Question
The thing is faiyaz had a friend. He is a Pakistani and used to live in Zimbabwe. About 9 to 10years ago he left Zimbabwe and relocated to Mozambique. When he went, he left some of his bags and thing here with us and said he would collect it as it all wouldn’t fit in his car. After that he came to us several times, stayed with us but he has not come to Zimbabwe in the last 7 years. It has been about 3 years since faiyaz last spoke to him.
In the past 6 months, we have tried to get hold of him. None of the numbers we have is working. We have asked mutual friend is Mozambique and no one seems to know where he is and whoever has sent us the last known numbers they have don’t work.
The goods I have are some suitcases, which are locked, and some stuff in plastic bags. The plastic bags have disintegrated and I have had to repack them into new ones.
Please advise me on the way forward. Can I give all his stuff to charity? Or do I have to still hold on to them? I have no idea what is in the suitcases but I assume it is clothing.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In principle, when one hands over an item for safekeeping, that will be an Amanat (Trust). It is not permissible to dispose such an item in Sadaqah. One is responsible to keep the item until the owner returns or one is certain of the owner’s death. [1]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Muhammad I.V Patel
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Nabeel Valli.
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia
الأصل للشيباني ط قطر (8/ 444)
قلت: أرأيت رجلاً استودع رجلاً ألف درهم، ثم غاب رب الوديعة، ولا يُدْرَى أحي أو ميت ولا يُدْرَى من وارثه؟ قال: ينبغي للمستودع أن يمسكها أبداً حتى يعلم أحي هو أو ميت أو يعلم له وارث
بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (6/ 207)
فَحُكْمُهُ لُزُومُ الْحِفْظِ لِلْمَالِكِ لِأَنَّ الْإِيدَاعَ مِنْ جَانِبِ الْمَالِكِ اسْتِحْفَاظٌ وَمِنْ جَانِبِ الْمُودَعِ الْتِزَامُ الْحِفْظِ وَهُوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الِالْتِزَامِ فَيَلْزَمُهُ لِقَوْلِهِ: – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «الْمُسْلِمُونَ عِنْدَ شُرُوطِهِمْ»
(6/ 210)
وَأَمَّا بَيَانُ حَالِ الْوَدِيعَةِ فَحَالُهَا أَنَّهَا فِي يَدِ الْمُودَعِ أَمَانَةٌ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمُودَعَ مُؤْتَمَنٌ، فَكَانَتْ الْوَدِيعَةُ أَمَانَةً فِي يَدِهِ، وَيَتَعَلَّقُ بِكَوْنِهَا أَمَانَةً أَحْكَامٌ: مِنْهَا: وُجُوبُ الرَّدِّ عِنْدَ طَلَبِ الْمَالِكِ، لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى – جَلَّ شَأْنُهُ -: {إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الأَمَانَاتِ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا} [النساء: 58]
المحيط البرهاني في الفقه النعماني (5/ 550)
في «فتاوى أبي الليث» : استودع رجلاً ألف درهم، ثم غاب رب الوديعة، ولا يدري أحي هو أم ميت، فعليه أن يمسكها حتى يعلم موته، ولا يتصدق بها بخلاف اللقطة
مجمع الضمانات (2/ 127)
لَوْ غَابَ رَبُّ الْوَدِيعَةِ وَلَا يُدْرَى أَحَيٌّ هُوَ أَمْ مَيِّتٌ يُمْسِكُهَا أَبَدًا حَتَّى يَعْلَمَ مَوْتَهُ فَإِنْ مَاتَ إنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ مُسْتَغْرِقٌ يَرُدُّهَا عَلَى الْوَرَثَةِ وَإِنْ كَانَ يَدْفَعُهَا إلَى وَصِيَّةٍ مِنْ الْخُلَاصَةِ
فتاویٰ محمودیہ جلد ١٦ صفحہ ٥٣٣