A man who takes a runaway slave who then runs away from him

A man undertook for a fee to catch a runaway slave and caught him in order to return him to his master, but the slave ran away from him as well. The two came disputing before Shurayh, and he held the man liable. When news of this judgment reached Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: The judge has erred; he should have made him swear that the slave ran away from him, and there is no liability upon him.

Al-Sha'bi (may Allah have mercy on him) said that if a person catches a runaway slave in order to return him and the slave runs away from him as well, nothing is due from him.

Al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said that nothing is due from him.

It is narrated from Shurayh (may Allah have mercy on him) that a man caught a runaway slave, and the slave ran away from him as well. The slave's master came, and the case of the two came before Shurayh. He said: The slave had already run away from you before this, so nothing is due from him.

Ibn Jurayj (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Ibn Abi Mulaykah said to him: If the runaway slave runs away from him as well, nothing is due from him.

Qatadah, Abu Hashim and Mansur (may Allah have mercy on them) said that if the runaway slave also runs away from the one who caught him, nothing is due from him.