Lost Things Picked up by Someone

Owner's proof

Hadith # 2426

Narrated Ubai bin Ka`b:

I found a purse containing one hundred Diners. So I went to the Prophet (and informed him about it), he said, "Make public announcement about it for one year" I did so, but nobody turned up to claim it, so I again went to the Prophet (ﷺ) who said, "Make public announcement for another year." I did, but none turned up to claim it. I went to him for the third time and he said, "Keep the container and the string which is used for its tying and count the money it contains and if its owner comes, give it to him; otherwise, utilize it."

The sub-narrator Salama said, "I met him Suwaid, another sub-narrator in Mecca and he said, 'I don't know whether Ubai made the announcement for three years or just one year.' "

Lost camels

Hadith # 2427

Narrated Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani:

A bedouin went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked him about picking up a lost thing. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Make public announcement about it for one year. Remember the description of its container and the string with which it is tied; and if somebody comes and claims it and describes it correctly, (give it to him); otherwise, utilize it."

He said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What about a lost sheep?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is for you, for your brother (i.e. its owner), or for the wolf."

He further asked, "What about a lost camel?" On that the face of the Prophet (ﷺ) became red (with anger) and said, "You have nothing to do with it, as it has its feet, its water reserve and can reach places of water and drink, and eat trees."

Lost sheep

Hadith # 2428

Narrated Sulaiman bin Bilal from Yahya:

Yazid Maula Al-Munba'ith heard Zaid bin Khalid al-Juham saying, "The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about Luqata. He said, 'Remember the description of its container and the string it is tied with, and announce it publicly for one year.' "

Yazid added, "If nobody claims then the person who has found it can spend it, and it is regarded as a trust entrusted to him."

Yahya said, "I do not know whether the last sentences were said by the Prophet (ﷺ) or by Yazid."

Zaid further said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked, 'What about a lost sheep?' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Take it, for it is for you or for your brother (i.e. its owner) or for the wolf."

Yazid added that it should also be announced publicly.

The man then asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about a lost camel. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Leave it, as it has its feet, water container (reservoir), and it will reach a place of water and eat trees till its owner finds it."

Hadith # 2429

Narrated Zaid bin Khalid:

A man came and asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about picking a lost thing. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Remember the description of its container and the string it is tied with, and make public announcement about it for one year. If the owner shows up, give it to him; otherwise, do whatever you like with it." He then asked, "What about a lost sheep?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is for you, for your brother (i.e. its owner), or for the wolf." He further asked, "What about a lost camel?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is none of your concern. It has its water-container (reservoir) and its feet, and it will reach water and drink it and eat the trees till its owner finds it."

If someone finds a thing in the sea

Hadith # 2430

Narrated 'Abdur-Rahman bin Hurmuz:

Abu Hurairah said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) mentioned an Israeli man."

Abu Hurairah then told the whole narration. At the end of the narration it was mentioned that the creditor went out to the sea, hoping that a boat might have brought his money. Suddenly he saw a piece of wood and he took it to his house to use as firewood. When he sawed it, he found his money and a letter in it.

See hadith No. 2291 for details

If somebody finds a date on the way

Hadith # 2431

Narrated Anas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) passed a date fallen on the way and said, "Were I not afraid that it may be from a Sadaqa (charitable gifts), I would have eaten it."

Hadith # 2432

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Sometimes when I return home and find a date fallen on my bed, I pick it up in order to eat it, but I fear that it might be from a Sadaqa, so I throw it."

How the Luqata at Makkah is to be announced

Hadith # 2433

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas (ra):

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) also said, "It (i.e., Makkah's) thorny bushes should not be uprooted and its game should not be chased, and picking up its fallen things is illegal except by him who makes public announcement about it, and its grass should not be cut."

'Abbas said, "O Allah's Messenger ! Except Idhkhir (a kind of grass)." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Except Idhkhir ."

Hadith # 2434

Narrated Abu Huraira:

When Allah gave victory to His Apostle over the people of Mecca, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood up among the people and after glorifying Allah, said,

"Allah has prohibited fighting in Mecca and has given authority to His Apostle and the believers over it, so fighting was illegal for anyone before me, and was made legal for me for a part of a day, and it will not be legal for anyone after me. Its game should not be chased, its thorny bushes should not be uprooted, and picking up its fallen things is not allowed except for one who makes public announcement for it, and he whose relative is murdered has the option either to accept a compensation for it or to retaliate."

Al-`Abbas said, "Except Idhkhir , for we use it in our graves and houses." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Except Idhkhir ."

Abu Shah, a Yemenite, stood up and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Get it written for me." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Write it for Abu Shah."

The sub-narrator asked Al-Auza'i: What did he mean by saying, "Get it written, O Allah's Apostle?" He replied, "The speech which he had heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ."

No animal may be milked without the permission of its owner

Hadith # 2435

Narrated Ibn `Umar:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said,

"An animal should not be milked without the permission of its owner. Does any of you like that somebody comes to his store and breaks his container and takes away his food? The udders of the animals are the stores of their owners where their provision is kept, so nobody should milk the animals of somebody else, without the permission of its owner."

If the owner of lost property comes back after a year

Hadith # 2436

Narrated Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani:

A man asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about the Luqata. He said, "Make public announcement of it for one year, then remember the description of its container and the string it is tied with, utilize the money, and if its owner comes back after that, give it to him."

The people asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What about a lost sheep?"

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Take it, for it is for you, for your brother, or for the wolf."

The man asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What about a lost camel?"

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got angry and his cheeks or face became red, and said, "You have no concern with it as it has its feet, and its watercontainer, till its owner finds it."

Should one pick up a fallen thing?

Hadith # 2437

Narrated Suwaid bin Ghafala:

While I as in the company of Salman bin Rabi`a and Suhan, in one of the holy battles, I found a whip. One of them told me to drop it but I refused to do so and said that I would give it to its owner if I found him, otherwise I would utilize it.

On our return we performed Hajj and on passing by Medina, I asked Ubai bin Ka`b about it. He said, "I found a bag containing a hundred Dinars in the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) and took it to the Prophet (ﷺ) who said to me, 'Make public announcement about it for one year.' So, I announced it for one year and went to the Prophet (ﷺ) who said, 'Announce it publicly for another year.' So, I announced it for another year. I went to him again and he said, "Announce for an other year." So I announced for still another year.

I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) for the fourth time, and he said, 'Remember the amount of money, the description of its container and the string it is tied with, and if the owner comes, give it to him; otherwise, utilize it.' "

Hadith # 2437b

Narrated Salama:

Ubai bin Ka`b: adding, "I met the sub-narrator at Mecca later on, but he did not remember whether Ka`b had announced what he had found one year or three years."

Whoever announced the Luqata in public

Hadith # 2438

Narrated Zaid bin Khalid:

A bedouin asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the Luqata. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Make public announcement about it for one year and if then somebody comes and describes the container of the Luqata and the string it was tied with, (give it to him); otherwise, spend it."

He then asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about a lost camel. The face of the Prophet (ﷺ) become red and he said,

"You have o concern with it as it has its water reservoir and feet and it will reach water and drink and eat trees. Leave it till its owner finds it."

He then asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about a lost sheep. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is for you, for your brother, or for the wolf."

Hadith # 2439

Narrated Abu Bakr:

While I was on my way, all of a sudden I saw a shepherd driving his sheep, I asked him whose servant he was. He replied that he was the servant of a man from Quraish, and then he mentioned his name and I recognized him.

I asked, "Do your sheep have some milk?" He replied in the affirmative. I said, "Are you going to milk for me?" He replied in the affirmative. I ordered him and he tied the legs of one of the sheep. Then I told him to clean the udder (teats) of dust and to remove dust off his hands. He removed the dust off his hands by clapping his hands. He then milked a little milk.

 I put the milk for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in a pot and closed its mouth with a piece of cloth and poured water over it till it became cold. I took it to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "Drink, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" He drank it till I was pleased.