Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (10/388)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

his. Thus, his statement, “near to him,” should be qualified by the condition that there be some indication.

His statement, “and provision is spent on him from it,” uses the passive form, “provision is spent,” so as to include everyone whom we mentioned as being responsible for his maintenance. The one who actually spends is the finder: he may spend on this foundling from what was found with him without the judge’s permission, because he is his guardian.

Otherwise, his maintenance is from the public treasury. He is a Muslim; his custody belongs to his trustworthy finder, who may spend on him without a judge’s permission. His inheritance and blood money belong to the public treasury, …

His statement, “Otherwise,” means: if nothing was found with him.

His statement, “then from the public treasury”: if access to the public treasury takes time—requiring paperwork and procedures between different offices—while the child presently needs to be nursed, what should be done? The finder should spend on him, because maintaining him is a collective obligation. If the procedure requires time, we say: spend on him now.

If he spends, may he reclaim it from the public treasury or not? There is some detail: if he intended to reclaim it, he may do so; but if he did not intend to reclaim it, then he has fulfilled an obligation incumbent upon him and may not reclaim it from anyone. However, if the public treasury is not properly administered, then the responsibility falls upon those Muslims who know of his situation, the first of whom is the person who found him.

The public treasury spoken of by the jurists is the institution in which funds administered by the state are collected. It is financed from several sources, including one-fifth of the one-fifth of war booty, which is assigned to Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him; property whose owner is unknown; and the estate of one who has no heir. The resources of the public treasury are to be spent on the general interests of the Muslims, including maintenance of foundlings.

His statement, “And he is a Muslim,” means that the foundling “is a Muslim”—that is, he is deemed

فقوله: «قريباً منه» ينبغي أن يقيد بما إذا كان هناك قرينة. قوله: «ويُنفق عليه منه» أتى بـ «يُنْفَق» المبني للمجهول؛ لأجل أن يشمل كل من ذكرنا أنه يتولى الإنفاق عليه، والذي ينفق هو الواجد، فينفق على هذا اللقيط مما وجد معه بدون إذن الحاكم؛ لأنه وليه. وَإلاَّ فَمِنْ بَيْتِ المَالِ، وَهُوَ مُسْلِمٌ، وَحَضَانَتُهُ لِوَاجِدِهِ الأمِينِ، وَيُنْفِقُ عَلَيْهِ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِ حَاكِمٍ، ومِيرَاثُهُ، وَدِيَتُهُ، لِبَيْتِ المَالِ، ........... قوله: «وإلا» يعني وإن لم يوجد شيء معه. قوله: «فمن بيت المال» إذا كان الحصول على بيت المال يحتاج إلى وقت، إلى أوراق ومعاملة تدور بين الدوائر، والطفل الآن محتاج إلى رضاعة فماذا نعمل؟ ينفق عليه الواجد؛ لأن الإنفاق عليه فرض كفاية، فإذا كانت المعاملة تحتاج إلى مدة قلنا أنفق الآن. وهل إذا أنفق يرجع على بيت المال أو لا؟ فيه تفصيل: إن نوى الرجوع رجع، وإن لم ينوِ الرجوع فقد قام بواجب عليه ولا يرجع به على أحد، ولكن إذا لم ينتظم بيت المال تكون على من علم بحاله من المسلمين، وأول من علم بحاله الملتقط. وبيت المال الذي يتكلم عنه الفقهاء هو الموضع الذي يجمع فيه المال الذي تتولى إدارته الدولة ويمول من عدة أشياء، منها خمس الخمس في الغنيمة وهو الذي يكون لله ورسوله ﷺ، ومنها الأموال المجهول صاحبها، ومنها تركة من لا وارث له، ومصادر بيت المال تكون في مصالح المسلمين عموماً، ومنها الإنفاق على اللقطاء. قوله: «وهو مسلم» أي: اللقيط «مسلم» يعني يُحكم