Sheikh Hamed Al-`Ali, instructor of Islamic Heritage at the Faculty of Education, Kuwait and Imam of Dahiat As-Sabahiyya Mosque, answers: “The followings are the steps that need to be taken by a taxi driver whenever he finds a lost item:
1- If a lost item is found, the driver has full responsibility of finding the customer’s address to deliver the lost item.
2- If he does not know the address of the person that has lost the item, then the driver is committed to advertising the lost item in order to draw forth the person’s attention. If the owner comes to pick the lost item, the driver can take the fees incurred in advertising the items, and then let the customer have his or her item restored.
3- Should the owner fail to show up, the taxi driver should keep the lost item with him as a trust until such a time he thinks it is impossible for the owner to claim it; then he is supposed to give it to charity and the owner will have the reward.
4- If the driver fears the lost item will waste or be damaged, should it stays for long, he should give it as a charity or sells it and give the money in charity. Or he should give the lost item to the authorities who take care of lost-and-found items like the police office, the taxi Company or institution he works for.
5- If the lost item is a very small or a trivial thing that people do not usually return to look for, then he or she can take it for himself/herself.”