If the person who finds such a things makes announcement for one year...

If the person who finds such a things makes announcement for one year, but the owner of the property does not turn up, he should act as follows: (i) If he has found that thing at a place other than the Masjid-ul-Halal (allowed), he can retain it on behalf of the owner, so that he may give it to him when he appears, or give it as Sadaqah to the poor on behalf of the owner. As an obligatory precaution, he should not keep it for himself.

(ii) If he has found that things in the Masjid-ul-Halal (allowed), the obligatory precaution is that he should give it away as Sadaqah. If the person makes announcement for one year and the owner of the property does not turn up, and he continues to care for it on behalf of its owner, and in the meantime it is lost, he will not be responsible for the loss if he has not been negligent nor overcautious about it.

And if he gave it as Sadaqah on behalf of the owner, then the owner will have an option either to approve the Sadaqah or demand its replacement. And in the latter case the reward for the Sadaqah will go to him who gave the Sadaqah. If an insane person or a child who is not Bàligh finds something which bearns a sign and is worth one Dirham or more, his guardian can make an announcement.

In fact, it is obligatory upon him to announce if he has taken its possession from the child or the insane person. And if the owner is not found even after having announced for a year, he should act as rule no 2577. If during the year in which a person has been making an announcement (about something having been found) he loses all hope of finding the owner, he should give it away as Sadaqah, as an obligatory precaution with the permission of the Mujtahid.

If the property is lost during the year in which he has been making an announcement, and he has been negligent in caring for it, or has been overcautious, he will be responsible to the owner for replacement, and should also continue announcing. But if he has not been negligent nor overcautious, it is not obligatory for him to pay anything.

If the property which bears a mark, and has value equal to one Dirham or more is found at a place where it is known that the owner of the property will not be found by means of announcement, the finder should give it to the poor persons as Sadaqah on behalf of the owner on the very first day, and he should not wait till the year ends. As an obligatory precaution this should be done with the permission of Mujtahid. Previous…