Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 2507
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْحَنَفِيُّ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا الضَّحَّاكُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْقُرَشِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي سَالِمٌ أَبُو النَّضْرِ، عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ، . أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سُئِلَ عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ فَقَالَ " عَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً فَإِنِ اعْتُرِفَتْ فَأَدِّهَا فَإِنْ لَمْ تُعْرَفْ فَاعْرِفْ عِفَاصَهَا وَوِعَاءَهَا ثُمَّ كُلْهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا فَأَدِّهَا إِلَيْهِ " .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us: Abu Bakr al-Hanafi narrated to us. (Another chain:) Harmalah ibn Yahya narrated to us: Abdullah ibn Wahb narrated to us. Both said: al-Dahhak ibn Uthman al-Qurashi narrated to us: Salim, Abu al-Nadr, narrated to me, from Busr ibn Said, from Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about found property. He said: Announce it for a year. If it is recognized, return it. If it is not recognized, learn the description of its fastening cord and container, then use it. If its owner comes, return it to him.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic preserves two parallel source chains, which converge at al-Dahhak ibn Uthman. It uses separate descriptions for the object (its fastening and container) and says to use or consume it after the year if unrecognized, while retaining the duty to return it if its owner later appears.