Narrator:’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b
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 صلى الله عليه وسلم 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
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 realises 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.
Reported by Abu Dawud (No. 1701), Al-Bukhari (No. 2426, 2437), Muslim (No. 1723a) and Ahmad (No. 20230).