Chapter on Lost Property and Stray Animals
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 3|Book 2|Chapter 30
وَ رَوَى اَلْحَجَّالُ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ أَبِي يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ إِنِّي قَدْ أَصَبْتُ مَالاً وَ إِنِّي قَدْ خِفْتُ فِيهِ عَلَى نَفْسِي فَلَوْ أَصَبْتُ صَاحِبَهُ دَفَعْتُهُ إِلَيْهِ وَ تَخَلَّصْتُ مِنْهُ قَالَ لَهُ "فَوَ اَللَّهِ لَوْ أَصَبْتَهُ كُنْتَ تَدْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ" قَالَ إِي وَ اَللَّهِ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ "فَلاَ وَ اَللَّهِ مَا لَهُ صَاحِبٌ غَيْرِي" قَالَ وَ اِسْتَحْلَفَهُ أَنْ يَدْفَعَ إِلَى مَنْ يَأْمُرُهُ قَالَ فَحَلَفَ قَالَ "اِذْهَبْ فَاقْسِمْهُ فِي إِخْوَانِكَ وَ لَكَ اَلْأَمَانُ فِيمَا خِفْتَ" قَالَ فَقَسَمَهُ بَيْنَ إِخْوَانِهِ.
Al-Hajjal narrated from Dawud ibn Abi Yazid, from Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, who said: A man said to Imam عليه السلام: "I have come across some wealth, and I fear for my safety because of it. If I were to find its owner, I would return it to him and be free from it." Imam عليه السلام said to him, "By Allah سبحانه وتعالى, if you were to find its owner, would you truly return it to him?" The man replied: "Yes, by Allah سبحانه وتعالى." Imam عليه السلام then said: "By Allah سبحانه وتعالى, it has no owner other than me." Imam عليه السلام then made the man swear to distribute it as Imam عليه السلام instructed. The man swore, and Imam عليه السلام said: "Go and distribute it among your brothers, and you are safe from what you feared." So, the man divided it among his brothers.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh