2/25. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 473 — Lost Item Announcements in the Mosque
Announcing Lost Items In The Masjid Is Disliked
Hadith About Announcing Lost Items in the Mosque
Sunan Abi Dawud : 473
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 473
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْجُشَمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَيْوَةُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ شُرَيْحٍ - قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الأَسْوَدِ، - يَعْنِي مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ نَوْفَلٍ - يَقُولُ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، مَوْلَى شَدَّادٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " مَنْ سَمِعَ رَجُلاً يَنْشُدُ ضَالَّةً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَلْيَقُلْ لاَ أَدَّاهَا اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ فَإِنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لَمْ تُبْنَ لِهَذَا " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying; if anyone hears a man crying out in the mosque about something he has lost, he should say: May Allah not restore it to you, for the mosque were not built for this.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 473In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 83English translation : Book 2, Hadith 473
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 473
This hadith about lost item announcements in the mosque gives a firm lesson about the purpose of masjids. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that if someone hears a man crying out in the mosque about something he has lost, he should say, “May Allah not restore it to you,” because mosques were not built for this. The wording is strong, so the explanation must stay close to the text. The mosque is not treated here like a marketplace or public notice board. It is a place made for worship and the remembrance of Allah. Search terms like “lost property in mosque hadith” and “mosques were not built for this hadith” match this narration exactly.
What we learn from this hadith
- The mosque should not be used for crying out about lost property.
- The hadith says mosques were not built for that purpose.
- A worship space should be protected from distracting announcements.
- The narration teaches respect for the main purpose of the mosque.
