Is it permissible to donate a sum of money found in a hotel, or to buy a calf or goat with it and distribute it to the poor and to relatives, after three days have passed since its discovery and no one has inquired about it?
The jurists differed concerning lost property in the (sacred precincts). The preponderant opinion is that lost property in the Haram of Makkah is never permissible (to be owned) except for its perpetual public announcement (until its owner is found). This is the of Imam Shafi'i. As for lost property in the Haram of Madinah, the majority of scholars hold that it is like lost property in any other land, where one announces it for a year and then takes possession of it, contrary to the Haram of Makkah. This is the view adopted by many scholars. Therefore, whoever finds lost property in the Haram of Madinah must announce it for a full year, or hand it over to the competent authorities.
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Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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