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What is the fate of the money owned by an foundling of unknown lineage who died in the home of his guardian?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The foundling's wealth after his death belongs to the Muslim public treasury (Bayt al-Mal), unless an heir is known, such as a wife or child. His foster parent or guardian does not inherit from him. Thus, the foundling's inheritance and blood money go to Bayt al-Mal because he does not possess the causes of inheritance: marriage, lineage, and wala' (clientship). However, if the foundling marries and has children, his inheritance goes to his heirs.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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