أَخْبَرَنِي هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ عَنْ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ عَنْ عِکْرِمَةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أُسَيْدُ بْنُ حُضَيْرِ بْنِ سِمَاکٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَضَی أَنَّهُ إِذَا وَجَدَهَا فِي يَدِ الرَّجُلِ غَيْرِ الْمُتَّهَمِ فَإِنْ شَائَ أَخَذَهَا بِمَا اشْتَرَاهَا وَإِنْ شَائَ اتَّبَعَ سَارِقَهُ وَقَضَی بِذَلِکَ أَبُو بَکْرٍ وَعُمَرُ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 4694
Usaid bin Hudair bin Simak narrated that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم ruled that if a man found (his goods) in the possession of a man who was not guilty, then if he wished he could give the man what he had paid for it, or if he wished he could go after the one who had stolen it. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar passed similar judgments. (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020