلٌ وَجَدَ فِي مَنْزِلِهِ دِينَاراً قَالَ يَدْخُلُ مَنْزِلَهُ غَيْرُهُ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ كَثِيرٌ قَالَ هَذَا لُقَطَةٌ قُلْتُ فَرَجُلٌ وَجَدَ فِي صُنْدُوقِهِ دِينَاراً قَالَ يُدْخِلُ أَحَدٌ يَدَهُ فِي صُنْدُوقِهِ غَيْرُهُ أَوْ يَضَعُ غَيْرُهُ فِيهِ شَيْئاً قُلْتُ لَا قَالَ فَهُوَ لَهُ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who has found a dinar in his house. He (the Imam) asked, ‘Does anyone else enter his house?’ I (the narrator) replied, ‘Yes, many people enter his house.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘This is a case of lost and found property.’ I (the narrato

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ قَالَ تُعَرَّفُ سَنَةً قَلِيلًا كَانَ أَوْ كَثِيراً قَالَ وَ مَا كَانَ دُونَ الدِّرْهَمِ فَلَا يُعَرَّفُ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about lost property found. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must (continue to) announce your finding in public for one year, regardless of its quantity - whether small or a large quantity.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘If it is less than a dirham one does not need to m

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الدَّارِ يُوجَدُ فِيهَا الْوَرِقُ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَتْ مَعْمُورَةً فِيهَا أَهْلُهَا فَهُوَ لَهُمْ وَ إِنْ كَانَتْ خَرِبَةً قَدْ جَلَا عَنْهَا أَهْلُهَا فَالَّذِي وَجَدَ الْمَالَ فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهِ.

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about a house wherein certain leaves (coins of silver) are found. He (the Imam) replied, ‘If it is livable and the dwellers live therein, it belongs to them; but if it is not livable, whose inhabitants have abandoned it, then it is for the one who has found it.’”

خَرَجْتُ إِلَى مَكَّةَ وَ أَنَا مِنْ أَشَدِّ النَّاسِ حَالًا فَشَكَوْتُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَلَمَّا خَرَجْتُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَجَدْتُ عَلَى بَابِهِ كِيساً فِيهِ سَبْعُمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ فَوْرِي ذَلِكَ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ يَا سَعِيدُ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ عَرِّفْهُ فِي الْمَشَاهِدِ وَ كُنْتُ رَجَوْتُ أَنْ يُرَخِّصَ لِي فِيهِ فَخَرَجْتُ وَ أَنَا مُغْتَمٌّ فَأَتَيْتُ مِنًى وَ

“I once left for Makkah and my financial condition was the worst among people. I mentioned to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.). When I left his meeting at the door I found a bag with seven hundred dinar in it. I immediately returned to the Imam and informed him about it. He (the Imam) said, ‘Sa‘id, be pious before Allah, most Maj

قَالَ رَجُلٌ إِنِّي قَدْ أَصَبْتُ مَالًا وَ إِنِّي قَدْ خِفْتُ فِيهِ عَلَى نَفْسِي فَلَوْ أَصَبْتُ صَاحِبَهُ دَفَعْتُهُ إِلَيْهِ وَ تَخَلَّصْتُ مِنْهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ اللَّهِ إِنْ لَوْ أَصَبْتَهُ كُنْتَ تَدْفَعُهُ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ إِي وَ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَأَنَا وَ اللَّهِ مَا لَهُ صَاحِبٌ غَيْرِي قَالَ‌ فَاسْتَحْلَفَهُ أَنْ يَدْفَعَهُ إِلَى مَنْ يَأْمُرُهُ قَالَ فَحَلَفَ قَالَ فَاذْهَبْ فَاقْ

‘I have found a certain amount of property and because of it I am afraid for myself. I wish to find the owner to free myself of this difficulty. He (the narrator) has said, that abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), asked him, ‘Will you, by Allah, on finding the owner give it to him?’ He replied, ‘Yes, by Allah, I will do so.’ He (th

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع رَجُلٌ وَجَدَ مَالًا فَعَرَّفَهُ حَتَّى إِذَا مَضَتِ السَّنَةُ اشْتَرَى بِهِ خَادِماً فَجَاءَ طَالِبُ الْمَالِ فَوَجَدَ الْجَارِيَةَ الَّتِي اشْتُرِيَتْ بِالدَّرَاهِمِ هِيَ ابْنَتَهُ قَالَ لَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ إِلَّا دَرَاهِمَهُ وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ الِابْنَةُ إِنَّمَا لَهُ رَأْسُ مَالِهِ وَ إِنَّمَا كَانَتِ ابْنَتُهُ مَمْلُوكَةَ قَوْمٍ‌[2].

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘A man found a certain amount of goods and he announced about it in public for one year. He then bought a slave-girl. A man then claiming to be the owner came to him and found the slave-girl who was purchased with that money to be his daughter.’ He (the Imam

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ اشْتَرَى جَزُوراً أَوْ بَقَرَةً لِلْأَضَاحِيِّ فَلَمَّا ذَبَحَهَا وَجَدَ فِي جَوْفِهَا صُرَّةٌ فِيهَا دَرَاهِمُ أَوْ دَنَانِيرُ أَوْ جَوْهَرَةٌ لِمَنْ يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ فَوَقَّعَ ع عَرِّفْهَا الْبَائِعَ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَعْرِفُهَا فَالشَّيْ‌ءُ لَكَ رَزَقَكَ اللَّهُ إِيَّاهُ.

‘He must announce it before the seller and if he did not know about it, then whatever is found is what Allah has granted to him.’”

مَنْ وَجَدَ شَيْئاً فَهُوَ لَهُ فَلْيَتَمَتَّعْ‌[4] بِهِ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُ طَالِبُهُ فَإِذَا جَاءَ طَالِبُهُ رَدَّهُ إِلَيْهِ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Whoever finds something it is for him to benefit thereby until the owner comes. He then must give it to the owner.” (Consult Fatwa also.)

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ فَقَالَ لَا تَرْفَعْهَا فَإِنِ ابْتُلِيتَ بِهَا فَعَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً فَإِنْ‌ جَاءَ طَالِبُهَا وَ إِلَّا فَاجْعَلْهَا فِي عُرْضِ مَالِكَ تُجْرِي عَلَيْهَا مَا تُجْرِي عَلَى مَالِكَ حَتَّى يَجِي‌ءَ لَهَا طَالِبٌ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَجِئْ لَهَا طَالِبٌ فَأَوْصِ بِهَا فِي وَصِيَّتِكَ.

“I asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about lost property found. He (the Imam) said, ’He must not pick it up, and if he did so, it becomes his responsibility to announce for it up to one year. If the owner did not come forward, it then becomes subject to what his other properties are until someone searching for it comes forward;

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ص فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي وَجَدْتُ شَاةً فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص هِيَ لَكَ أَوْ لِأَخِيكَ أَوْ لِلذِّئْبِ‌[1] فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي وَجَدْتُ بَعِيراً فَقَالَ مَعَهُ حِذَاؤُهُ وَ سِقَاؤُهُ حِذَاؤُهُ خُفُّهُ وَ سِقَاؤُهُ كَرِشُهُ فَلَا تَهِجْهُ‌[2].

‘I have found a sheep.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘It is for you or your brother or a wolf.’ He then said, T have found a camel.’ The Messenger of Allah asked, ’Does it have its shoes and water container? Nevertheless, take notice, its shoes are its feet and its water container is its hump. You must not bother the c

مَنْ أَصَابَ مَالًا[3] أَوْ بَعِيراً فِي فَلَاةٍ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ قَدْ كَلَّتْ وَ قَامَتْ وَ سَيَّبَهَا[4] صَاحِبُهَا مِمَّا لَمْ يَتْبَعْهُ فَأَخَذَهَا غَيْرُهُ فَأَقَامَ عَلَيْهَا وَ أَنْفَقَ نَفَقَةً حَتَّى أَحْيَاهَا مِنَ الْكَلَالِ وَ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ فَهِيَ لَهُ وَ لَا سَبِيلَ لَهُ عَلَيْهَا وَ إِنَّمَا هِيَ مِثْلُ الشَّيْ‌ءِ الْمُبَاحِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one finds a certain amount of goods, or a camel in wilderness which has become tired has stopped walking and its owner has abandoned it; someone other than the owner then takes it, tends to it and incurs expenses to revive it from tiredness and death; it then is for him. He (the ow

إِنْ تَرَكَهَا فِي كَلَإٍ وَ مَاءٍ وَ أَمْنٍ فَهِيَ لَهُ يَأْخُذُهَا حَيْثُ أَصَابَهَا وَ إِنْ كَانَ تَرَكَهَا فِي خَوْفٍ وَ عَلَى غَيْرِ مَاءٍ وَ لَا كَلَإٍ فَهِيَ لِمَنْ أَصَابَهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), issued a judgment about the animal of a man who had abandoned it as follows: ‘If he has left it near water, and proper and safe pasture it is for him. He takes it wherever he finds it. If he has left it in an unsafe place, without water and pasture, it then

لَا بَأْسَ بِلُقَطَةِ الْعَصَا وَ الشِّظَاظِ وَ الْوَتِدِ وَ الْحَبْلِ وَ الْعِقَالِ وَ أَشْبَاهِهِ‌[5] قَالَ وَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ لَيْسَ لِهَذَا طَالِبٌ‌[1].

15. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad from Hariz who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘There is no offense in picking up a stick, pieces of wood used in the saddle of camels, stage, ropes, and harnesses and similar items. He (the Imam) then said, ‘Abu Ja’far, ‘

إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص كَانَ يَقُولُ‌ فِي الدَّابَّةِ إِذَا سَرَحَهَا أَهْلُهَا أَوْ عَجَزُوا عَنْ عَلَفِهَا أَوْ نَفَقَتِهَا فَهِيَ لِلَّذِي أَحْيَاهَا قَالَ وَ قَضَى أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع فِي رَجُلٍ تَرَكَ دَابَّتَهُ فِي مَضِيعَةٍ فَقَالَ إِنْ تَرَكَهَا فِي كَلَإٍ وَ مَاءٍ وَ أَمْنٍ فَهِيَ لَهُ يَأْخُذُهَا مَتَى شَاءَ وَ إِنْ تَرَكَهَا فِي غَيْرِ كَلَإٍ وَ لَا مَاءٍ فَهِيَ لِمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘If a horse is released by its owner or if he is not able to feed it or pay its expenses, it then is for one who revives it.’ He (the Imam) has said, ‘Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), issued a judgment about the case of a man who had left his horse in an

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَنْ وَجَدَ ضَالَّةً فَلَمْ يُعَرِّفْهَا ثُمَّ وُجِدَتْ عِنْدَهُ فَإِنَّهَا لِرَبِّهَا وَ مِثْلَهَا[2] مِنْ مَالِ الَّذِي كَتَمَهَا.

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘One who finds a lost animal but does not announce in public what he has found and then it is found by the owner, it then is for the care-taker (owner) or its kind (current value) from the assets of the one who has kept it in hiding.’”