—all of it—and any food that will keep, as well as every other kind of property apart from livestock, even if it is no more than a single dirham. The finder must announce such property for a full year at the entrances of the local mosques and the main congregational mosque, both where he discovered it and in the surrounding area, making it publicly known. If, when the year has elapsed, no one claims it, he may choose one of three options: leave it with him until its owner turns up, give it away in charity, or eat it himself if he is in need.
Should the owner arrive and identify its distinctive marks—its ʿifāṣ (the cloth wrapper), its wikāʾ (the tie-string), or any similar identifying features—thereby establishing his right to it, he takes it if it is still in existence. If it is no longer extant, he may either ratify the charity that was given on his behalf or demand reimbursement from the finder, as though the finder had destroyed it.
Some have said that a dirham or two should be announced for only a few days, and that a single dinar should be announced for a month or so. In my view this has no basis, for the prophetic instruction concerning lost property draws no distinction between small and large amounts, so long as the item is non-perishable and not subject to spoilage or deterioration. Allah knows best.
The lost article is to be handed over to the claimant once he has correctly identified its ʿifāṣ and wikāʾ, even if he does not know the exact number of dinars or dirhams it contains, nor the details of the mint. If he has recognized it and then keeps it safe for its owner but it is later lost, he bears no liability.
If two men dispute over the item—one describing the dinars or dirhams by their weight and number, and the other describing the ʿifāṣ, wikāʾ, weight, and number—and both claim it, they are to be referred to the judge. He will have them swear oaths and then divide the property between them.
If the finder gives the article to a person who has correctly identified its ʿifāṣ and wikāʾ, and later another claimant comes forward with a description, the finder is not liable, for he handed it over only after exercising the diligence he was commanded to observe.
Whoever picks up perishable food that will not keep and no one claims it