What is the ruling when two people find a lost item and recognize it after one year?

General Chapter

Al-Mughni

Book of Lost-and-Found Property

Book 29 · Issue 1 · Bab 1

Open in Qurani

Primary text

If two individuals find a lost item and both recognize it after the passage of one year, ownership of the item is shared between them jointly. This is based on the general implication that the claim becomes established after the prescribed period.

Supporting text

If ownership is contingent upon selection, and only one of the finders makes a selection while the other does not, then the selecting individual acquires ownership of half the item, and the other individual acquires nothing.