Is it permissible to put the price of a lost sheep—found after a full year without its owner being located, and without having advertised it for fear of fraudulent claims—into the mosque entirely or in part, and distribute the other part to the poor and needy?
If someone finds a lost animal (like a sheep or a young camel) that cannot fend off small predators, in an inhabited area, they have a choice: 1. They can keep it, publicize it for a year, spend on its upkeep, and then own it if its owner does not appear. 2. Or, they can sell it, keep its price, publicize it for a year, and then own the price if its owner does not appear.
However, if they find it in the desert, they have a third option: they can eat it and pay its price if the owner appears, based on the , "It is either for you, or for your brother, or for the wolf."
It is also permissible to sell it and donate its price, with a guarantee to its owner should they appear, provided the charity has not been disbursed. This, however, does not exempt one from publicizing it for a year.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Original fatwa ID
- 47394
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- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy