or from a fire, or if he comes upon it in a place of danger where it would perish if left, he is entitled to the usual market wage, even though the owner did not authorize him. The fear of its loss justifies this, and paying a fee encourages such lifesaving efforts, namely, rescuing people’s wealth from destruction.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (Allah have mercy on him) said: “Whoever saves another person’s property from destruction and returns it is entitled to the going rate of compensation, even without any prior stipulation, according to the sounder of the two opinions. This is the explicit position of Ahmad and others.”

Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn al-Qayyim (Allah have mercy on him) said: “If someone performs work on another’s property without his permission—either to deliver it to him or to safeguard it from loss—the correct view is that he may claim the usual fee for his labor. Imām Ahmad stated this in several places.”