there was the governor of Al-Yamamah, and Marwan wrote to him saying that Mu'awiyah had written to him, saying that any man who had something stolen from him had more right to it wherever he found it. Then Marwan wrote saying that to me (Usaid). I wrote to Marwan saying that the Prophet had ruled that if the one who bought it from the one who stole it is ot guilty of anything (and did not realize that it was stolen goods), then the owner has the choice: If he wishes, he may buy it from the one who bought it from the thief, or if he wishes he may go after the thief. Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman also passed judgment along these lines. Marwan sent my letter to Mu'awiyah, and Mu'awiyah wrote to Marwan (saying): 'Neither you nor Usaid are in a position to tell me what to do, rather I am the one who tells you what to do because I am superior in rank to you, so do what I tell you.' Marwan sent the letter of Mu'awiyah to me, and I said: I will not judge according to Mu'awiyah's opinion as long as I am the governor."'  

أَنَّ أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ سُرِقَ مِنْهُ سَرِقَةٌ فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا حَيْثُ وَجَدَهَا ثُمَّ كَتَبَ بِذَلِكَ مَرْوَانُ إِلَىَّ فَكَتَبْتُ إِلَى مَرْوَانَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَضَى بِأَنَّهُ إِذَا كَانَ الَّذِي ابْتَاعَهَا مِنَ الَّذِي سَرَقَهَا غَيْرُ مُتَّهَمٍ يُخَيَّرُ سَيِّدُهَا فَإِنْ شَاءَ أَخَذَ الَّذِي سُرِقَ مِنْهُ بِثَمَنِهَا وَإِنْ شَاءَ اتَّبَعَ سَارِقَهُ ثُمَّ قَضَى بِذَلِكَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَعُثْمَانُ فَبَعَثَ مَرْوَانُ بِكِتَابِي إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ وَكَتَبَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَى مَرْوَانَ إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ أَنْتَ وَلاَ أُسَيْدٌ تَقْضِيَانِ عَلَىَّ وَلَكِنِّي أَقْضِي فِيمَا وُلِّيتُ عَلَيْكُمَا فَأَنْفِذْ لِمَا أَمَرْتُكَ بِهِ فَبَعَثَ مَرْوَانُ بِكِتَابِ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَقُلْتُ لاَ أَقْضِي بِهِ مَا وُلِّيتُ بِمَا قَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ established that if you find something with someone other than the accused, then if its owner wants, he can take it for a price, and if he wants, he can follow its thief. Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman also ruled the same. Then Marwan sent me a letter to Mu'awiyah, and Mu'awiyah sent Marwan a message saying, "You are not the one nor am I the one who will rule on what I have been entrusted with. But I will rule over both of you, so carry out what I have commanded you." Marwan then sent a letter from Mu'awiyah to me, and I said, "By Allah, I will never rule on it."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ «قَضَى أَنْ إِذَا وَجَدْتَ عِنْدَ الرَّجُلِ غَيْرَ الْمُتَّهَمِ فَإِنْ شَاءَ سَيِّدُهَا أَخَذَهَا بِالثَّمَنِ وَإِنْ شَاءَ اتَّبَعَ سَارِقَهُ» ثُمَّ قَضَى بِذَلِكَ بَعْدَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَعُثْمَانُ ؓ فَبَعَثَ مَرْوَانُ بِكِتَابِي إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ فَبَعَثَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَى مَرْوَانَ إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ أَنْتَ وَلَا أُسَيْدٌ يَقْضِيَانِ عَلَيَّ فِيمَا وُلِّيتُ وَلَكِنِّي أَقْضِي عَلَيْكُمَا فَأَنْفِذْ مَا أَمَرْتُكَ بِهِ فَبَعَثَ مَرْوَانُ بِكِتَابِ مُعَاوِيَةَ إِلَيَّ فَقُلْتُ وَاللهِ لَا أَقْضِي بِهِ أَبَدًا  

there was the governor of Al-Yamamah, and Marwan wrote to him saying that Mu'awiyah had written to him, saying that any man who had something stolen from him had more right to it wherever he found it. Then Marwan wrote saying that to me (Usaid). I wrote to Marwan saying that the Prophet had ruled that if the one who bought it from the one who stole it is ot guilty of anything (and did not realize that it was stolen goods), then the owner has the choice: If he wishes, he may buy it from the one who bought it from the thief, or if he wishes he may go after the thief. Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman also passed judgment along these lines. Marwan sent my letter to Mu'awiyah, and Mu'awiyah wrote to Marwan (saying): 'Neither you nor Usaid are in a position to tell me what to do, rather I am the one who tells you what to do because I am superior in rank to you, so do what I tell you.' Marwan sent the letter of Mu'awiyah to me, and I said: I will not judge according to Mu'awiyah's opinion as long as I am the governor."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4680)  

أَنَّ أَيَّمَا رَجُلٍ سُرِقَ مِنْهُ سَرِقَةٌ فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا حَيْثُ مَا وَجَدَهَا ثُمَّ كَتَبَ بِذَلِكَ مَرْوَانُ إِلَيَّ فَكَتَبْتُ إِلَى مَرْوَانَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَضَى بِأَنَّهُ «إِذَا كَانَ الَّذِي ابْتَاعَهَا مِنَ الَّذِي سَرَقَهَا غَيْرُ مُتَّهَمٍ فَخُيِّرَ سَيِّدُهَا فَإِنْ شَاءَ أَخَذَ الَّذِي سُرِقَ مِنْهُ بِثَمَنِهِ وَإِنْ شَاءَ اتَّبَعَ سَارِقَهُ» ثُمَّ قَضَى بِذَلِكَ بَعْدَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَعُثْمَانُ فَبَعَثَ مَرْوَانُ بِكِتَابِي إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ فَكَتَبَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَى مَرْوَانَ إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ أَنْتَ وَلَا أُسَيْدٌ بِقَاضِيَيْنِ وَلَكِنِّي أُقَاضِي فِيمَا وُلِّيْتُ عَلَيْكُمَا فَأَنْفِذْ لِمَا أَمَرْتُكَ بِهِ فَبَعَثَ مَرْوَانُ إِلَيَّ بِكِتَابِ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَقُلْتُ لَا أَقْضِي بِهِ مَا وُلِّيْتُ بِمَا قَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ  

" عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْمَخْزُومِىِّ: أَنَّ أُسَيْدَ بْنَ ظُهَير الأَنْصَارِىِّ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّهُ كان عَامِلًا عَلَى الْيَمَامَةِ، وَأَنَّ مَرْوَانَ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ أنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ سُرِقَتْ مِنْهُ سَرِقَةٌ فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا مَا وَجَدهَا، فَكَتَبَ بِذَلِكَ مَرْوَانُ إِلَىَّ فَكَتَبْتُ إِلَى مَرْوَانَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَضَى بِانَّهُ إِذَا كَانَ الَّذِى ابْتَاعَهَا مِنَ الَّذِى سَرَقَهَا غَيْرَ مُتَّهَمٍ فَخُيِّرَ سيِّدُهَا فَإِنْ شَاءَ أَخَذَ مَا سُرِقَ مِنْهُ بِثَمَنِهِ أوِ اتَّبعَ سَارِقَهُ ثُمَّ قَضَى بِذَلِكَ بَعْدُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَعُثْمَانُ فَكَتَبَ بِذَلِكَ مَرْوَانُ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَكَتَبَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَى مَرْوَانَ: لَسْتَ أَنْتَ وَلاَ أُسَيْدُ بِقَاضِيَيْنِ عَلَىَّ وَلَكنِّى قَضَيْتُ عَلَيْكُمَا فِيمَا وُلِّيتُ عَلَيْكُمَا فَأَنْفِذْ لِمَا أَمَرْتُكَ فَبَعَثَ مَرْوَانُ بِكِتَابِ مُعَاوِيَةَ إِلَىَّ، فَقُلْتُ: لَسْتُ أَقْضِى مَا وُلِّيتُ بِمَا قَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ ".