🗒️ Question: I am an employee, working in one of the stores which specialize in selling clothes. One day I found 500 Saudi Riyals (Around 6000 something Philippine pesos) near the box (or cashier's counter). Then I went to the room where the controls of the hidden cameras (CCTV) are installed and from viewing a clip of the recording, I observed that the large amount of money fell from one of the female customers. I tried my best to wait for her return (in case she'd come back asking if we saw the money) for a certain period of time, but she didn't show up again at the shop.
So I sent it to one (or some) of my needy relatives with the intention of doing charity / sadaqah in the name of or on behalf of the owner of the money. Is this deed of mine correct or accepted?
📜 Answer: Inn-sha-Allah. I ask Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala that He accepts.
Approximate translation of the response given by sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan (May Allah the Most Merciful always protect him. Ameen.)
Lesson: Permissibility of doing charity for Allah's sake on behalf of an unidentified stranger whose money is found laying on the ground or in a public place.
Allah the Almighty knows best.
📖 Abu Sa'eed RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "The honest and trustworthy merchant (businessperson, entrepreneur) will be with the prophets, the truthful ones, and the martyrs."
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1209
Grade: Sahih li ghayrihi (Authentic due to external evidence) according to Al-Albani
https://youtu.be/n6o0vRbkZo0