Narrated By Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani : A man asked Allah's Apostle about the Luqata. He said, "Make public announcement of it for one year, then remember the description of its container and the string it is tied with, utilize the money, and if its owner comes back after that, give it to him." The people asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What about a lost sheep?" Allah's Apostle said, "Take it, for it is for you, for your brother, or for the wolf." The man asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What about a lost camel?" Allah's Apostle got angry and his cheeks or face became red, and said, "You have no concern with it as it has its feet, and its water-container, till its owner finds it."

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، مَوْلَى الْمُنْبَعِثِ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَجُلاً سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ قَالَ ‏"‏ عَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً، ثُمَّ اعْرِفْ وِكَاءَهَا وَعِفَاصَهَا، ثُمَّ اسْتَنْفِقْ بِهَا، فَإِنْ جَاءَ رَبُّهَا فَأَدِّهَا إِلَيْهِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَضَالَّةُ الْغَنَمِ قَالَ ‏"‏ خُذْهَا فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ لَكَ أَوْ لأَخِيكَ أَوْ لِلذِّئْبِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، فَضَالَّةُ الإِبِلِ قَالَ فَغَضِبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى احْمَرَّتْ وَجْنَتَاهُ ـ أَوِ احْمَرَّ وَجْهُهُ ـ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَا لَكَ وَلَهَا، مَعَهَا حِذَاؤُهَا وَسِقَاؤُهَا، حَتَّى يَلْقَاهَا رَبُّهَا ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated By Suwaid bin Ghafala : While I as in the company of Salman bin Rabi'a 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 Ka'b about it. He said, "I found a bag containing a hundred Dinars in the lifetime of the Prophet and took it to the Prophet who said to me, 'Make public announcement about it for one year.' So, I announced it for one year and went to the Prophet 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 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.'Narrated By Salama : The above narration (Hadith 616) from Ubai bin Ka'b: adding, "I met the sub-narrator at Mecca later on, but he did not remember whether Ka'b had announced what he had found one year or three years."

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سُوَيْدَ بْنَ غَفَلَةَ، قَالَ كُنْتُ مَعَ سَلْمَانَ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ، وَزَيْدِ بْنِ صُوحَانَ فِي غَزَاةٍ، فَوَجَدْتُ سَوْطًا‏.‏ فَقَالَ لِي أَلْقِهِ‏.‏ قُلْتُ لاَ، وَلَكِنْ إِنْ وَجَدْتُ صَاحِبَهُ، وَإِلاَّ اسْتَمْتَعْتُ بِهِ‏.‏ فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا حَجَجْنَا فَمَرَرْتُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ، فَسَأَلْتُ أُبَىَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ فَقَالَ وَجَدْتُ صُرَّةً عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِيهَا مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ، فَأَتَيْتُ بِهَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم 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 ‏"‏‏.‏ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ، بِهَذَا قَالَ فَلَقِيتُهُ بَعْدُ بِمَكَّةَ، فَقَالَ لاَ أَدْرِي أَثَلاَثَةَ أَحْوَالٍ أَوْ حَوْلاً وَاحِدًا‏.‏

Narrated By Zaid bin Khalid : A bedouin asked the Prophet about the Luqata. The Prophet said, "Make public announcement about it for one year and if then somebody comes and describes the container of the Luqata and the string it was tied with, (give it to him); otherwise, spend it." He then asked the Prophet about a lost camel. The face of the Prophet become red and he said, "You have o concern with it as it has its water reservoir and feet and it will reach water and drink and eat trees. Leave it till its owner finds it." He then asked the Prophet about a lost sheep. The Prophet said, "It is for you, for your brother, or for the wolf."

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، مَوْلَى الْمُنْبَعِثِ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ أَعْرَابِيًّا، سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ قَالَ ‏"‏ عَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً، فَإِنْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ يُخْبِرُكَ بِعِفَاصِهَا وَوِكَائِهَا، وَإِلاَّ فَاسْتَنْفِقْ بِهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ وَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ ضَالَّةِ الإِبِلِ فَتَمَعَّرَ وَجْهُهُ، قَالَ ‏"‏ مَا لَكَ وَلَهَا مَعَهَا سِقَاؤُهَا وَحِذَاؤُهَا، تَرِدُ الْمَاءَ وَتَأْكُلُ الشَّجَرَ، دَعْهَا حَتَّى يَجِدَهَا رَبُّهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ وَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ ضَالَّةِ الْغَنَمِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هِيَ لَكَ أَوْ لأَخِيكَ، أَوْ لِلذِّئْبِ

Narrated By Abu Bakr : While I was on my way, all of a sudden I saw a shepherd driving his sheep, I asked him whose servant he was. He replied that he was the servant of a man from Quraish, and then he mentioned his name and I recognized him. I asked, "Do your sheep have some milk?" He replied in the affirmative. I said, "Are you going to milk for me?" He replied in the affirmative. I ordered him and he tied the legs of one of the sheep. Then I told him to clean the udder (teats) of dust and to remove dust off his hands. He removed the dust off his hands by clapping his hands. He then milked a little milk. I put the milk for Allah's Apostle in a pot and closed its mouth with a piece of cloth and poured water over it till it became cold. I took it to the Prophet and said, "Drink, O Allah's Apostle!" He drank it till I was pleased.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا النَّضْرُ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي الْبَرَاءُ، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ‏.‏ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ رَجَاءٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ انْطَلَقْتُ، فَإِذَا أَنَا بِرَاعِي غَنَمٍ يَسُوقُ غَنَمَهُ فَقُلْتُ لِمَنْ أَنْتَ قَالَ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ‏.‏ فَسَمَّاهُ فَعَرَفْتُهُ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ هَلْ فِي غَنَمِكَ مِنْ لَبَنٍ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ هَلْ أَنْتَ حَالِبٌ لِي قَالَ نَعَمْ‏.‏ فَأَمَرْتُهُ فَاعْتَقَلَ شَاةً مِنْ غَنَمِهِ، ثُمَّ أَمَرْتُهُ أَنْ يَنْفُضَ ضَرْعَهَا مِنَ الْغُبَارِ، ثُمَّ أَمَرْتُهُ أَنْ يَنْفُضَ كَفَّيْهِ، فَقَالَ هَكَذَا ـ ضَرَبَ إِحْدَى كَفَّيْهِ بِالأُخْرَى ـ فَحَلَبَ كُثْبَةً مِنْ لَبَنٍ وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِدَاوَةً عَلَى فَمِهَا خِرْقَةٌ، فَصَبَبْتُ عَلَى اللَّبَنِ، حَتَّى بَرَدَ أَسْفَلُهُ، فَانْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ اشْرَبْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ‏.‏ فَشَرِبَ حَتَّى رَضِيتُ‏.‏