"Al-Ashtar and I went to 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and said: Did the Prophet of Allah tell you anything that he did not tell to all the people?' He said: 'No, except what is in this letter of mine.' He brought out a letter from the sheath of his sword and it said therein: "The lives of the believers are equal in value, and they are one against others, and they hasten to support the asylum granted by the least of them. But no believer may be killed in return for a disbeliever, nor one with a covenant while his convenant is in effect. Whoever commits an offense then the blame is on himself, and whoever gives sanctuary to an offender, then upon him will be the curse of Allah, the angels and all the people."  

انْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَالأَشْتَرُ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ ؓ فَقُلْنَا هَلْ عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَعْهَدْهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ عَامَّةً قَالَ لاَ إِلاَّ مَا كَانَ فِي كِتَابِي هَذَا فَأَخْرَجَ كِتَابًا مِنْ قِرَابِ سَيْفِهِ فَإِذَا فِيهِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ تَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ وَيَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ أَلاَ لاَ يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِنٌ بِكَافِرٍ وَلاَ ذُو عَهْدٍ بِعَهْدِهِ مَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا فَعَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ  

I and Ashtar went to Ali and said to him: Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ give you any instruction about anything for which he did not give any instruction to the people in general? He said: No, except what is contained in this document of mine. Musaddad said: He then took out a document. Ahmad said: A document from the sheath of his sword. It contained: The lives of all Muslims are equal; they are one hand against others; the lowliest of them can guarantee their protection. Beware, a Muslim must not be killed for an infidel, nor must one who has been given a covenant be killed while his covenant holds. If anyone introduces an innovation, he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by all the people. Musaddad said: Ibn AbuUrubah's version has: He took out a document.  

انْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَالأَشْتَرُ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فَقُلْنَا هَلْ عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَعْهَدْهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ عَامَّةً قَالَ لاَ إِلاَّ مَا فِي كِتَابِي هَذَا قَالَ مُسَدَّدٌ قَالَ فَأَخْرَجَ كِتَابًا وَقَالَ أَحْمَدُ كِتَابًا مِنْ قِرَابِ سَيْفِهِ فَإِذَا فِيهِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ تَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ وَيَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ أَلاَ لاَ يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِنٌ بِكَافِرٍ وَلاَ ذُو عَهْدٍ فِي عَهْدِهِ مَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا فَعَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ قَالَ مُسَدَّدٌ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ فَأَخْرَجَ كِتَابًا  

I set out with al-Ashtar to go to ‘Ali ؓ . We said: Did the Prophet of Allah ﷺ tell you something that he did not tell to all the people? He said: No, except what is in this document. He [the narrator] said: A document in the sheath of this sword. In it was said: “The believers are equal in respect of blood and they are one against their enemies; protection given even by the least among them is to be honoured, but no believer is to be killed (in retaliation) for a disbeliever and no one who has a covenant is to be killed during the covenant. Whoever commits an offence or gives refuge to an offender, upon him be the curse of Allah, the angels and all the people.ʿ  

انْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَالْأَشْتَرُ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَقُلْنَا هَلْ عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَعْهَدْهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ عَامَّةً؟ قَالَ لَا إِلا مَا فِي كِتَابِي هَذَا قَالَ وَكِتَابٌ فِي قِرَابِ سَيْفِهِ فَإِذَا فِيهِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ تَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ وَيَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ أَلا لَا يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِنٌ بِكَافِرٍ وَلا ذُو عَهْدٍ فِي عَهْدِهِ مَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللهِ وَالْمَلائِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ  

[Machine] "I entered along with Al-Ishtr (Abu Bakr) to Ali ibn Abi Talib on the day of the Camel (battle). I asked him, 'Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ make a specific covenant with you, separate from the public?' He replied, 'No, he only made this covenant,' and he pulled out a piece of paper from his sheath, on which it was written, 'The believers are united in their blood, and their defense is sought by the weakest among them. They have a hand against anyone other than them; a believer should not be killed in retaliation for an unbeliever or someone who has a covenant with him.'"  

دَخَلْتُ أَنَا وَالْأَشْتَرُ عَلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ يَوْمَ الْجَمَلِ فَقُلْتُ هَلْ عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَهْدًا دُونَ الْعَامَّةِ؟ فَقَالَ لَا إِلَّا هَذَا وَأَخْرَجَ مِنْ قِرَابِ سَيْفِهِ فَإِذَا فِيهَا «الْمُؤْمِنُونَ تَتَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ وَيَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ لَا يُقْتَلْ مُؤْمِنٌ بِكَافِرٍ وَلَا ذُو عَهْدٍ فِي عَهْدِهِ»  

I set out with al-Ashtar to go to ‘Ali ؓ . We said: Did the Prophet of Allah ﷺ tell you something that he did not tell to all the people? He said: No, except what is in this document. He [the narrator] said: A document in the sheath of this sword. In it was said: “The believers are equal in respect of blood and they are one against their enemies; protection given even by the least among them is to be honoured, but no believer is to be killed (in retaliation) for a disbeliever and no one who has a covenant is to be killed during the covenant. Whoever commits an offence or gives refuge to an offender, upon him be the curse of Allah, the angels and all the people.ʿ (Using translation from Aḥmad 993)  

انْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَالْأَشْتَرُ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَقُلْنَا هَلْ عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَعْهَدْهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ عَامَّةً؟ قَالَ لَا إِلَّا مَا كَانَ فِي كِتَابِي هَذَا فَأَخْرَجَ كِتَابًا مِنْ قِرَابِ سَيْفِهِ فَإِذَا فِيهِ «الْمُؤْمِنُونَ تَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ وَيَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ أَلَا لَا يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِنٌ بِكَافِرٍ وَلَا ذُو عَهْدٍ فِي عَهْدِهِ مَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا فَعَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ»  

[Machine] He said to Ali, "Indeed, people have become engrossed in what they hear. So, if the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entrusted you with a trust, then tell us about it." He replied, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not entrust me with a trust that he did not entrust to the people, except that he had a document in the sheath of his sword." He said, "Then, in it [the document], is that Ibrahim sanctified Mecca, and I sanctify Medina. Indeed, whatever is between its two sanctities is sacred. No tree is to be cut from it except for the feeding of a camel, and no weapon is to be carried in it for fighting. Whoever introduces something new or shelters someone who does, upon him is the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people. His expenditure shall not be accepted, and his testimony shall not be accepted. The believers are equal in their blood. The most honorable of them is he who fulfills his responsibility. They are allies against whoever is not one of them. A believer is not to be killed in retaliation for a disbeliever, nor is one bound by a covenant to be killed in his covenant."  

أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِعَلِيٍّ «إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ تَفَشَّغَ فِيهِمْ مَا يَسْمَعُونَ فَإِنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قَدْ عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ عَهْدًا فَحَدِّثْنَا بِهِ» قَالَ «مَا عَهِدَ إِلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ عَهْدًا لَمْ يَعْهَدْهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ غَيْرَ أَنَّ فِي قِرَابِ سَيْفِي صَحِيفَةً» قَالَ «فَإِذَا فِيهَا إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَرَّمَ مَكَّةَ وَأَنَا أُحَرِّمُ الْمَدِينَةَ وَإِنَّهَا حَرَامٌ مَا بَيْنَ حَرَّتَيْهَا لَا يُقْطَعُ مِنْهَا شَجَرَةٌ إِلَّا لِعَلَفِ بَعِيرٍ وَلَا يُحْمَلُ فِيهَا سِلَاحٌ لِقِتَالٍ وَمَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا فَعَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ لَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ صَرْفٌ وَلَا عَدْلٌ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ تَتَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ يَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ لَا يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِنٌ بِكَافِرٍ وَلَا ذُو عَهْدٍ فِي عَهْدِهِ»  

I set out with al-Ashtar to go to ‘Ali ؓ . We said: Did the Prophet of Allah ﷺ tell you something that he did not tell to all the people? He said: No, except what is in this document. He [the narrator] said: A document in the sheath of this sword. In it was said: “The believers are equal in respect of blood and they are one against their enemies; protection given even by the least among them is to be honoured, but no believer is to be killed (in retaliation) for a disbeliever and no one who has a covenant is to be killed during the covenant. Whoever commits an offence or gives refuge to an offender, upon him be the curse of Allah, the angels and all the people.ʿ (Using translation from Aḥmad 993)  

انْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَالْأَشْتَرُ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَقُلْنَا هَلْ عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَعْهَدْهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ عَامَّةً؟ قَالَ «لَا إِلَّا مَا كَانَ فِي كِتَابِي هَذَا فَأَخْرَجَ كِتَابًا مِنْ قِرَابِ سَيْفِهِ» فَإِذَا فِيهِ «الْمُؤْمِنُونَ تَتَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ وَيَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ أَلَا لَا يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِنٌ بِكَافِرٍ وَلَا ذُو عَهْدٍ فِي عَهْدِهِ وَمَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا فَعَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ»  

[Machine] I entered with Ashtar to Ali ibn Abi Talib on the Day of the Camel, and I said, "Did the Messenger of Allah make a covenant with you separate from the general one?" He said, "No, except for this." Then he pulled out his sword from its sheath, and there were the believers on it, [promising that] their blood would be rewarded, their rights protected, and they would have authority over those other than them. A believer should not be killed by a disbeliever, nor should someone with a covenant be killed during his covenant.  

دَخَلْتُ أَنَا وَالْأَشْتَرُ عَلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ؓ يَوْمَ الْجَمَلِ فَقُلْتُ هَلْ عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ عَهْدًا دُونَ الْعَامَّةِ؟ فَقَالَ لَا إِلَّا هَذَا وَأَخْرَجَ مِنْ قِرَابِ سَيْفِهِ فَإِذَا فِيهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ تَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ يَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ لَا يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِنٌ بِكَافِرٍ وَلَا ذُو عَهْدٍ فِي عَهْدِهِ  

"المؤمِنون تَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهم، وهم يَدٌ على مَنْ سِواهم، ويَسْعى بذِمَّتِهم أدْنَاهُم، أَلا لا يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِنٌ بكافرٍ، ولا ذو عَهْدِ في عَهْدِهِ، مَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدثًا فَعَلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَمنْ أحْدَثَ حَدثًا أو آوَى مُحْدِثًا فعَلَيهِ لَعْنةُ اللهِ والمَلائِكَةِ والنَّاسِ أَجَمَعِينَ" .  

"عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ عَبَّادٍ قَالَ: انْطَلقْتُ أَنَا وَالأشْتَرُ إِلَى على فَقُلنَا: هَلْ عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَعْهَدْهُ إِلَى الناسِ عَامَةً؟ فَالَ: لاَ. إِلا مَا فِى كِتَابى هَذَا فَأخْرجَ كِتَابا مِنْ قِرَابِ سَيْفِهِ، فَإِذَا فِيهِ "المُؤْمِنُونَ تَتَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤهُمْ، وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ، وَيَسْعَى بِذِمتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ، أَلاَ لاَ يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِن بِكَافِرٍ، وَلاَ ذُو عَهْدٍ فِى عَهْدِهِ، مَنْ أحْدَثَ حَدَثا فَعَلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَمَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدثًا، أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا فَعَليْهِ لَعْنَةُ الله وَالمَلائِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أجْمَعِينَ، لاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ صَرْف وَلاَ عَدْلٌ".