Book of Livelihood
Chapter on Lost Property and Stray Animals
وَ رَوَى اَلْحَجَّالُ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ أَبِي يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ إِنِّي قَدْ أَصَبْتُ مَالاً وَ إِنِّي قَدْ خِفْتُ فِيهِ عَلَى نَفْسِي فَلَوْ أَصَبْتُ صَاحِبَهُ دَفَعْتُهُ إِلَيْهِ وَ تَخَلَّصْتُ مِنْهُ قَالَ لَهُ "فَوَ اَللَّهِ لَوْ أَصَبْتَهُ كُنْتَ تَدْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ" قَالَ إِي وَ اَللَّهِ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ "فَلاَ وَ اَللَّهِ مَا لَهُ صَاحِبٌ غَيْرِي" قَالَ وَ اِسْتَحْلَفَهُ أَنْ يَدْفَعَ إِلَى مَنْ يَأْمُرُهُ قَالَ فَحَلَفَ قَالَ "اِذْهَبْ فَاقْسِمْهُ فِي إِخْوَانِكَ وَ لَكَ اَلْأَمَانُ فِيمَا خِفْتَ" قَالَ فَقَسَمَهُ بَيْنَ إِخْوَانِهِ.
Al-Hajjal narrated from Dawud ibn Abi Yazid, from Abu Abdullah (a.s), who said: A man said to Imam (a.s): "I have come across some wealth, and I fear for my safety because of it. If I were to find its owner, I would return it to him and be free from it." Imam (a.s) said to him, "By Allah (swt), if you were to find its owner, would you truly return it to him?" The man replied: "Yes, by Allah (swt)." Imam (a.s) then said: "By Allah (swt), it has no owner other than me." Imam (a.s) then made the man swear to distribute it as Imam (a.s) instructed. The man swore, and Imam (a.s) said: "Go and distribute it among your brothers, and you are safe from what you feared." So, the man divided it among his brothers.
وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "أَفْضَلُ مَا يَسْتَعْمِلُهُ اَلْإِنْسَانُ فِي اَللُّقَطَةِ إِذَا وَجَدَهَا أَلاَّ يَأْخُذَهَا وَ لاَ يَتَعَرَّضَ لَهَا فَلَوْ أَنَّ اَلنَّاسَ تَرَكُوا مَا يَجِدُونَهُ لَجَاءَ صَاحِبُهُ فَأَخَذَهُ ".
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "The best approach for a person regarding lost property (luqata) when they find it is to leave it and not touch it. If people were to leave what they find, its owner would eventually come and take it."
Book of Livelihood
Chapter on What Falls Under the Ruling of Lost Property
رَوَى سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ اَلْمِنْقَرِيُّ عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ اَلنَّخَعِيِّ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنَ اَلْمُسْلِمِينَ أَوْدَعَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنَ اَللُّصُوصِ دَرَاهِمَ أَوْ مَتَاعاً وَ اَللِّصُّ مُسْلِمٌ فَهَلْ يَرُدُّهُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ "لاَ يَرُدُّهُ عَلَيْهِ فَإِنْ أَمْكَنَهُ أَنْ يَرُدَّهُ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ فَعَلَ وَ إِلاَّ كَانَ فِي يَدِهِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ اَللُّقَطَةِ يُصِيبُهَا فَيُعَرِّفُهَا حَوْلاً فَإِنْ أَصَابَ صَاحِبَهَا وَ إِلاَّ تَصَدَّقَ بِهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ خُيِّرَ بَيْنَ اَلْأَجْرِ وَ اَلْغُرْمِ فَإِنِ اِخْتَارَ اَلْأَجْرَ فَلَهُ اَلْأَجْرُ وَ إِنِ اِخْتَارَ اَلْغُرْمَ غَرِمَ لَهُ وَ كَانَ اَلْأَجْرُ لَهُ ".
Sulaiman ibn Dawud al-Minqari narrated from Hafs ibn Ghiyath al-Nakha'i, who said: I asked Abu Abdullah (a.s) about a Muslim man who was entrusted with dirhams or goods by a thief, and the thief is also a Muslim. Should he return them to him? Imam (a.s) said: "He should not return them to him. If he is able to return them to their rightful owner, he should do so. Otherwise, he should treat them as lost property (luqata), announcing them for one year. If the rightful owner is found, he should return them to him. Otherwise, he should give them in charity. If the owner later comes forward, he should be given the choice between accepting the reward for the charity or demanding repayment. If he chooses the reward, it is his. If he chooses repayment, the person must compensate him, and the reward for the charity remains with the one who gave it."
Book of Livelihood
Chapter on Gifts
قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "اَلْهَدِيَّةُ فِي اَلتَّوْرَاةِ غَافِرٌ عَيْناً ".
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "A gift in the Torah is described as something that blinds the eyes."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "تَهَادَوْا تَحَابُّوا".
Imam (a.s) said: "Exchange gifts (with one another), and you will love one another."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "اَلْهَدِيَّةُ تَسُلُّ اَلسَّخَائِمَ".
Imam (a.s) said: "A gift removes grudges (resentments)."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "نِعْمَ اَلشَّيْءُ اَلْهَدِيَّةُ أَمَامَ اَلْحَاجَةِ".
Imam (a.s) said: "How excellent is a gift given before making a request."
وَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ: "لَوْ دُعِيتُ إِلَى كُرَاعٍ لَأَجَبْتُ وَ لَوْ أُهْدِيَ إِلَيَّ كُرَاعٌ لَقَبِلْتُ".
The Messenger of Allah (swt) (may Allah (swt) bless him and his family) said: "If I were invited to a meal consisting of a trotter, I would accept, and if I were gifted a trotter, I would accept it."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "عَجِّلُوا رَدَّ ظُرُوفِ اَلْهَدَايَا فَإِنَّهُ أَسْرَعُ لِتَوَاتُرِهَا".
Imam (a.s) said: "Hasten to return the gift containers, for it encourages the continuous giving of gifts."
وَ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ لاَ يَرُدُّ اَلطِّيبَ وَ اَلْحَلْوَاءَ.
Imam (a.s) would not refuse perfume or sweets.
