I found a purse containing one hundred Diners. So I went to the Prophet (and informed him about it), he said, "Make public announcement about it for one year" I did so, but nobody turned up to claim it, so I again went to the Prophet ﷺ who said, "Make public announcement for another year." I did, but none turned up to claim it. I went to him for the third time and he said, "Keep the container and the string which is used for its tying and count the money it contains and if its owner comes, give it to him; otherwise, utilize it." The sub-narrator Salama said, "I met him (Suwaid, another sub-narrator) in Mecca and he said, 'I don't know whether Ubai made the announcement for three years or just one year.' "  

أَخَذْتُ صُرَّةً مِائَةَ دِينَارٍ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلَهَا فَلَمْ أَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً فَعَرَّفْتُهَا فَلَمْ أَجِدْ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ ثَلاَثًا فَقَالَ احْفَظْ وِعَاءَهَا وَعَدَدَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا وَإِلاَّ فَاسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا فَاسْتَمْتَعْتُ فَلَقِيتُهُ بَعْدُ بِمَكَّةَ فَقَالَ لاَ أَدْرِي ثَلاَثَةَ أَحْوَالٍ أَوْ حَوْلاً وَاحِدًا  

I heard Sowaid b. Ghafala say: I went out, and also Zaid b. Suhan and Salman b. Rabi'a for Jihad, and I found a whip and took it up. They said to me: Leave it. I said: No. but I will make announcement of it and if its owner comes (then I will return that), otherwise I will use it, and I refused them. When we returned from Jihad. by a good fortune for me, I performed Pilgrimage. I came to Medina and met Ubayy b. Ka'b, and related to him the affair of the whip and their opinion (the opinion of Zaid b. Suhan and Salman b. Rabi'a) about it (i. e. I should throw it). Thereupon he said: I found a money bag during the lifetime of Messenger of Allah ﷺ which contained one hundred dinars. I came to him along with it, and he said: Make an announcement of it for one year; so I announced it, but did not find anyone who could (claim it after) recognising it. I again came to him and he said: Make announcement for one year. So I made announcement of it, but I found none who could recognise it. I came to him he said: Make announcement of it for one year. I made announcement of that but did not find one who could recognise it, whereupon he said: Preserve (in your mind) its number, its bag and its strap, and if its owner comes (then return that to him), otherwise make use of it. So I made use of that. I (Shu'ba) met him (Salama b. Kuhail) after this in Mecca, and he said: I do not know whether he said three years or one year.  

إِنِّي وَجَدْتُ صُرَّةً فِيهَا مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَتَيْتُ بِهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً قَالَ فَعَرَّفْتُهَا فَلَمْ أَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً فَعَرَّفْتُهَا فَلَمْ أَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً فَعَرَّفْتُهَا فَلَمْ أَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا فَقَالَ احْفَظْ عَدَدَهَا وَوِعَاءَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا وَإِلاَّ فَاسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا فَاسْتَمْتَعْتُ بِهَا فَلَقِيتُهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ بِمَكَّةَ فَقَالَ لاَ أَدْرِي بِثَلاَثَةِ أَحْوَالٍ أَوْ حَوْلٍ وَاحِدٍ  

I fought along with Zayd ibn Suhan and Sulayman ibn Rabi'ah. I found a whip. They said to me: Throw it away. I said: No; if I find its owner (I shall give it to him); if not, I shall use it. Then I performed hajj; and when I reached Medina, I asked Ubayy ibn Ka'b. He said: I found a purse which contained one hundred dinars; so I came to the Prophet ﷺ. He said to me: Make the matter known for a year. I made it known for a year and then came to him. He then said to me: Make the matter known for a year. So I made it known for a year. I then (again) came to him. He said to me: Make the matter known for a year. Then I came to him and said: I did not find anyone who realises it. He said: Remember, its number, its container and its tie. If its owner comes, (give it to him), otherwise use it yourself. He (the narrator Shu'bah) said: I do not know whether he said the word "make the matter known" three times or once.  

وَجَدْتُ صُرَّةً فِيهَا مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلاً ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلاً ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلاً ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لَمْ أَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا فَقَالَ احْفَظْ عَدَدَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا وَوِعَاءَهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا وَإِلاَّ فَاسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا وَقَالَ وَلاَ أَدْرِي أَثَلاَثًا قَالَ عَرِّفْهَا أَوْ مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً  

[Machine] You did well. You did well. Indeed, I found a pouch containing a hundred dinars during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. So, I went to the Prophet ﷺ and he said, "Describe it in detail." So, I described it in detail. Then, I went to him again and he said, "Describe it in detail." So, I described it in detail. Then, I went to him again and he said, "Describe it in detail." So, I described it in detail. Then, after some time, I brought it to him. He said, "Tell me its number, contents, and container. If anyone comes and informs you about its number and contents, then give it to him. Otherwise, you may keep it."  

أَحْسَنْتَ أَحْسَنْتَ إِنِّي وَجَدْتُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ صُرَّةً فِيهَا مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلًا فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلًا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلًا فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلًا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلًا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ بِهَا بَعْدَ أَحْوَالٍ ثَلَاثَةٍ فَقَالَ اعْرِفْ عَدَدَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا وَوِعَاءَهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ يُخْبِرُكَ بِعَدَدِهَا وَوِكَائِهَا فَادْفَعْهَا إِلَيْهِ وَإِلَّا فَاسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا  

"عَنْ أُبِّى بْنِ كَعْبٍ قَالَ: وَجَدْتُ صُرَّةً فِيهَا مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِىِّ ﷺ فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ الله ﷺ فَذَكرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ: عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلًا فَعَرَّفتُهَا فَلَمْ أَجَدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا، ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ: إِنِّى قَدْ عَرَّفْتُهَا، قَالَ: فَعَرِّفْهَا ثَلاَثَةَ أَحْوَالٍ، ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ بَعْدَ ثَلاَثَةِ أَحْوَالٍ فَقَالَ: احْفَظْ عَدَدَهَا، وَوِكَاءَهَا، وَوِعَاءَهَا، فَإِنْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ يُخْبِرُكَ بَعَدَدِهَا، وَوِعَائها فَادفَعْهَا إِلَيْهِ، وَإِلاَّ فَاسْتَمْتِع بِهَا فَاسْتَمْتَعْتُ بِهَا".