If A Man Sells An Item And A Third Party Has More Right To It

Usaid bin Hudair bin Simak narrated that:

the Messenger of Allah ruled that if a man found (his goods) in the possession of a man who was not guilty, then if he wished he could give the man what he had paid for it, or if he wished he could go after the one who had stolen it. Abu Bakr and 'Umar passed similar judgments.

أَخْبَرَنِي هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أُسَيْدُ بْنُ حُضَيْرِ بْنِ سِمَاكٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَضَى أَنَّهُ إِذَا وَجَدَهَا فِي يَدِ الرَّجُلِ غَيْرِ الْمُتَّهَمِ فَإِنْ شَاءَ أَخَذَهَا بِمَا اشْتَرَاهَا وَإِنْ شَاءَ اتَّبَعَ سَارِقَهُ وَقَضَى بِذَلِكَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ .

Usaid bin Zubair Al-Ansari, who was one of Banu Harithah narrated that:

there was the governor of Al-Yamamah, and Marwan wrote to him saying that Mu'awiyah had written to him, saying that any man who had something stolen from him had more right to it wherever he found it. Then Marwan wrote saying that to me (Usaid). I wrote to Marwan saying that the Prophet had ruled that if the one who bought it from the one who stole it is ot guilty of anything (and did not realize that it was stolen goods), then the owner has the choice: If he wishes, he may buy it from the one who bought it from the thief, or if he wishes he may go after the thief. Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman also passed judgment along these lines. Marwan sent my letter to Mu'awiyah, and Mu'awiyah wrote to Marwan (saying): 'Neither you nor Usaid are in a position to tell me what to do, rather I am the one who tells you what to do because I am superior in rank to you, so do what I tell you.' Marwan sent the letter of Mu'awiyah to me, and I said: I will not judge according to Mu'awiyah's opinion as long as I am the governor."'

أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ ذُؤَيْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، وَلَقَدْ، أَخْبَرَنِي عِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، أَنَّ أُسَيْدَ بْنَ حُضَيْرٍ الأَنْصَارِيَّ، ثُمَّ أَحَدَ بَنِي حَارِثَةَ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، كَانَ عَامِلاً عَلَى الْيَمَامَةِ وَأَنَّ مَرْوَانَ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّ أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ سُرِقَ مِنْهُ سَرِقَةٌ فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا حَيْثُ وَجَدَهَا . ثُمَّ كَتَبَ بِذَلِكَ مَرْوَانُ إِلَىَّ فَكَتَبْتُ إِلَى مَرْوَانَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَضَى بِأَنَّهُ إِذَا كَانَ الَّذِي ابْتَاعَهَا مِنَ الَّذِي سَرَقَهَا غَيْرُ مُتَّهَمٍ يُخَيَّرُ سَيِّدُهَا فَإِنْ شَاءَ أَخَذَ الَّذِي سُرِقَ مِنْهُ بِثَمَنِهَا وَإِنْ شَاءَ اتَّبَعَ سَارِقَهُ ثُمَّ قَضَى بِذَلِكَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَعُثْمَانُ فَبَعَثَ مَرْوَانُ بِكِتَابِي إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ وَكَتَبَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَى مَرْوَانَ إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ أَنْتَ وَلاَ أُسَيْدٌ تَقْضِيَانِ عَلَىَّ وَلَكِنِّي أَقْضِي فِيمَا وُلِّيتُ عَلَيْكُمَا فَأَنْفِذْ لِمَا أَمَرْتُكَ بِهِ . فَبَعَثَ مَرْوَانُ بِكِتَابِ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَقُلْتُ لاَ أَقْضِي بِهِ مَا وُلِّيتُ بِمَا قَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ .

It was narrated from Sammurah that the Messenger of Allah said:

"A man has more right to his own wealth when he finds it, and the buyer should pursue the one who sold it to him."

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَوْنٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ السَّائِبِ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ سَمُرَةَ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " الرَّجُلُ أَحَقُّ بِعَيْنِ مَالِهِ إِذَا وَجَدَهُ وَيَتْبَعُ الْبَائِعُ مَنْ بَاعَهُ " .