"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  

We did such and such. And he would say: Allah and his Messenger spoke the truth. Al-Ashtar said to him: What you say is becoming widespread among the people. Is it something that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ advised you to say? ‘Ali ؓ said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not advise me to say anything to the exclusion of other people, except something I heard from him and it is written in a document in the sheath of my sword. They kept on at him until he took out a document, in which it said: ʿWhoever commits an offence or gives refuge to an offender, upon him be the curse of Allah and the angels and all the people; no nafl or obligatory act of worship will be accepted from him.” And in it was said. Ibraheem declared Makkah to be a sanctuary and I declare Madinah to be a sanctuary; the area between its two lava fields and all of its territory is sacred. Itʿs grasses are not to be cut, and its game is not to be disturbed, and its lost property is not to be picked up except by the one who announces it, and no tree is to be cut in it, except what a man needs to feed his camel. And no weapon is to be carried in it for fighting.ʿ And in it was said: ʿAll the believers are equal in respect of blood [i.e., their lives are of equal value] . The protection offered by the least among them is to be honoured. They should be united as one against their enemies. A believer is not to be killed (in retaliation) for a disbeliever, nor one who has a covenant during the covenant.  

فَيُقَالُ قَدْ فَعَلْنَا كَذَا وَكَذَا فَيَقُولُ صَدَقَ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْأَشْتَرُ إِنَّ هَذَا الَّذِي تَقُولُ قَدْ تَفَشَّغَ فِي النَّاسِ أَفَشَيْءٌ عَهِدَهُ إِلَيْكَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ مَا عَهِدَ إِلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ شَيْئًا خَاصَّةً دُونَ النَّاسِ إِلا شَيْءٌ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ فِي صَحِيفَةٍ فِي قِرَابِ سَيْفِي قَالَ فَلَمْ يَزَالُوا بِهِ حَتَّى أَخْرَجَ الصَّحِيفَةَ قَالَ فَإِذَا فِيهَا مَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللهِ وَالْمَلائِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ لَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ صَرْفٌ وَلا عَدْلٌ قَالَ وَإِذَا فِيهَا إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَرَّمَ مَكَّةَ وَإِنِّي أُحَرِّمُ الْمَدِينَةَ حَرَامٌمَا بَيْنَ حَرَّتَيْهَا وَحِمَاهَا كُلُّهُ لَا يُخْتَلَى خَلاهَا وَلا يُنَفَّرُ صَيْدُهَا وَلا تُلْتَقَطُ لُقَطَتُهَا إِلا لِمَنْ أَشَارَ بِهَا وَلا تُقْطَعُ مِنْهَا شَجَرَةٌ إِلا أَنْ يَعْلِفَ رَجُلٌ بَعِيرَهُ وَلا يُحْمَلُ فِيهَا السِّلاحُ لِقِتَالٍ قَالَ وَإِذَا فِيهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ تَتَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ وَيَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ أَلا لَا يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِنٌ بِكَافِرٍ وَلا 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  

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  

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] 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  

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)   

أَتَيْنَا عَلِيًّا ؓ أَنَا وَجَارِيَةُ بْنُ قُدَامَةَ السَّعْدِيُّ فَقُلْنَا هَلْ مَعَكَ عَهْدٌ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ فَقَالَ لَا إِلَّا مَا فِي قِرَابِ سَيْفِي فَأَخْرَجَ لَنَا مِنْهُ كِتَابًا فَقَرَأَهُ فَإِذَا فِيهِ الْمُسْلِمُونَ تَتَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ وَيَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ أَلَا لَا يُقْتَلُ مُسْلِمٌ بِكَافِرٍ وَلَا ذُو عَهْدٍ فِي عَهْدِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ  

"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 أَبى حَسَّان: أَنَّ عَلِيّا كَان يَأمُرُ بِالأمْرِ وَيُقالُ قد فَعَلْنَا كذَا كَذَا، فَيَقُولُ: صَدَقَ الله وَرَسُولُهُ، فَقيلَ لَهُ: أَشْئٌ عَهِدَهُ إِلَيْكَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ ؟ فَقَالَ: مَا عَهِدَ إِلَى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ شيئًا خَاصَّة دُونَ النَّاسِ إلَّا شَيْئًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ في صَحِيفَة فِى قرَاب سَيْفِى، قَالَ: فَلَمْ يَزَلْ بِهِ حَتَّى أَخْرَجَ الصَّحِيفة، فَإِذا فيهَا: مَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدثًا أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللهِ والْمَلاَئكةِ والنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ، لاَ يَقْبَلُ الله مِنهُ صَرْفًا ولاَ عَدْلًا، وَإذَا فِيهَا: إنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَرَّمَ مَكَّةَ وَإنِّى أُحَرَمُ الْمَدِينَةَ مَا بَيْنَ حَرَّتَيْهَا وَحِمَاهَا، لاَ يُخْتَلَى خَلاَها وَلاَ يُنَفَّرُ صَيْدُها، ولا يُلتَقَطُ لُقَطَتُهَا إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَشَادَ بِهَا وَلاَ يُقْطَعُ شَجَرُهَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَعْلِفَ رَجُلٌ

بَعِيرًا، وَلاَ يُحْمَل فِيهَا السِّلاَحُ لِقِتَالٍ، وَإِذَا فيها: الْمُؤْمِنونَ تَتَكَافَأُ دِماؤهم وَيَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُم، وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهم، أَلاَ لاَ يُقْتَل مُؤْمِنٌ بِكافِرٍ، وَلاَ ذُو عَهْدٍ في عَهْدِهِ".  

"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".  

"عَنْ الْحَسَن قَالَ: اسْتَخْرَجَ عَلِىٌّ كتَابًا مِنْ قِرَابِ سَيْفِهِ فَقَالَ: هَذَا مَا عَهِدَ إِلَىَّ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ فَإِذَا فِيهِ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ نَبْىٌّ إِلَّا كَانَ لَهُ حرم، وَإنِّى حَرَّمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ كَمَا حَرَّمَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ مَكَّةَ، فَلَا يُحْملَنَّ فِيهَا سلَاحٌ لِقِتَالٍ، مَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا فَعَلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَمَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا أَوْ أَوى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ الله وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ، لَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ صَرْفٌ ولَا عَدْلٌ".  

"عن قَيْسِ بْنِ عَبَّادٍ قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَلِىٍّ يَوْمَ الْجَمَلِ فَقُلْتُ: هَل عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ عَهْدًا دُونَ الْعَامَةِ؟ قال: لَا! إِلَّا هَذَا وَأَخْرَجَ مِنْ قُرَابِ سَيْفِهِ صَحِيفَةً فَإِذَا فِيهَا المُؤْمِنُونَ تَتَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ تَسْعَى بَيْنَ أَيْدِيِهمْ وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ، لَا يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِنٌ بِكَافِرٍ، وَلَا ذُو عَهْدٍ فِي عَهْدِهِ".