The Book of Lost Property — Hadith 4368

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى التَّمِيمِيُّ، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ، الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ يَزِيدَ، مَوْلَى الْمُنْبَعِثِ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم 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

English Translation

Zaid b. Khalid al-Juhani reported: 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.