"A man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about lost items. So he said: 'Make a public announcement about it for one year. Remember its string, its contained, and its sack. Then use it, and if its owner comes then give it to him.' So he said to him: 'O Messenger of Allah! What about the stray sheep?' He said:'Take it, for it is either for you, your brother, or the wolf.' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah! What about stray camel?'" He said: "Then the Prophet ﷺ got angry until his cheeks became red or his face became red. He said: 'What concern is it of yours? It has its feet and its water reserve until it reaches its owner.'"  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً ثُمَّ اعْرِفْ وِكَاءَهَا وَوِعَاءَهَا وَعِفَاصَهَا ثُمَّ اسْتَنْفِقْ بِهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ رَبُّهَا فَأَدِّهَا إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَضَالَّةُ الْغَنَمِ فَقَالَ خُذْهَا فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ لَكَ أَوْ لأَخِيكَ أَوْ لِلذِّئْبِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَضَالَّةُ الإِبِلِ قَالَ فَغَضِبَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ حَتَّى احْمَرَّتْ وَجْنَتَاهُ أَوِ احْمَرَّ وَجْهُهُ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ وَلَهَا مَعَهَا حِذَاؤُهَا وَسِقَاؤُهَا حَتَّى تَلْقَى رَبَّهَا حَدِيثُ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ وَحَدِيثُ يَزِيدَ مَوْلَى الْمُنْبَعِثِ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو وَالْجَارُودِ بْنِ الْمُعَلَّى وَعِيَاضِ بْنِ حِمَارٍ وَجَرِيرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَغَيْرِهِمْ وَرَخَّصُوا فِي اللُّقَطَةِ إِذَا عَرَّفَهَا سَنَةً فَلَمْ يَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا أَنْ يَنْتَفِعَ بِهَا وَهُوَ قَوْلُ الشَّافِعِيِّ وَأَحْمَدَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَقَالَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَغَيْرِهِمْ يُعَرِّفُهَا سَنَةً فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا وَإِلاَّ تَصَدَّقَ بِهَا وَهُوَ قَوْلُ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ لَمْ يَرَوْا لِصَاحِبِ اللُّقَطَةِ أَنْ يَنْتَفِعَ بِهَا إِذَا كَانَ غَنِيًّا وَقَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ يَنْتَفِعُ بِهَا وَإِنْ كَانَ غَنِيًّا لأَنَّ أُبَىَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ أَصَابَ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ صُرَّةً فِيهَا مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ فَأَمَرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ يُعَرِّفَهَا ثُمَّ يَنْتَفِعَ بِهَا وَكَانَ أُبَىٌّ كَثِيرَ الْمَالِ مِنْ مَيَاسِيرِ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنْ يُعَرِّفَهَا فَلَمْ يَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنْ يَأْكُلَهَا فَلَوْ كَانَتِ اللُّقَطَةُ لَمْ تَحِلَّ إِلاَّ لِمَنْ تَحِلُّ لَهُ الصَّدَقَةُ لَمْ تَحِلَّ لِعَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ لأَنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أَصَابَ دِينَارًا عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَعَرَّفَهُ فَلَمْ يَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهُ فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِأَكْلِهِ وَكَانَ لاَ يَحِلُّ لَهُ الصَّدَقَةُ وَقَدْ رَخَّصَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ إِذَا كَانَتِ اللُّقَطَةُ يَسِيرَةً أَنْ يَنْتَفِعَ بِهَا وَلاَ يُعَرِّفَهَا وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِذَا كَانَ دُونَ دِينَارٍ يُعَرِّفُهَا قَدْرَ جُمُعَةٍ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ  

"Make a public announcement about it for one year, if it is claimed then give it to him. Otherwise remember its sack, string, and its count. Then use it, and if its owner comes, give it to him."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ سُئِلَ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً فَإِنِ اعْتُرِفَتْ فَأَدِّهَا وَإِلاَّ فَاعْرِفْ وِعَاءَهَا وَعِفَاصَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا وَعَدَدَهَا ثُمَّ كُلْهَا فَإِذَا جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا فَأَدِّهَا  

"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