Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

It is narrated from Hazrat Sha’bi (may Allah have mercy on him) that a man’s camel was lost. He found his camel with another person who was feeding and watering it, and had fattened it by giving it fodder. Both of them took their dispute to Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him), who was then the governor of Madinah Munawwarah. He gave the verdict in favor of the owner of the camel, and made it obligatory for him to pay the expenses incurred on it. Hazrat Sha’bi (may Allah have mercy on him) says that this decision did not surprise me. Then he said that the man should take his camel; there is no expense or anything else upon it.

Hazrat Saeed bin Al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I saw Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) had made an enclosure for lost camels, in which they were given fodder. They were neither fattened excessively nor made too lean. All expenses were borne by the public treasury (Bayt al-Mal). The camels would raise their necks and look around. If someone presented witnesses for a camel, he would be given it; otherwise, the camels would remain in the enclosure in the same condition. They were not sold. Hazrat Saeed bin Al-Musayyib used to say that if I were made the leader of the Muslims, I would do the same.