Is a person's act of taking a mobile phone found in the street, and discarding the SIM card inside it without knowing its owner, considered theft, and what should he do with the phone now?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The device found by this person falls under the ruling of a lost item (Luqata). The finder must announce it for a year in the place where it was found and where the owner is likely to be. If the owner comes and identifies it, it must be handed over to him. As for taking possession of it and disposing of it immediately upon finding it, this is impermissible. It is an act of aggression for which the perpetrator incurs sin, but it is not described as theft. The one who did this must repent to Allah and announce the device while guaranteeing its full value to its owner.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/92182
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 92182
- Added here
- . 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