First: Items that ordinary people would not normally trouble themselves over—such as a whip, a loaf of bread, or a small amount of loose change. These become the finder’s own property without any requirement to announce them; but if the owner appears before the item is spent or consumed, it must be handed back to him.

Second: Stray animals capable of protecting themselves from minor predators, for example camels, gazelles, and birds. Because they remain safe—whether by sheer strength, like the camel; by speed, like the gazelle; or by flight, like the bird—it is unlawful to seize them.

Third: Property found within the Sacred Precinct (ḥaram). It is impermissible to pick it up unless one intends to publicise it for the rest of his life, in accordance with the ḥadīth, “Its lost property is lawful only for the one who will proclaim it.” This is the position of al-Shāfiʿī and one report from Aḥmad, while the other three imams treat it like any other luqaṭa.

Fourth: All other lost assets—whether livestock, money, or merchandise—that do not fall under the previous categories. These may be collected, must be announced, and are subject to the forthcoming rulings of luqaṭa, if Allah wills.