Abu Shuraih, Al-ʿAdawi said that he had said to ʿAmr bin Saʿid when he was sending the troops to Mecca (to fight ʿAbdullah bin Az-Zubair), "O Chief! Allow me to tell you what Messenger of Allah ﷺ said on the day following the Conquest of Mecca. My ears heard that and my heart understood it thoroughly and I saw with my own eyes the Prophet ﷺ when he, after Glorifying and Praising Allah, started saying, 'Allah, not the people, made Mecca a sanctuary, so anybody who has belief in Allah and the Last Day should neither shed blood in it, nor should he cut down its trees. If anybody tells (argues) that fighting in it is permissible on the basis that Messenger of Allah ﷺ did fight in Mecca, say to him, 'Allah allowed His Apostle and did not allow you.' "Allah allowed me only for a few hours on that day (of the conquest) and today its sanctity is valid as it was before. So, those who are present should inform those who are absent (concerning this fact." Abu Shuraih was asked, "What did ʿAmr reply?" He said, (ʿAmr said) 'O Abu Shuraih! I know better than you in this respect Mecca does not give protection to a sinner, a murderer or a thief."
أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِعَمْرِو بْنِ سَعِيدٍ وَهُوَ يَبْعَثُ الْبُعُوثَ إِلَى مَكَّةَ ائْذَنْ لِي أَيُّهَا الأَمِيرُ أُحَدِّثْكَ قَوْلاً قَامَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِلْغَدِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْفَتْحِ فَسَمِعَتْهُ أُذُنَاىَ وَوَعَاهُ قَلْبِي وَأَبْصَرَتْهُ عَيْنَاىَ حِينَ تَكَلَّمَ بِهِ إِنَّهُ حَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ مَكَّةَ حَرَّمَهَا اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُحَرِّمْهَا النَّاسُ فَلاَ يَحِلُّ لاِمْرِئٍ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ أَنْ يَسْفِكَ بِهَا دَمًا وَلاَ يَعْضُدَ بِهَا شَجَرَةً فَإِنْ أَحَدٌ تَرَخَّصَ لِقِتَالِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُولُوا لَهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَذِنَ لِرَسُولِهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يَأْذَنْ لَكُمْ وَإِنَّمَا أَذِنَ لِي سَاعَةً مِنْ نَهَارٍ وَقَدْ عَادَتْ حُرْمَتُهَا الْيَوْمَ كَحُرْمَتِهَا بِالأَمْسِ وَلْيُبَلِّغِ الشَّاهِدُ الْغَائِبَ فَقِيلَ لأَبِي شُرَيْحٍ مَا قَالَ لَكَ عَمْرٌو قَالَ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِذَلِكَ مِنْكَ يَا أَبَا شُرَيْحٍ إِنَّ الْحَرَمَ لاَ يُعِيذُ عَاصِيًا وَلاَ فَارًّا بِدَمٍ وَلاَ فَارًّا بِخَرْبَةٍ خَرْبَةٌ بَلِيَّةٌ