Does the finder of a lost sheep gain ownership after the announcement period?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Lost-and-Found Property
Primary text
If the finder announces the sheep for a full year, they gain ownership. The basis for this is the Prophet's statement, "It is for you, or for your brother, or for the wolf," where the preposition 'for' (li) implies ownership, and because it is permissible to take, ownership is established through announcement, similar to currency. This is also supported by the consensus narrated by Ibn Abd al-Barr.
Supporting text
There is a second narration reported from Ahmad by Al-Qadi and Abu al-Khattab that ownership is not acquired, which may correspond to the view prohibiting its initial taking.