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Sunan Abi Dawud 1701 (Book 10, Hadith 1) #21993
Honesty and Returning Lost Items

SUMMARY: This hadith is about the importance of being honest and returning lost items to their rightful owners.

Suwayd ibn Ghaflah said: I fought along with Zayd ibn Suhan and Sulayman ibn Rabi'ah. I found a whip. They said to me: Throw it away. I said: No; if I find its owner (I shall give it to him); if not, I shall use it. Then I performed hajj; and when I reached Medina, I asked Ubayy ibn Ka'b. He said: I found a purse which contained one hundred dinars; so I came to the Prophet ﷺ. He said to me: Make the matter known for a year. I made it known for a year and then came to him. He then said to me: Make the matter known for a year. So I made it known for a year. I then (again) came to him. He said to me: Make the matter known for a year. Then I came to him and said: I did not find anyone who realizes it. He said: Remember, its number, its container and its tie. If its owner comes, (give it to him), otherwise use it yourself. He (the narrator Shu'bah) said: I do not know whether he said the word "make the matter known" three times or once.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ سُوَيْدِ بْنِ غَفَلَةَ، قَالَ غَزَوْتُ مَعَ زَيْدِ بْنِ صُوحَانَ وَسَلْمَانَ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ فَوَجَدْتُ سَوْطًا فَقَالاَ لِي اطْرَحْهُ ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ لاَ وَلَكِنْ إِنْ وَجَدْتُ صَاحِبَهُ وَإِلاَّ اسْتَمْتَعْتُ بِهِ فَحَجَجْتُ فَمَرَرْتُ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَسَأَلْتُ أُبَىَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ فَقَالَ وَجَدْتُ صُرَّةً فِيهَا مِائَةُ دِينَارٍ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلاً ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلاً ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ عَرِّفْهَا حَوْلاً ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَعَرَّفْتُهَا حَوْلاً ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لَمْ أَجِدْ مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ احْفَظْ عَدَدَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا وَوِعَاءَهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا وَإِلاَّ فَاسْتَمْتِعْ بِهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ وَلاَ أَدْرِي أَثَلاَثًا قَالَ ‏"‏ عَرِّفْهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ أَوْ مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً
TOPICS
honesty  *  items  *  return

QUICK LESSONS:
Be honest with your possessions even if they are not yours originally; return any lost items you find back to their rightful owners; make sure justice is served properly by doing so; remember details about any item you have found in case someone comes looking for them later on .

EXPLANATIONS:
This hadith speaks to the importance of honesty and returning lost items to their rightful owners. The narrator Suwayd ibn Ghaflah found a whip while fighting alongside Zayd ibn Suhan and Sulayman ibn Rabi'ah. They told him to throw it away but he refused because he wanted to find its owner if possible. He then went on Hajj and when he reached Medina, he asked Ubayy ibn Ka'b what he should do with it. Ubayy advised him to make the matter known for a year in case someone came looking for it. After making the matter known for three years without anyone coming forward, Prophet Muhammad instructed him that if no one comes forward then keep it himself but remember its number, container and tie in case someone does come looking for it later on. This hadith teaches us that we should always be honest with our possessions even if they are not ours originally as well as return any lost items we find back to their rightful owners if possible so that justice can be served properly.

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