Ruling on together with his brothers they found a sum of money in the street and gave it to their father


Question:

I was eleven years old and my brother was thirteen years old when we went to the market to do shopping. We found 10,000 riyals in a dusty case, took it with our stuffs and gave it to our father. I should mention that our father was old and illiterate and there were no shaykhs at that time to clarify what was Halal (lawful) or Haram (unlawful). Are we and our father sinful in that? Guide us, may Allah reward you with the best.

Answer:

It was required of you, when you found this money, to identify its features and announce it for a year in places where it is hopeful to find its owner. However, you did not do so, a long time has passed, and it will be impossible to find its owner. Thus, it is obligatory on you to give this money in charity on behalf of its owner, repent to Allah for what happened and not to do so again in the future. If it is possible to find the owner of this money, you must search for him and give him the money.

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.

  • 1 min read
  • Source(s): Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da'imah no. 18901
  • Mufti(s): Shaykh Abdul-Aziz ibn Baz , Shaykh Abdul-Aziz Aal al-Shaykh , Shaykh Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan , Shaykh Salih Fawzan , Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd
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