Author: Dr. Muhammad Zia-ur-Rahman Azmi (رحمہ اللہ)
If someone finds another shoe in place of their own, they should leave it and not take it, as it is not permissible for them to do so. This is because it is possible that someone other than the owner of that shoe has taken their shoe. By taking the shoe left behind, they may end up taking something that does not belong to them.
However, some scholars have stated that if the two shoes are similar in appearance—that is, the person’s shoe and the shoe left behind resemble each other—then there is no harm in taking it. This is because, in such cases, it is likely that the other person mistakenly took the wrong shoe, thinking it was their own.
Although this opinion holds some validity, piety (تقویٰ) demands that one should refrain from doing so. Instead, the shoe should be treated as luqatah (a lost item). The person has two options: they can either take the shoe and make announcements about it to find the rightful owner, or they can leave it where it is.
Reference: [Ibn Uthaymeen: Noor ‘Ala al-Darb, 12/245]
If someone finds another shoe in place of their own, they should leave it and not take it, as it is not permissible for them to do so. This is because it is possible that someone other than the owner of that shoe has taken their shoe. By taking the shoe left behind, they may end up taking something that does not belong to them.
However, some scholars have stated that if the two shoes are similar in appearance—that is, the person’s shoe and the shoe left behind resemble each other—then there is no harm in taking it. This is because, in such cases, it is likely that the other person mistakenly took the wrong shoe, thinking it was their own.
Although this opinion holds some validity, piety (تقویٰ) demands that one should refrain from doing so. Instead, the shoe should be treated as luqatah (a lost item). The person has two options: they can either take the shoe and make announcements about it to find the rightful owner, or they can leave it where it is.
Reference: [Ibn Uthaymeen: Noor ‘Ala al-Darb, 12/245]