What is the ruling on a friend taking things from his workplace, claiming they have no owner, and giving them to someone else?
The bellboy erred by taking the items before ascertaining the owners' desire for them. Lost luggage is treated as a "Luqatah" (found item), meaning it must be publicly announced for a full year. After this period, the finder may dispose of it as they wish. The announcer must describe the found item generally (e.g., "money" or "a thing") without specifying its type or displaying it, to prevent someone other than the owner from claiming it.
If the items are trivial and people generally do not care about them, the bellboy may benefit from them directly without announcement. However, if they are valuable, they must be announced for a year, after which he may own them or dispose of them. He must repent and recover as many of those items as possible and announce them lawfully.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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