A man came to Allah's Apostle ﷺ and asked him about picking up of stray articles. He said: Recognise (well) its bag and the strap (by which it is tied) then make announcement of that for a year. If its owner comes (within this time return that to him), otherwise it is yours. He (again) said: (What about) the lost goat? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: It is yours or for your brother, or for the wolf. He said: (What about) the lost camel? Thereupon he said: You have nothing to do with it; it has a leather bag along with it, and its shoes also. It comes to the watering-place, eats (the leaves of the) trees until its master finds him.  

أَنَّهُ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ فَقَالَ اعْرِفْ عِفَاصَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا ثُمَّ عَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا وَإِلاَّ فَشَأْنَكَ بِهَا قَالَ فَضَالَّةُ الْغَنَمِ قَالَ لَكَ أَوْ لأَخِيكَ أَوْ لِلذِّئْبِ قَالَ فَضَالَّةُ الإِبِلِ قَالَ مَا لَكَ وَلَهَا مَعَهَا سِقَاؤُهَا وَحِذَاؤُهَا تَرِدُ الْمَاءَ وَتَأْكُلُ الشَّجَرَ حَتَّى يَلْقَاهَا رَبُّهَا قَالَ يَحْيَى أَحْسِبُ قَرَأْتُ عِفَاصَهَا  

Make announcement about it for a year, and recognise well the strap and the bag (containing that) ; then spend that; and if its owner comes, make him the payment of that. He (the inquirer) said: Messenger of Allah, what about the lost goat? he said: Take it, for that is yours or for your brother, or for the wolf. He (again) said: (What about) the lost camel? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was enraged until his cheeks became red (or his face became red) and then said: You have nothing to do about that; it has feet and a leather bag (to quench its thirst) until its owner finds it.  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً ثُمَّ اعْرِفْ وِكَاءَهَا وَعِفَاصَهَا ثُمَّ اسْتَنْفِقْ بِهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ رَبُّهَا فَأَدِّهَا إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَضَالَّةُ الْغَنَمِ قَالَ خُذْهَا فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ لَكَ أَوْ لأَخِيكَ أَوْ لِلذِّئْبِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَضَالَّةُ الإِبِلِ قَالَ فَغَضِبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى احْمَرَّتْ وَجْنَتَاهُ أَوِ احْمَرَّ وَجْهُهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَا لَكَ وَلَهَا مَعَهَا حِذَاؤُهَا وَسِقَاؤُهَا حَتَّى يَلْقَاهَا رَبُّهَا  

" There came a person to Messenger of Allah ﷺ while I was with him, and he asked him about picking up of a stray article, and he said: When none comes to demand it, then spend that."  

أَتَى رَجُلٌ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَنَا مَعَهُ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ قَالَ وَقَالَ عَمْرٌو فِي الْحَدِيثِ فَإِذَا لَمْ يَأْتِ لَهَا طَالِبٌ فَاسْتَنْفِقْهَا  

His face became red, his forehead too, and he felt annoyed; and made an addition after the words: He should make announcement of that for a year, and if its owner does not turn up, then it is a trust with you.  

سَمِعْتُ زَيْدَ بْنَ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيَّ يَقُولُ أَتَى رَجُلٌ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ فَاحْمَارَّ وَجْهُهُ وَجَبِينُهُ وَغَضِبَ وَزَادَ بَعْدَ قَوْلِهِ ثُمَّ عَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً فَإِنْ لَمْ يَجِئْ صَاحِبُهَا كَانَتْ وَدِيعَةً عِنْدَكَ  

Recognise well the strap and the bag (containing) that and then make an announcement regarding that for one year, but if none recognises it, then spend that and it would be a trust with you; and if someone comes one day to make demand of that, then pay that to him. He (the inquirer) asked about the lost camel, whereupon he said: You have nothing to do with that. Leave that alone, for it has feet and also a leather bag, it drinks water, and eats (the leaves) of the trees. He asked him about sheep, whereupon he said: Take it, it is for you, or for your brother, or for the wolf.  

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ زَيْدَ بْنَ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيَّ صَاحِبَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ الذَّهَبِ أَوِ الْوَرِقِ فَقَالَ اعْرِفْ وِكَاءَهَا وَعِفَاصَهَا ثُمَّ عَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً فَإِنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ فَاسْتَنْفِقْهَا وَلْتَكُنْ وَدِيعَةً عِنْدَكَ فَإِنْ جَاءَ طَالِبُهَا يَوْمًا مِنَ الدَّهْرِ فَأَدِّهَا إِلَيْهِ وَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ ضَالَّةِ الإِبِلِ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ وَلَهَا دَعْهَا فَإِنَّ مَعَهَا حِذَاءَهَا وَسِقَاءَهَا تَرِدُ الْمَاءَ وَتَأْكُلُ الشَّجَرَ حَتَّى يَجِدَهَا رَبُّهَا وَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ الشَّاةِ فَقَالَ خُذْهَا فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ لَكَ أَوْ لأَخِيكَ أَوْ لِلذِّئْبِ  

A person asked Allah's Apostle ﷺ about a lost camel; Rabi'a made this addition: He (the Holy Prophet) was so much annoyed that his cheeks became red." The rest of the hadith is the same. He (the narrator) made this addition:" If its (that of the article) owner comes and he recognises the bag (which contained it) and its number, and the strap. then give that to them, but if not, then it is for you."  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنْ ضَالَّةِ الإِبِلِ زَادَ رَبِيعَةُ فَغَضِبَ حَتَّى احْمَرَّتْ وَجْنَتَاهُ وَاقْتَصَّ الْحَدِيثَ بِنَحْوِ حَدِيثِهِمْ وَزَادَ فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا فَعَرَفَ عِفَاصَهَا وَعَدَدَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا فَأَعْطِهَا إِيَّاهُ وَإِلاَّ فَهْىَ لَكَ  

Make announcement of that for one year, but if it is not recognised (by the owner), then recognise its big and strap, then eat it; and if its owner comes, then give that to him. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Al-Dahhak b. Uthman with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of words.  

سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً فَإِنْ لَمْ تُعْتَرَفْ فَاعْرِفْ عِفَاصَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا ثُمَّ كُلْهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا فَأَدِّهَا إِلَيْهِ وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْحَنَفِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا الضَّحَّاكُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَقَالَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ فَإِنِ اعْتُرِفَتْ فَأَدِّهَا وَإِلاَّ فَاعْرِفْ عِفَاصَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا وَعَدَدَهَا  

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  

Salama b. Kuhail informed me or he informed people and I was among them. He said: I heard Sawaid b. Ghafala who reported: I went out along with Zaid b. Suhan and Salman b. Rabi'a, and found a whip, the rest of the hadith is the same up to the words:" I made use of that." Shu'ba said: I heard him say after ten years, that he made an announcement of it for one year.  

شُعْبَةُ فَسَمِعْتُهُ بَعْدَ عَشْرِ سِنِينَ يَقُولُ عَرَّفَهَا عَامًا وَاحِدًا  

" If someone comes and informs you about the number (of articles) of the bag and the straps, then give that to him." Sufyan has made this addition in the narration of Waki':" Otherwise it is like your property." And in the narration of Ibn Numair the words are:" Otherwise make use of that."  

عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ شُعْبَةَ وَفِي حَدِيثِهِمْ جَمِيعًا ثَلاَثَةَ أَحْوَالٍ إِلاَّ حَمَّادَ بْنَ سَلَمَةَ فَإِنَّ فِي حَدِيثِهِ عَامَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثَةً وَفِي حَدِيثِ سُفْيَانَ وَزَيْدِ بْنِ أَبِي أُنَيْسَةَ وَحَمَّادِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ فَإِنْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ يُخْبِرُكَ بِعَدَدِهَا وَوِعَائِهَا وَوِكَائِهَا فَأَعْطِهَا إِيَّاهُ وَزَادَ سُفْيَانُ فِي رِوَايَةِ وَكِيعٍ وَإِلاَّ فَهِيَ كَسَبِيلِ مَالِكَ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ ابْنِ نُمَيْرٍ وَإِلاَّ فَاسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا