Is a pearl found inside a fish caught from the sea the property of the fisherman?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Lost-and-Found Property
Primary text
A pearl found inside a fish caught from the sea belongs to the fisherman. This is evidenced by the saying of Allah the Almighty: {And from them you take adornment to wear} [An-Nahl: 14]. If the fisherman sells the fish without declaring the pearl, and the buyer finds it inside the fish, the pearl still belongs to the original fisherman. This ruling is established because the fisherman did not sell the hidden item and did not consent to the removal of his ownership over it, similar to finding hidden money in a house sold. If the fisherman finds ambergris or anything else naturally occurring in the sea within the fish, it also belongs to him based on the same reasoning, and it carries the same legal status as a jewel.