It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zayd bin Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I or some man asked the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about a lost goat. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is for you, or for the wolf. He said: O Messenger of Allah! What do you say about a lost camel? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: What concern do you have with it? Its water and its shoes are with it, and it will graze from the trees (until its owner finds it). He said: O Messenger of Allah! If I find lost silver, what is your ruling about it? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Know its pouch, its binding, and its number, and announce it for a year. If its owner comes, give it to him; otherwise, it will be yours, or he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: otherwise, benefit from it.

(Second chain) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zayd bin Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) that a Bedouin came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) with a found item. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: Announce it for one year. Then he narrated a report similar to the above-mentioned hadith.

(Third chain) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zaid bin Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about a lost camel, he (peace and blessings be upon him) became angry and his cheeks turned red. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: What do you have to do with it? Along with it are its shoes and its water; it will keep coming to water and grazing from the trees until its owner finds it. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about a lost goat, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Take hold of it, for it will be either for you, or for your brother, or for the wolf. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about some other lost item, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Recognize its pouch and its binding, then announce it for a year; if the owner is found, fine, otherwise include it in your own property.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin Aas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that a man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): O Messenger of Allah! I have come to you to ask about the ruling regarding a lost camel. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Since its shoe and water-bag are with it, it will graze from the trees and drink water until its owner finds it, so leave it. He said: What is the ruling regarding a lost goat? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is for you, or for your brother, or for the wolf, so keep it with you until its seeker comes. He said: What is the ruling regarding a goat that has been stolen from the pasture? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Double its price will be taken and punishment will also be given, and whatever is stolen from the camel enclosure and its price is equal to the price of a shield, then the hand will be cut off for it. He said: O Messenger of Allah! What is the ruling regarding fruit, and also what is the ruling regarding fruit that is eaten from the buds? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever eats it there (in the garden) and does not take it away in his garment, there will be no harm upon him, but whoever takes the fruit away, he will have to pay double its price and will also be punished, but whatever is taken from protected places (like threshing floors) and its price is equal to the price of a shield, then the hand will be cut off for it. He said: O Messenger of Allah! What is the ruling regarding something found lying on the public road? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Announce it for a year, if its searching owner is found, give it to him, otherwise it will become yours. He said: What about something found in an abandoned ancient place? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: In that and in buried treasure, one-fifth is due.

Suwaydin bin Ghaflah says: I participated in a battle with Zayd bin Suhan and Salman bin Rabee’ah. On the way, I found a whip and picked it up, but they told me: Throw away this whip. I said: I will not throw it away, rather I will announce it, and if I find its owner who recognizes it, I will give it to him, otherwise I will use it myself. Both of them refused to accept this, and I also did not agree with them. When we returned from the battle and I went for Hajj, I went to Madinah Munawwarah and met Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) and told him about both of them and myself. He said in response: This is a matter from the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). I once found a pouch containing one hundred dinars. When I went to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and mentioned it to him, he said: Announce it for one year. I did so, but no one was found who recognized the pouch, so I informed the Prophet (peace be upon him) that no one was found. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Announce it for another year. This happened three times. The narrator says: I do not know whether the Prophet (peace be upon him) told him to announce it for one year or for three years. Then, the fourth time, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to me: Remember the number of dinars and the strap of the pouch, and if after that you find someone who recognizes it, give it to him, otherwise benefit from it yourself. These are the words of Yahya bin Sa’eed’s narration. Muhammad bin Ja’far, in his narration, said that Sayyiduna Shu’bah says: After that, I met Salamah bin Kuhayl in Makkah and asked him, and he said: I do not know whether three years are meant or announcing three times in one year is meant.

(Second chain) It is narrated from Hammad bin Salamah that Salamah bin Kuhail narrated his report as follows: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Announce it for two or three years. Then he said: Otherwise, remember the number, the bag, and the strap of that thing and benefit from it. If later its owner comes and recognizes its number and strap, then give it to him.

Narrated from Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: In the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), I picked up one hundred dinars (which someone had lost) and came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Announce it for one year. I announced it for one year and then came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said that I have announced it for one year. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Announce it for another year. So I announced it for another year and then came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said that I have announced it for another year. This time, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Now count them, recognize its strap, and benefit from them.

Narrated from Sayyiduna Zayd bin Khalid al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever keeps a lost item in his house and does not announce it, he is misguided.

It is narrated from Abdullah Bajli, he says: I was at the place of Bawazij with my father, Sayyiduna Abu Jarir (may Allah be pleased with him), when suddenly a cow came out towards the pasture. When he saw this cow and did not recognize it, he said: Where has this cow come from? I said: It has joined our cows, but he ordered that it be driven away, so it was done as such, until it disappeared. Then he narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Only a misguided person gives shelter to a lost animal in his house.

Narrated from Sayyiduna Jarud (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: We were on a journey with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), there was a shortage of mounts, and people were discussing about mounts. I said: O Messenger of Allah! I know how we can get mounts. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: How is that? I said: There are camels in the flowing water area (of Madinah), we can benefit by riding them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: No, a Muslim’s lost property is like a burning flame of fire, so never go near it; a Muslim’s lost property is like a burning flame of fire, so never go near it; a Muslim’s lost property is like a burning flame of fire, so never go near it. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding a fallen item: When you find a lost item, be sure to announce it and do not hide it nor conceal it; if it is recognized, return it to the concerned person, otherwise it is the property of Allah Almighty, He gives it to whomever He wills.