hope of identifying its owner or being able to deliver it to him—this is like destroying it. Destruction is forbidden precisely because it prevents people from benefiting from the property, and withholding it does the same. Indeed, withholding it is worse in two respects:

First, it torments people by keeping what they need beyond their use.

Second, experience shows that such property will inevitably fall into the hands of some oppressor if those committed to justice and truth do not spend it. Withholding it therefore assists oppressors and, in reality, hands it over to them. Thus, one denies it to those who uphold the truth and gives it to those who uphold falsehood. Whether or not this is intended makes no difference here: whoever places someone among beasts of prey has effectively killed him; whoever throws meat among wild beasts has effectively devoured it; and whoever withholds great sums of wealth, leaving them for oppressors to seize, has effectively given that wealth to them.

Since destroying it is forbidden, and withholding it is worse than destroying it, spending it becomes obligatory. As it has no specifically designated use, it should be spent on all charitable and devotional causes through which one draws near to Allah. For Allah created His creatures to worship Him and created wealth for them to help them worship Him; it should therefore be spent in Allah’s cause. And Allah knows best.