Inheritance of One who is Lost

سَأَلَ خَطَّابٌ الْأَعْوَرُ أَبَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع وَ أَنَا جَالِسٌ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عِنْدَ أَبِي أَجِيرٌ يَعْمَلُ عِنْدَهُ بِالْأَجْرِ فَفَقَدْنَاهُ وَ بَقِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَجْرِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ لَا نَعْرِفُ لَهُ وَارِثاً قَالَ فَاطْلُبُوهُ قَالَ قَدْ طَلَبْنَاهُ فَلَمْ نَجِدْهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ مَسَاكِينُ وَ حَرَّكَ يَدَيْهِ قَالَ فَأَعَادَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ اطْلُبْ وَ اجْهَدْ فَإِنْ قَدَرْتَ عَلَيْهِ وَ إِلَّا فَهُوَ كَسَب

“Khattab al-A‘war asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), when I was sitting, ‘A man worked on hire with my father and we lost him. A certain amount from his wages was left with us and we did not know any of his heirs. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must search for him.’ He said, ‘We searched but did not find him.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘De

فِي رَجُلٍ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ حَقٌّ فَفَقَدَهُ وَ لَا يَدْرِي أَيْنَ يَطْلُبُهُ وَ لَا يَدْرِي أَ حَيٌّ هُوَ أَمْ مَيِّتٌ وَ لَا يَعْرِفُ لَهُ وَارِثاً وَ لَا نَسَباً وَ لَا بَلَداً قَالَ اطْلُبْ قَالَ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ قَدْ طَالَ فَأَتَصَدَّقُ بِهِ قَالَ اطْلُبْهُ.

“This is about the case of a man who has a right on another man. However, he was lost and he did not know where to look for him, not knowing if he is dead or living. He does not know of anyone as his heir, or a town or lineage relation. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must search but if it becomes very long then he must give i

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى عَبْدٍ صَالِحٍ ع قَدْ وَقَعَتْ عِنْدِي مِائَتَا دِرْهَمٍ وَ أَرْبَعَةُ دَرَاهِمَ وَ أَنَا صَاحِبُ فُنْدُقٍ‌[1] وَ مَاتَ صَاحِبُهَا وَ لَمْ أَعْرِفْ لَهُ وَرَثَةً فَرَأْيُكَ فِي إِعْلَامِي حَالَهَا وَ مَا أَصْنَعُ بِهَا فَقَدْ ضِقْتُ بِهَا ذَرْعاً فَكَتَبَ اعْمَلْ فِيهَا وَ أَخْرِجْهَا صَدَقَةً قَلِيلًا قَلِيلًا حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ.

3. Yunus has narrated from Nasr ibn Habib Sahib al-Khan who has narrated the following: “I once wrote to the virtuous servant (of Allah) about two hundred and four dirham which remained with me. I own a hotel. The owner of dirham has died and I do not know any heirs for him. I need your opinion on this matter and what

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى عَبْدٍ صَالِحٍ ع أَنِّي أَتَقَبَّلُ الْفَنَادِقَ فَيَنْزِلُ عِنْدِيَ الرَّجُلُ فَيَمُوتُ فَجْأَةً لَا أَعْرِفُهُ وَ لَا أَعْرِفُ بِلَادَهُ وَ لَا وَرَثَتَهُ فَيَبْقَى الْمَالُ عِنْدِي كَيْفَ أَصْنَعُ بِهِ وَ لِمَنْ ذَلِكَ الْمَالُ فَكَتَبَ ع اتْرُكْهُ عَلَى حَالِهِ.

“I once wrote to the virtuous servant (of Allah) that I manage hotels. A man who stays in the hotel may die suddenly and I do not know his town and his heirs; and his assets remain with me. What must I do about it? He (the Imam) wrote back, ‘You must leave it in its condition.’”

قَالَ لِي أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع‌ الْمَفْقُودُ يُتَرَبَّصُ بِمَالِهِ أَرْبَعَ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ يُقْسَمُ.

“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), said to me, ‘The assets of a lost person must be kept for four years; then they are distributed.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ الثَّانِيَ ع- عَنْ دَارٍ كَانَتْ لِامْرَأَةٍ وَ كَانَ لَهَا ابْنٌ وَ ابْنَةٌ فَغَابَ الِابْنُ بِالْبَحْرِ وَ مَاتَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ فَادَّعَتِ ابْنَتُهَا أَنَّ أُمَّهَا كَانَتْ صَيَّرَتْ هَذِهِ الدَّارَ لَهَا وَ بَاعَتْ أَشْقَاصاً[2] مِنْهَا وَ بَقِيَتْ فِي الدَّارِ قِطْعَةٌ إِلَى جَنْبِ دَارِ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا وَ هُوَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَهَا لِغَيْبَةِ الِابْنِ وَ مَا يَتَخَوَّفُ مِنْ

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a house that belongs to a woman who had a son and a daughter. Her son disappeared in the ocean, the woman died and the daughter claimed that her mother had given the house to her and she sold certain parts of it. One portion was left next to the house of a man of our p

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ كَانَ لَهُ وُلْدٌ فَغَابَ بَعْضُ وُلْدِهِ وَ لَمْ يَدْرِ أَيْنَ هُوَ وَ مَاتَ الرَّجُلُ كَيْفَ يُصْنَعُ بِمِيرَاثِ الْغَائِبِ مِنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ يُعْزَلُ حَتَّى يَجِي‌ءَ قُلْتُ فُقِدَ الرَّجُلُ فَلَمْ يَجِئْ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ وَرَثَةُ الرَّجُلِ مِلَاءً بِمَالِهِ‌[3] اقْتَسَمُوهُ بَيْنَهُمْ فَإِذَا جَاءَ رَدُّوهُ عَلَيْهِ. - عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who had several sons, of whom one disappeared and he did not know where he was. The man died. What must be done with the share of the legacy for the son who has disappeared? He (the Imam) said, ‘It must be kept aside until he comes? I then said, ‘The man is l

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ كَانَ لَهُ وُلْدٌ فَغَابَ بَعْضُ وُلْدِهِ وَ لَمْ يَدْرِ أَيْنَ هُوَ وَ مَاتَ الرَّجُلُ فَأَيُّ شَيْ‌ءٍ يُصْنَعُ بِمِيرَاثِ الرَّجُلِ الْغَائِبِ مِنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ يُعْزَلُ حَتَّى يَجِي‌ءَ قُلْتُ فَعَلَى مَالِهِ زَكَاةٌ قَالَ لَا حَتَّى يَجِي‌ءَ قُلْتُ فَإِذَا جَاءَ يُزَكِّيهِ قَالَ لَا حَتَّى يَحُولَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْلُ فِي يَدِهِ فَقُلْتُ فُقِدَ الرَّجُلُ فَلَمْ يَجِئْ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ وَرَثَة

“I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Awwal (a.s.), about the case of a man who has several sons, of whom one disappeared and he did not know where he was. The man died. What must be done with his share of legacy from his father? He (the Imam) said, ‘It must be kept aside until he comes? I then asked if there is Zakat on his

ع‌ الْمَفْقُودُ يَحْبِسُ مَالَهُ الْوَرَثَةُ عَلَى قَدْرِ مَا يُطْلَبُ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَرْبَعَ سِنِينَ فَإِنْ لَمْ يُقْدَرْ عَلَيْهِ قُسِمَ مَالُهُ بَيْنَ الْوَرَثَةِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ وُلْدٌ حُبِسَ الْمَالُ وَ أُنْفِقَ عَلَى وُلْدِهِ تِلْكَ الْأَرْبَعَ سِنِينَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The heirs must keep the assets of one who is lost for the duration of four years’ searching. If he is not found, his assets are distributed among the heirs. If he has children, the assets must be withheld and the expenses of his children must be provided during the four years?”