ʿAli delivered a sermon saying, "We have no book to read except the Book of Allah and what is written in this paper which contains verdicts regarding (retaliation for) wounds, the ages of the camels (given as Zakat or as blood money) and the fact that Medina is a sanctuary in between Air mountain to so-and-so (mountain). So, whoever innovates in it an heresy or commits a sin or gives shelter in it, to such an innovator will incur the Curse of Allah, the angels and all the people, and none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted. And whoever (freed slave) takes as his master (i.e. befriends) other than his real masters will incur the same (Curse). And the asylum granted by any Muslim is to be secured by all the other Muslims, and whoever betrays a Muslim in this respect will incur the same (Curse).  

مَا عِنْدَنَا كِتَابٌ نَقْرَؤُهُ إِلاَّ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ وَمَا فِي هَذِهِ الصَّحِيفَةِ فَقَالَ فِيهَا الْجِرَاحَاتُ وَأَسْنَانُ الإِبِلِ وَالْمَدِينَةُ حَرَمٌ مَا بَيْنَ عَيْرٍ إِلَى كَذَا فَمَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِيهَا حَدَثًا أَوْ آوَى فِيهَا مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ لاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ صَرْفٌ وَلاَ عَدْلٌ وَمَنْ تَوَلَّى غَيْرَ مَوَالِيهِ فَعَلَيْهِ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ وَذِمَّةُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَاحِدَةٌ فَمَنْ أَخْفَرَ مُسْلِمًا فَعَلَيْهِ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ  

"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  

[Machine] The messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Al-Madina is a sacred place, from this point to this point. Whoever introduces an innovation therein or shelters an innovator, upon him is the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people. Allah does not accept from him any ransom or compensation." Hammad added: "No weapon of war should be carried in it."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ الْمَدِينَةُ حَرَامٌ مِنْ كَذَا إِلَى كَذَا مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِيهَا حَدَثًا أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ لَا يَقْبَلُ اللهُ مِنْهُ صَرْفًا وَلَا عَدْلًا قَالَ حَمَّادٌ وَزَادَ فِيهِ حُمَيْدٌ لَا يُحْمَلُ فِيهَا سِلَاحٌلِقِتَالٍ  

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»  

"عَنِ الْحَرْثِ بْنِ سُوَيد قَالَ: قِيلَ لِعَلِى: إِنَّ رَسُولَ الله ﷺ خَصَّكُمْ دُونَ الناسِ عَامَّة، قَالَ: مَا خَصَّنَا رَسُول الله ﷺ بِشَئ لَمْ يَخُص النَّاسَ، لَيْس (*) شئ فِى قِرَابِ سَيْفِى هَذَا فَأخرجَ صَحِيفَةً فِيهَا شَيءٌ مِنْ أَسْنَانِ الإِبِلِ، وَفِيهَا: إِنَّ الْمَدينةَ

حَرَمٌ مَا بَيْنَ ثَوْر إِلَى عَيْرٍ، فَمَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِيهَا حَدثًا أَوْ أَوَى مُحْدِثًا فَإِن عَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةَ الله وَالملاَئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أجْمَعِينَ، لاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ يَوْمَ الْقيامَةِ صَرْفٌ وَلاَ عَدْلٌ، وَذِمَّةُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَاحِدَةٌ، فَمَنْ أخْفَرَ مُسْلِمًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ الله وَالْملاَئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أجْمَعِينَ، لاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ يَوْمَ الْقيَامَةِ صَرْفٌ وَلاَ عَدْلٌ".  

"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 مرة الهمدانِىِّ قال: قَرَا علينا علىُّ بنُ أبى طالبٍ صَحيفةً قَدْرَ أصْبُعٍ كانت في قرابِ سيفِ رسولِ الله ﷺ وإذا فيها: (إنَّ لِكُلِّ نَبِىٍّ حَرَمًا، وَأنَا أحَرِّم المدينةَ، من أحدثَ فيها حَدثا، أو آوى مُحدِثًا فعليه لعنةُ الله والملائكةِ والناس أجمعين، لا يقبل الله منه صرفًا ولا عدلا) (*) ".  

"عَنِ الحَسَنِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: إِنِّى حَرَّمْتُ المَدِيَنةَ كَمَا حَرَّمَ إِبَراهِيمُ مَكَّةَ لَا يُحْمَلُ فِيهَا سِلَاحٌ لِقِتَالٍ: وَمَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِيهَا حَدَثًا أَوْ آوى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَالمَلائِكَةِ والنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ لَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ صَرْفٌ وَلَا عَدْلٌ".