حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ و حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ سَمِعْتُ سُوَيْدَ بْنَ غَفَلَةَ قَالَ لَقِيتُ أُبَيَّ بْنَ کَعْبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ أَخَذْتُ صُرَّةً مِائَةَ دِينَارٍ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلًا فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلًا فَلَمْ أَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلًا فَعَرَّفْتُهَا فَلَمْ أَجِدْ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ ثَلَاثًا فَقَالَ احْفَظْ وِعَائَهَا وَعَدَدَهَا وَوِکَائَهَا فَإِنْ جَائَ صَاحِبُهَا وَإِلَّا فَاسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا فَاسْتَمْتَعْتُ فَلَقِيتُهُ بَعْدُ بِمَکَّةَ فَقَالَ لَا أَدْرِي ثَلَاثَةَ أَحْوَالٍ أَوْ حَوْلًا وَاحِدًا
صحیح بخاری · 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 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.' "
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020