Q:
1. What rule of lost property should be followed if one sees a page with the Mubaarak Name of الله تعالى lying on the floor?
2. If one saw صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليما كثيرا كثيرا on a page, picked it up and because there was no immediate place available to leave it put it into his copy of القرآن الكريم, he then forgot about it until he went home to another country. What happens if he burnt it?
3. What happens in a similar situation where words are written in a foreign language (that one does not understand) on a page which is found lying on the Mataaf sharif and because of many carrying duaas he assumes that that is the nature of the page and does as mentioned above (returns home, burns it)?
A:
1. This does not come under luqtah (lost property). This comes under respect and ta`zeem. If it is lying on the floor it should be picked up and placed with respect on some higher respectable place.
2. If it is something that nobody normally will claim then there is no harm in picking it up.
3. There is no need to take it home. He can leave it on a higher place in the mataaf, like the wall of the hateem.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)