I went on a military expedition with Zayd bin Sawhan and Salman bin Rabia, and I found a whip and picked it up. They said to me, "Throw it away."I said, "No, but I will announce it. If I find someone who recognizes it, I will return it. Otherwise, I will make use of it."They refused to accept my view, and I refused to accept theirs. When we returned from our expedition, I performed the pilgrimage and came to Medina. I met Ubayy bin Kaab and mentioned to him what they had said and what I had said to them.He said, "I found a purse containing a hundred dinars during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and told him about it.He said, 'Announce it for a year.'So I announced it for a year, but I found no one who recognized it. I came to him and said, 'I have not found anyone who recognizes it.'He said, 'Announce it for a year,' three times. I do not know whether he said that to him over the course of one year or three years.Then in the fourth instance he said to me, 'Take note of its number and its tie. If you find someone who recognizes it, return it. Otherwise, make use of it.'"This is the wording of the hadith of Yahya bin Saeed. Muhammad bin Jafar added in his version, "I met him after that in Mecca, and he said, 'I do not know whether it was three years or one year.'"
حدثنا محمد بن جعفر حدثنا شعبة عن سلمة بن كهيل قال سمعت سويد بن غفلة و حدثنا عبد الله حدثني عبيد الله بن عمر القواريري حدثنا يحيى بن سعيد عن شعبة حدثني سلمة بن كهيل قال سمعت
غزوت مع زيد بن صوحان وسلمان بن ربيعة فوجدت سوطا فأخذته فقالا لي اطرحه فقلت لا ولكن أعرفه فإن وجدت من يعرفه وإلا استمتعت به فأبيا علي وأبيت عليهما فلما رجعنا من غزاتنا حججت فأتيت المدينة فلقيت أبي بن كعب فذكرت له قولهما وقولي لهما فقال وجدت صرة فيها مائة دينار على عهد رسول الله ﷺ فأتيت رسول الله ﷺ فذكرت له ذلك فقال عرفها حولا فعرفتها حولا فلم أجد من يعرفها فأتيته فقلت له لم أجد من يعرفها فقال عرفها حولا ثلاث مرات ولا أدري قال له ذلك في سنة أو في ثلاث سنين فقال لي في الرابعة اعرف عددها ووكاءها فإن وجدت من يعرفها وإلا فاستمتع بها وهذا لفظ حديث يحيى بن سعيد وزاد محمد بن جعفر في حديثه قال فلقيته بعد ذلك بمكة فقال لا أدري ثلاثة أحوال أو حولا واحدا