The wrapping of found property (ifas) and its use as a mark

العِفَاص

In the lexicon, ifas is the container in which money is kept, of leather or cloth, and it is also the cap of a bottle; as a term it is the container in which found property is kept ¹. The ifas is one of the marks by which found property is recognised, on the basis of a prophetic instruction to know the tie and the container, announce the find for a year and then keep it or let it go ². Most jurists hold that knowing the ifas alone does not entitle a claimant to the property; it must be joined with the other marks, such as the tie, the weight, the number, the kind, or most of them ^{2 3}. The Malikis distinguish: a claimant who knows the ifas and the tie is given the find without oath, on the preferred view; one who knows only the ifas must wait while others may come; Asbagh requires an oath from one who knows the count and weight ³.