What should we do when we find some money?

Dear Brother / Sister,

If a person sees some money or a valuable thing on the road, he should either ignore it or take it in order to look for its owner. If he ignores it and goes on walking, he will not be held responsible. If he takes it in order to find its owner, there are certain things to do:

- He needs to find witnesses before he takes that thing away from the place he has found it. He needs to say, “I have found such and such amount of money or a valuable thing. I took it with the intention of looking for its owner. This is my name and address. If the owner comes, send him to my address and be witnesses for it.” He keeps it for one year. If the owner comes within one year, he gives the money or the valuable things to its owner. If the owner does not come, he will give it to a charity or a poor person with witnesses.

- If the money or thing that is kept is lost or stolen, the person who loses it does not have to pay for it if it is lost or stolen without his fault. If he loses it due to heedlessness, he has to pay for it. Otherwise, he will be in debt to its owner.   

Due to this responsibility, it is better not to undertake to keep something that is found; if one undertakes to keep it, he has to keep it and look after it as if it is his own property and fulfill the responsibilities related to it.

Cheap and small things that are found do not have to be kept for a long time; valuable ones need to be kept for a year; after it is declared, it is given to a poor person or to a charity.

Note: Today, the best thing to do about lost property is to deliver them to the police or authorities.

Questions on Islam