Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (10/378)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

well-known view of the school. It may, however, be said that he may refuse until witnesses are present for the handover, because perhaps, one day, someone who can describe it will come and say: “It has been established that you found this lost property, whose description is such-and-such, so hand it over to me.” His statement that he handed it over will be accepted, but he may say: “I want witnesses, so that I may avoid being summoned before a judge or having an oath required of me.” If this is his concern, he has the right to say: “I will not hand it over until witnesses are brought to testify that I handed this found property over to you,” lest he later return and claim that he did not receive it from him.

The guardian of a legally incompetent person and a minor must announce their found property. Whoever abandons an animal in open wilderness because it can no longer continue, or because its owner is unable to care for it, its taker becomes its owner. Whoever has his sandal or the like taken and finds another in its place, it is found property.

His statement, “The guardian of a legally incompetent person and a minor must announce their found property”: a legally incompetent person is one who is unable to manage his wealth properly, even if he is an adult, no matter how old he may be. A guardian must therefore be appointed for him—that is, to manage his wealth. This was discussed previously in the Chapter on Legal Interdiction.

A minor is one who has not reached puberty. The author did not mention the insane person, but he is even more entitled to this ruling. Thus, if an insane person came to his family one day holding gold, and they asked him about it, and he merely gestured toward the marketplace, then his found property must be announced. It may perhaps be said, however, that the insane person differs from the minor: a child can explain where he got it, and, when asked, “From where?” he may say, “I found it in such-and-such a place.” The insane person, on the other hand, cannot explain; he may have stolen it from a house or snatched the jewelry from the person wearing it. Accordingly, it is not technically found property, though it in fact takes the ruling of found property.

His statement, “their guardian must announce their found property,” means that this is obligatory. He should announce it by calling out, for example: “Who has lost such-and-such property?” When its claimant comes and describes it, it must be handed over to him.

المشهور من المذهب، وقد يقال: له أن يمتنع حتى يحضر بينة تسليمها؛ لأنه ربما يأتي واصفها يوماً من الدهر، ويقول: إنه قد ثبت أنك وجدت هذه اللقطة التي هذه صفتها فأعطنيها، وهو سيقبل قوله في الدفع، لكن يقول: أنا أريد أن أُشهِد لأسلم من الإحضار إلى الحاكم، أو توجه اليمين إليَّ، فإذا كان يلاحظ ذلك فله الحق أن يقول: لا أدفع حتى يحضر شهوداً يشهدون أني دفعت إليك هذه اللقطة؛ لئلا يعود فيدعي عليه أنه لم يقبضها منه. وَالسَّفِيهُ وَالصَّبِيُّ يُعَرِّفُ لُقَطَتَهُمَا وَلِيُّهُمَا. وَمَنْ تَرَكَ حَيَوَاناً بِفَلَاةٍ لانْقِطَاعِهِ أَوْ عَجْزِ رَبِّهِ عَنْهُ مَلَكَهُ آخِذُهُ. وَمَنْ أُخِذَ نَعْلُهُ وَنَحْوُهُ وَوَجَدَ مَوْضِعَهُ غَيْرَهُ فَلُقَطَةٌ. قوله: «والسفيه والصبي يعرف لقطتهما وليهما» السفيه هو الذي لا يحسن التصرف في ماله، ولو كان بالغاً ما بلغ من السنين، فيجب إقامة ولي له، أي: لماله، وسبق هذا في باب الحجر. والصبي مَنْ دون البلوغ، ولم يذكر المؤلف المجنون، لكنه لا شك أنه من باب أولى، فلو أن شخصاً مجنوناً أتى إلى أهله يوماً من الدهر وبيده ذهب فسألوه، فجعل يشير إلى السوق، فهذا تُعرَّف لقطته، على أنه ربما يقال: إن المجنون يختلف عن الصبي، فالصبي يعرف، وإذا قيل له: من أين؟ قال: وجدتها في المكان الفلاني، والمجنون لا يعرف، فقد يكون سرقها من بيت، أو استلب الحلي من لابسته، وعليه فلا يكون لقطة، لكنه في الحقيقة في حكم اللقطة. وقوله: «يعرف لقطتهما وليهما» أي وجوباً، فينشد ويقول مثلاً: من ضاع له المال الفلاني، فإذا جاء طالبه ووصفه لزم دفعه إليه.