He was serving as governor over Yamamah, and Marwan wrote to him that Muawiya had written to him saying that if anything is stolen from a man, he has the better right to it by paying its price wherever he finds it.He said, "So I wrote back to Marwan that the Prophet ﷺ had ruled, 'If the person who purchased it from the thief is not himself under suspicion, then the owner is given a choice. If he wishes, he may take back what was stolen from him by paying its price, and if he wishes, he may pursue the thief instead.'"He added that Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman, may Allah the Exalted be pleased with them, all ruled in the same way.
حدثنا عبد الرزاق حدثنا ابن جريج قال سألت عطاء فذكر مثله قال سمعت أنه يقال خذ مالك حيث وجدته ولقد أخبرني عكرمة بن خالد أن أسيد بن حضير الأنصاري ثم أحد بني حارثة أخبره أنه كان عاملا على اليمامة فذكر معناه