'Ali b. Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with him) addressed us and said: He who thought that we have besides the Holy Qur'an anything else that we recite, he told a lie. And this document which is hanging by the sheath of the sword contains but the ages of the camels, and the nature of the wounds. He (Hadrat 'Ali) reported Allah's Apostle ﷺ as saying: Medina is sacred from 'Air to Thaur; So if anyone makes an innovation or accommodates an innovator, the curse of Allah, the angels, and all persons will fall upon him, and Allah will not accept any obligatory or supererogatory act as recompense from them. And the protection granted by the Muslims is one and must be respected by the humblest of them. If anyone makes a false claim to paternity, or being a client of other than his own masters, there is upon him the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people. Allah will not accept from him any recompense in the form of obligatory acts or supererogatory acts. The hadith transmitted on the authority of Abu Bakr and Zabair ends with (these words): The humblest among them should respect it; and what follows after it is not mentioned there, and in the hadith transmitted by them (these words are) not found: (The document was hanging) on the sheath of his sword.  

خَطَبَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ فَقَالَ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ عِنْدَنَا شَيْئًا نَقْرَأُهُ إِلاَّ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَهَذِهِ الصَّحِيفَةَ قَالَ وَصِحِيفَةٌ مُعَلَّقَةٌ فِي قِرَابِ سَيْفِهِ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ فِيهَا أَسْنَانُ الإِبِلِ وَأَشْيَاءُ مِنَ الْجِرَاحَاتِ وَفِيهَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةُ حَرَمٌ مَا بَيْنَ عَيْرٍ إِلَى ثَوْرٍ فَمَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِيهَا حَدَثًا أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ لاَ يَقْبَلُ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ صَرْفًا وَلاَ عَدْلاً وَذِمَّةُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَاحِدَةٌ يَسْعَى بِهَا أَدْنَاهُمْ وَمَنِ ادَّعَى إِلَى غَيْرِ أَبِيهِ أَوِ انْتَمَى إِلَى غَيْرِ مَوَالِيهِ فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ لاَ يَقْبَلُ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ صَرْفًا وَلاَ عَدْلاً وَانْتَهَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَزُهَيْرٍ عِنْدَ قَوْلِهِ يَسْعَى بِهَا أَدْنَاهُمْ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرَا مَا بَعْدَهُ وَلَيْسَ فِي حَدِيثِهِمَا مُعَلَّقَةٌ فِي قِرَابِ سَيْفِهِ  

"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 (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»  

"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 عَلِىٍّ: مَا كَتَبْنَا عن رسول الله ﷺ إلاَّ القُرآنَ وَمَا فِى هَذه الصَّحِيفَةِ.

قَالَ: قَالَ رسول الله ﷺ : المَدِينَةُ حَرَامٌ مَا بَيْنَ عَيْرٍ إِلَى ثَوْرٍ، لاَ يُخْتَلَى خَلاَهَا، وَلاَ يُنَفَّرُ صَيْدُهَا، وَلاَ يُلتَقَطُ لُقَطَتُهَا إِلاَّ لِمَنْ أشاد بها، وَلاَ يَصْلُحُ لِرَجُلٍ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ فِيهَا السِّلاَحَ لِقِتَالٍ، وَلاَ يَصْلُحُ أَنْ يُقْطَعَ مِنْهَا شَجَرةٌ إِلاَّ أَنْ عَلَفَ رَجُلٌ بَعيِرَهُ، فَمَنْ أحَدَثَ حَدثًا، أوْ آوى مُحْدِثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ الله وَالمَلاَئَكةِ والنَّاسِ أجْمَعِينَ، لاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْةُ عَدْلٌ وَلاَ صَرْفٌ ذِمَّةُ المُسْلِمِينَ واحِدَةٌ يَسْعَى بِهَا أَدْنَاهُمْ، فَمَنْ أخفر مُسْلِمًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ الله وَالمَلاَئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ، لاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ عَدْلٌ وَلاَ صَرْفٌ، وَمَنْ وَالَى قَوْمًا بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِ موَالِيهِ، فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ الله، وَالمَلائِكَةِ، وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ، لاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ عَدْل وَلاَ صَرْف".