Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 2505
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ الثَّقَفِيُّ، عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ، عَنْ أَبِي الْعَلاَءِ، عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ، عَنْ عِيَاضِ بْنِ حِمَارٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ وَجَدَ لُقَطَةً فَلْيُشْهِدْ ذَا عَدْلٍ أَوْ ذَوَىْ عَدْلٍ ثُمَّ لاَ يُغَيِّرْهُ وَلاَ يَكْتُمْ فَإِنْ جَاءَ رَبُّهَا فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا وَإِلاَّ فَهُوَ مَالُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ " .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us: Abd al-Wahhab al-Thaqafi narrated to us, from Khalid al-Hadhdha, from Abu al-Ala, from Mutarrif, from Iyad ibn Himar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever finds an item of lost property, let him have one or two people of upright character witness it. He must neither alter it nor conceal it. If its owner comes, he has the greater right to it; otherwise, it is the property of Allah, and He gives it to whomever He wills.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic permits one witness of upright character or two such witnesses, and then prohibits changing or concealing the found item. It does not describe the item as ownerless; the owner retains the stronger claim if he appears.