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  

While I as in the company of Salman bin Rabiʿa and Suhan, in one of the holy battles, I found a whip. One of them told me to drop it but I refused to do so and said that I would give it to its owner if I found him, otherwise I would utilize it. On our return we performed Hajj and on passing by Medina, I asked Ubai bin Kaʿb about it. He said, "I found a bag containing a hundred Dinars in the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ and took it to the Prophet ﷺ who said to me, 'Make public announcement about it for one year.' So, I announced it for one year and went to the Prophet ﷺ who said, 'Announce it publicly for another year.' So, I announced it for another year. I went to him again and he said, "Announce for an other year." So I announced for still another year. I went to the Prophet ﷺ for the fourth time, and he said, 'Remember the amount of money, the description of its container and the string it is tied with, and if the owner comes, give it to him; otherwise, utilize it.' "  

وَجَدْتُ صُرَّةً عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِيهَا مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ فَأَتَيْتُ بِهَا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلاً ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلاً ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلاً ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ الرَّابِعَةَ فَقَالَ اعْرِفْ عِدَّتَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا وَوِعَاءَهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا وَإِلاَّ اسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا  

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  

"I went out with Zaid bin Suhan and Salman bin Rabi'ah, and found a whip." In his narration Ibn Numair (one of the narrators) said: "I found a lost whip and took it. They said: 'Leave it'. I said: 'I will not leave it to be eaten by predators. I will take it to make use of it.' So I met up with Ubayy bin Ka'b and asked him about that. So he narrated the Hadith, he said: 'That is fine. I found a sack containing one hundred Dinar during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ' He said: 'So I brought it to him. He said to me: "Make a public announcement about it for one year." So I announced it for a year but did not find anyone to claim it. Then I brought it to him. He said to me: "Make a public announcement about it for another year." So I announced it for a year but did not find anyone to claim it. Then I brought it to him. He said: "Make a public announcement about if for another year." And he said: "Remember its amount, its container and its string. If someone comes seeking it and informs you of its amount and its string, then give it to him, otherwise use it."  

أَحْسَنْتَ أَنَا وَجَدْتُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ صُرَّةً فِيهَا مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِهَا فَقَالَ لِي عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلاً فَمَا أَجِدُ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ بِهَا فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً آخَرَ فَعَرَّفْتُهَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ بِهَا فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً آخَرَ وَقَالَ أَحْصِ عِدَّتَهَا وَوِعَاءَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ طَالِبُهَا فَأَخْبَرَكَ بِعِدَّتِهَا وَوِعَائِهَا وَوِكَائِهَا فَادْفَعْهَا إِلَيْهِ وَإِلاَّ فَاسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ  

[Machine] So I said, "Should I not take it and benefit from it rather than the wolf eating it?" Then I met Ubayy ibn Ka'b and I mentioned that to him. He said, "You have done well." Then he said, "I found a bag containing one hundred dinars, so I went to the Prophet ﷺ and mentioned it to him. He said, "Make an announcement about it for a year." So I made an announcement about it for a year. Then I went to him and said, "I have made an announcement about it for a year." He said, "Make an announcement about it for another year." Then he said, "Benefit from it, keep its container and its tear, and count them. If the owner comes, say, 'Jareer,' for I have not kept anything after this, meaning the completion of the narration."  

فَقُلْتُ أَوَلَيْسَ لِي أَخْذُهُ فَأَنْتَفِعَ بِهِخَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَهُ الذِّئْبُ؟ فَلَقِيتُ أُبَيَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ أَحْسَنْتَ ثُمَّ قَالَ الْتَقَطْتُ صُرَّةً فِيهَا مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلًا فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلًا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ قَدْ عَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلًا فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً أُخْرَى ثُمَّ قَالَ انْتَفِعْ بِهَا وَاحْفَظْ وِكَاءَهَا وَخِرْقَتَهَا وَأَحْصِ عَدَدَهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا قَالَ جَرِيرٌ فَلَمْ أَحْفَظْ مَا بَعْدَ هَذَا يَعْنِي تَمَامَ الْحَدِيثِ