Sahih Muslim #4375
The Book of Lost Property
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرِ، بْنُ نَافِعٍ - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سُوَيْدَ، بْنَ غَفَلَةَ قَالَ خَرَجْتُ أَنَا وَزَيْدُ بْنُ صُوحَانَ، وَسَلْمَانُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ، غَازِينَ فَوَجَدْتُ سَوْطًا فَأَخَذْتُهُ فَقَالاَ لِي دَعْهُ . فَقُلْتُ لاَ وَلَكِنِّي أُعَرِّفُهُ فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهُ وَإِلاَّ اسْتَمْتَعْتُ بِهِ . قَالَ فَأَبَيْتُ عَلَيْهِمَا فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا مِنْ غَزَاتِنَا قُضِيَ لِي أَنِّي حَجَجْتُ فَأَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَلَقِيتُ أُبَىَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِشَأْنِ السَّوْطِ وَبِقَوْلِهِمَا فَقَالَ إِنِّي وَجَدْتُ صُرَّةً فِيهَا مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَتَيْتُ بِهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً " . قَالَ فَعَرَّفْتُهَا فَلَمْ أَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ . فَقَالَ " عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً " . فَعَرَّفْتُهَا فَلَمْ أَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ . فَقَالَ " عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً " . فَعَرَّفْتُهَا فَلَمْ أَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا . فَقَالَ " احْفَظْ عَدَدَهَا وَوِعَاءَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا وَإِلاَّ فَاسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا " . فَاسْتَمْتَعْتُ بِهَا . فَلَقِيتُهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ بِمَكَّةَ فَقَالَ لاَ أَدْرِي بِثَلاَثَةِ أَحْوَالٍ أَوْ حَوْلٍ وَاحِدٍ .
I heard Sowaid b. Ghafala say: I went out, and also Zaid b. Suhan and Salman b. Rabi'a for Jihad, and I found a whip and took it up. They said to me: Leave it. I said: No. but I will make announcement of it and if its owner comes (then I will return that), otherwise I will use it, and I refused them. When we returned from Jihad. by a good fortune for me, I performed Pilgrimage. I came to Medina and met Ubayy b. Ka'b, and related to him the affair of the whip and their opinion (the opinion of Zaid b. Suhan and Salman b. Rabi'a) about it (i. e. I should throw it). Thereupon he said: I found a money bag during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) which contained one hundred dinars. I came to him along with it, and he said: Make an announcement of it for one year; so I announced it, but did not find anyone who could (claim it after) recognising it. I again came to him and he said: Make announcement for one year. So I made announcement of it, but I found none who could recognise it. I came to him he said: Make announcement of it for one year. I made announcement of that but did not find one who could recognise it, whereupon he said: Preserve (in your mind) its number, its bag and its strap, and if its owner comes (then return that to him), otherwise make use of it. So I made use of that. I (Shu'ba) met him (Salama b. Kuhail) after this in Mecca, and he said: I do not know whether he said three years or one year.
Narrated by Salama b. Kuhail reported:
Context
This hadith recounts an incident where a man found a whip during a military expedition and was advised by his companions to leave it. However, he chose to announce it in case the owner came forward. Upon returning, he sought guidance from Ubayy b. Ka'b, who shared a similar experience regarding a lost money bag. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) instructed him to announce it for a year, emphasizing the importance of honesty and integrity in interactions.
Modern Application
In modern life, this principle can be applied in situations where we find lost items or property. Announcing or making efforts to return lost belongings reflects ethical behavior and respect for others' rights, reinforcing trust within our communities.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Ethics of Interaction because it illustrates the significance of honesty and integrity when dealing with found property.
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Aal-i-Imraan (The Family of Imraan)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَمَا كَانَ لِنَبِىٍّ أَن يَغُلَّ ۚ وَمَن يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۚ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
It is not [attributable] to any prophet that he would act unfaithfully [in regard to war booty]. And whoever betrays, [taking unlawfully], will come with what he took on the Day of Resurrection. Then will every soul be [fully] compensated for what it earned, and they will not be wronged.
سُورَةُ المُجَادلَةِ
Al-Mujaadila (The Pleading Woman)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّا ۖ فَمَن لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَإِطْعَامُ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًۭا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِتُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۚ وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلِلْكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
And he who does not find [a slave] - then a fast for two months consecutively before they touch one another; and he who is unable - then the feeding of sixty poor persons. That is for you to believe [completely] in Allah and His Messenger; and those are the limits [set by] Allah. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.
سُورَةُ الأَنفَالِ
Al-Anfaal (The Spoils of War)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
۞ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُم مِّن شَىْءٍۢ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُۥ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ إِن كُنتُمْ ءَامَنتُم بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا يَوْمَ ٱلْفُرْقَانِ يَوْمَ ٱلْتَقَى ٱلْجَمْعَانِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌ
And know that anything you obtain of war booty - then indeed, for Allah is one fifth of it and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives and the orphans, the needy, and the [stranded] traveler, if you have believed in Allah and in that which We sent down to Our Servant on the day of criterion - the day when the two armies met. And Allah, over all things, is competent.
سُورَةُ صٓ
Saad (The letter Saad)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَخُذْ بِيَدِكَ ضِغْثًۭا فَٱضْرِب بِّهِۦ وَلَا تَحْنَثْ ۗ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَٰهُ صَابِرًۭا ۚ نِّعْمَ ٱلْعَبْدُ ۖ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌۭ
[We said], "And take in your hand a bunch [of grass] and strike with it and do not break your oath." Indeed, We found him patient, an excellent servant. Indeed, he was one repeatedly turning back [to Allah].
سُورَةُ يُوسُفَ
Yusuf (Joseph)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
قَالَ مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِ أَن نَّأْخُذَ إِلَّا مَن وَجَدْنَا مَتَٰعَنَا عِندَهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذًۭا لَّظَٰلِمُونَ
He said, "[I seek] the refuge of Allah [to prevent] that we take except him with whom we found our possession. Indeed, we would then be unjust."
Common Words
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About Sahih Muslim
This hadith is #4375 from Sahih Muslim, in the Book of The Book of Lost Property. It is graded Sahih and narrated by Salama b. Kuhail reported:.