2. Yunus ibn Thabit and ibn ‘Awn has narrated from Mu‘awiyah ibn Wahab who has narrated the following: “This is about the case of a man who has a right on another man. However, he was lost and he did not know where to look for him, not knowing if he is dead or living. He does not know of anyone as his heir, or a town or lineage relation. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must search but if it becomes very long then he must give it in charity.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You must search for him.’”

3. Yunus has narrated from Nasr ibn Habib Sahib al-Khan who has narrated the following: “I once wrote to the virtuous servant (of Allah) about two hundred and four dirham which remained with me. I own a hotel. The owner of dirham has died and I do not know any heirs for him. I need your opinion on this matter and what must I do about it; I am depressed thereby. He (the Imam) wrote and said, ‘You can work with it and give it as charity little by little until it is complete.’”

4. Yunus has narrated from al-Haytham abu Ruh Sahib al-Khan who has narrated the following: “I once wrote to the virtuous servant (of Allah) that I manage hotels. A man who stays in the hotel may die suddenly and I do not know his town and his heirs; and his assets remain with me. What must I do about it? He (the Imam) wrote back, ‘You must leave it in its condition.’”

5. Yunus has narrated from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has narrated the following: “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), said to me, ‘The assets of a lost person must be kept for four years; then they are distributed.’”

6. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Mahziyar from who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a house that belongs to a woman who had a son and a daughter. Her son disappeared in the ocean, the woman died and the daughter claimed that her mother had given the house to her and she sold certain parts of it. One portion was left next to the house of a man of our people, he did not like to buy it because of the disappearance of the son, and for fear that, it may not be lawful for him to buy it with no news from the son. He (the Imam) asked me, ‘For how long has he disappeared?’ I replied, ‘It is many years.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘One must wait for ten years, then buy it.’ I then asked, ‘Is it lawful to buy it after ten years?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is lawful.’”

7. Abu Ali al-Ash ‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has narrated the following: “I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who had several sons, of whom one disappeared and he did not know where he was. The man died. What must be done with the share of the legacy for the son who has disappeared? He (the Imam) said, ‘It must be kept aside until he comes? I then said, ‘The man is lost (the father died) he did not come? He (the Imam) said, ‘If the heirs are trusted for his asset, they can distribute among themselves; and when he comes then give it to him?” A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr from Hammad from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar from abu Ibrahim ‘Alayhi al-Salam, a similar Hadith.

8. Humayd ibn Ziyad from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn Sama‘ah, from ibn Ribat and ‘Abd Allah ibn Jabalah from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Awwal (a.s.), about the case of a man who has several sons, of whom one disappeared and he did not know where he was. The man died. What must be done with his share of legacy from his father? He (the Imam) said, ‘It must be kept aside until he comes? I then asked if there is Zakat on his assets. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, there is no Zakat until he comes? I then asked if he must pay Zakat when he comes. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, until one year passes with the asset in his possession? I then said, ‘The man is lost and he has not come back? He (the Imam) said, ‘If the heirs of the man can be trusted about his assets, they can distribute it among themselves and when he comes give it to him?”