✅ Answer: A 'luqtah' or lost item refers to something that has fallen on the ground and whose owner is unknown.

In this regard, pay attention to the following narrations:

1⃣عن محمد بن أبی حمزة عن بعض أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَبِی عَبْداللَّهِ قال: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ قَالَ تُعَرَّفُ سَنَةً قَلِیلًا کَانَ أَوْ کَثِیراً قَالَ و ما کَانَ دُونَ الدِّرْهَمِ فَلَا یُعَرَّفُ.

📚 Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 137

One of the companions says: I asked Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, about a lost item; the Imam said: It should be announced for one year, whether it is of little or great value, and what is worth less than one dirham does not need to be announced!

2⃣عن محمد بن مسلم عن أَبِی جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ قَالَ لَا تَرْفَعْهَا فَإِنِ ابْتُلِیتَ بِهَا فَعَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً فَإِنْ جَاءَ طَالِبُهَا وَ إِلَّا فَاجْعَلْهَا فِی عَرْضِ مَالِکَ یَجْرِی عَلَیْهَا ما یَجْرِی عَلَی مَالِکَ حَتَّی یَجِیءَ لَهَا طَالِبٌ فَإِنْ لَمْ یَجِئْ لَهَا طَالِبٌ فَأَوْصِ بِهَا فِی وَصِیَّتِکَ.

📚 Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 139

Muhammad ibn Muslim says: I asked Imam Baqir, peace be upon him, about a lost item; the Imam said: Do not pick it up! But if you do take it, announce it for one year. If its claimant comes, then fine; otherwise, place it among your own property, and whatever applies to your property applies to it until its claimant appears. If no claimant comes, include it in your will!

3⃣عن أبی القاسم عن حنان قال سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ أَبَا عَبْداللَّهِ وَ أَنَا أَسْمَعُ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ فَقَالَ تُعَرِّفُهَا سَنَةً فَإِنْ وَجَدْتَ صَاحِبَهَا وَ إِلَّا فَأَنْتَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا وَ قَالَ هِیَ کَسَبِیلِ مَالِکَ وَ قَالَ خَیِّرْهُ إِذَا جَاءَکَ بَعْدَ سَنَةٍ بَیْنَ أَجْرِهَا وَ بَیْنَ أَنْ تَغْرَمَهَا لَهُ إِذَا کُنْتَ أَکَلْتَهَا.

📚 Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p. 396

Hanan says: A man asked Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, about a lost item while I was listening; the Imam said: Announce it for one year. If you find its owner, then fine; otherwise, you are more entitled to it. He said: It has the same ruling as your own property. He also said: If its owner comes after a year and you have consumed it, give him the choice between its reward or compensating him for it!

4⃣عن الحسین بن کثیر عن أَبِیهِ قال سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ أَمِیرالْمُؤْمِنِینَ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ فَقَالَ یُعَرِّفُهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا دَفَعَهَا إِلَیْهِ وَ إِلَّا حَبَسَهَا حَوْلًا فَإِنْ لَمْ یَجِئْ صَاحِبُهَا أَوْ مَنْ یَطْلُبُهَا تَصَدَّقَ بِهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا بَعْدَ مَا تَصَدَّقَ بِهَا إِنْ شَاءَ اغْتَرَمَهَا الَّذِی کَانَتْ عِنْدَهُ وَ کَانَ الْأَجْرُ لَهُ وَ إِنْ کَرِهَ ذَلِکَ احْتَسَبَهَا وَ الْأَجْرُ لَهُ.

📚 Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p. 389

A man asked Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, about a lost item; the Imam said: He should announce it. If its owner comes, he hands it over; otherwise, he keeps it for one year. If no owner or claimant comes, he gives it away as charity. If the owner comes after it has been given as charity, the one who had it can compensate him and retain the reward of the charity, or if he dislikes that, it is accounted to God, and the reward of the charity remains his!

5⃣سَأَلَ عَلِیُّ بْنُ جعفرٍ أَخاهُ مُوسَی بْنَ جَعْفَر عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ یَجِدُهَا الْفَقِیرُ هُوَ فِیهَا بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْغَنِیِّ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ و کَانَ عَلِیُّ بْنُ الْحُسَیْنِ علیه السلام یَقُولُ هِیَ لِأَهْلِهَا لَا تَمَسُّوهَا قال و سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ یُصِیبُ دِرْهَماً أَوْ ثَوْباً أَوْ دَابَّةً کَیْفَ یَصْنَعُ قَالَ یُعَرِّفُهَا سَنَةً فَإِنْ لَمْ یَعْرِفْ جَعَلَهَا فِی عَرْضِ مَالِهِ حَتَّی یَجِیءَ طَالِبُهَا فَیُعْطِیَهَا إِیَّاهُ و إِنْ مَاتَ أَوْصَی بِهَا و هُوَ لَهَا ضَامِنٌ.

📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 3, p. 186

Ali ibn Ja’far asked his brother Musa ibn Ja’far, peace be upon him, about a lost item found by a poor person, whether he is like a rich person. He said: Yes!

He also said: Imam Sajjad, peace be upon him, would say to his family: It belongs to its people! Do not touch it!

He says: I asked him about someone who finds a dirham, clothing, or an animal—what should he do? He said: He should announce it for one year. If he does not recognize its owner, he places it among his property until its claimant comes, and he gives it to him. If he is about to die, he includes it in his will, and he is responsible for it!

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6⃣عن الحسین بن أبی العلاء قال: ذَکَرْنَا لِأَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ اللُّقَطَةَ فَقَالَ لَا تَعَرَّضْ لَهَا فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ لَوْ تَرَکُوهَا لَجَاءَ صاحِبُهَا حَتَّی یَأْخُذَهَا.

📚 Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p. 390

Husayn ibn Abi Ala says: We mentioned a lost item to Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him; the Imam said: Do not interfere with it! For if people leave it alone, its owner will come and take it!

7⃣ عن جَرَّاحٍ اَلْمَدَائِنِيِّ عن أَبِي عَبْداَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: اَلضَّوَالُّ لاَ يَأْكُلُهَا إِلاَّ اَلضَّالُّونَ إِذَا لَمْ يُعَرِّفُوها.

📚 Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p. 394

Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Only the misguided consume lost items, unless they announce and introduce it!

8⃣ عن مسعدة عنِ الصَّادِقِ عن أَبِیهِ أَنَّ عَلِیّاً قال: إِیَّاکُمْ وَ اللُّقَطَةَ فَإِنَّهَا ضَالَّةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ و هِیَ حَرِیقٌ مِنْ حَرِیقِ جَهَنَّمَ.

📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 3, p. 292

Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, narrated from his father that Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, said: Avoid lost items, for they are the lost property of a believer and a fire from the fires of Hell!

9⃣عن یعقوب بن شعیبٍ قال: سَأَلْتُ أَبَاعَبْداللَّهِ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ و نَحْنُ یَوْمَئِذٍ بِمِنًی فَقَالَ أَمَّا بِأَرْضِنَا هَذِهِ فَلَا یَصْلُحُ وَ أَمَّا عِنْدَکُمْ فَإِنَّ صَاحِبَهَا الَّذِی یَجِدُهَا یُعَرِّفُهَا سَنَةً فِی کُلِّ مَجْمَعٍ ثُمَّ هِیَ کَسَبِیلِ مَالِهِ.

📚 Tahdhib, Vol. 5, p. 421

Ya’qub ibn Shu’ayb says: I asked Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, about a lost item while we were in Mina; the Imam said: In this land (i.e., the vicinity of the Kaaba), it is not proper, but where you are, whoever finds it should announce it in every gathering and assembly for one year, and after that, it has the same ruling as his own property!

0⃣1⃣عن إبراهیم بن عمر قال قال أَبُوعبداللَّهِ اللُّقَطَةُ لُقَطَتَانِ لُقَطَةُ الْحَرَمِ تُعَرِّفُ سَنَةً فَإِنْ وَجَدْتَ صَاحِبَهَا و إِلَّا تَصَدَّقْتَ بِهَا وَ لُقَطَةُ غَیْرِهَا تُعَرِّفُ سَنَةً فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا وَ إِلَّا فَهِیَ کَسَبِیلِ مَالِکَ.

📚 Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 238

Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Lost items are of two types: A lost item within the vicinity of the Kaaba, which is announced for one year—if its owner is found, then fine; otherwise, it is given as charity.

And a lost item outside the vicinity of the Kaaba, which is announced for one year—if its owner comes, then fine; otherwise, it has the same ruling as your own property!

✅ Based on the totality of the above narrations and others, a lost item (luqtah) is something that has fallen on the ground and whose owner is unknown. The emphatic recommendation of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them all, regarding it is to not touch it so that its owner may come and retrieve it.

However, if someone picks it up, certain duties fall upon him that he must fulfill:

If the value of the found item is less than one dirham, it does not need to be announced, and he may use it, but if its owner appears, he is liable for it.

If the found item is worth more than one dirham, it must be announced in public gatherings for one year. If its owner is found, it is handed over to him, but if no owner is found within a year, he can do one of the following:

1. He can place it among his own property, and whatever applies to his property applies to it until its claimant appears. If no claimant comes, he includes it in his will to his heirs so that if the owner comes, they can deliver it to him. In any case, if the owner appears, he and his heirs are liable for it.

2. Another option mentioned in the narrations is to give it as charity on behalf of its owner. If the owner appears, he is given the choice between the reward of the charity or receiving compensation for it. If the owner takes compensation, the reward of the charity remains with the finder.

3. If the finder, after announcing it for a year, places it among his property and consumes it, and the owner later appears, the owner is given the choice between its reward or receiving compensation from the finder.

✅ According to narrations 7⃣ and 8⃣ and others, consuming or using a found item worth more than one dirham before announcing it for a year is not permissible and is considered a fire from the fires of Hell, and only the misguided would partake in it!

✅ According to the above narrations and others, a lost item found within the vicinity of the Kaaba, after being announced for one year and if its owner is not found, must be given as charity.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ و آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ و عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر

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