It is generally observed that the shoes of people who go for Umra usually goes missing or is misplaced in Masjid Al-Haram or Masjid Al-Nabawi, or the janitors would take them and throw them in bundles. There are many different types of shoes in these bundles, both casual and expensive. Whoever’s shoes go missing, they would usually go to any of these bundles and choose which ever shoes would fit their need. Once, even my shoes went missing. Probably one of the janitors or someone else had picked it up, Allah knows best, and I went to one of these bundles and picked out a pair of shoes that I found appropriate. My question is: is it permissible to pick out shoes from these bundles and wear them? These are people’s shoes that went missing, and in most cases, the owners may have already left. This is also the case in Raiwand Markaz. And a lot of times, there are some shoes remaining in masjids after everyone has left. Secondly, if someone’s shoe doesn’t go missing, will it be permissible for him to take shoes from these bundles? Or even more than just one pair? What is the ruling regarding this?
الجواب حامدا و مصلیا
Is the mentioned situation, it will only be permissible to use one’s personal pair of shoes, and not someone else’s. However, if the owners have not taken back their shoes and the administration has left them to waste, then it will be allowed for a poor person to take of these shoes.