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Sahih al-Bukhari 112 (Book 3, Hadith 54) #112
The Sanctity of Mecca

SUMMARY: The Prophet (ﷺ) declared that fighting in Mecca was only allowed for a few hours on the day of the Conquest of Mecca, and that it is now a sanctuary. He also stated that if someone is killed, their closest relative has the right to choose between blood money or retaliation.

Narrated Abu Huraira: In the year of the Conquest of Mecca, the tribe of Khuza'a killed a man from the tribe of Bani Laith in revenge for a killed person, belonging to them. They informed the Prophet about it. So he rode his Rahila (she-camel for riding) and addressed the people saying, "Allah held back the killing from Mecca. (The sub-narrator is in doubt whether the Prophet said "elephant or killing," as the Arabic words standing for these words have great similarity in shape), but He (Allah) let His Apostle and the believers over power the infidels of Mecca. Beware! (Mecca is a sanctuary) Verily! Fighting in Mecca was not permitted for anyone before me nor will it be permitted for anyone after me. It (war) in it was made legal for me for few hours or so on that day. No doubt it is at this moment a sanctuary, it is not allowed to uproot its thorny shrubs or to uproot its trees or to pick up its Luqat (fallen things) except by a person who will look for its owner (announce it publicly). And if somebody is killed, then his closest relative has the right to choose one of the two-- the blood money (Diyya) or retaliation having the killer killed. In the meantime a man from Yemen came and said, "O Allah's Messenger ! Get that written for me". The Prophet ordered his companions to write that for him. Then a man from Quraish said, "Except Al-Idhkhir (a type of grass that has good smell) O Allah's Messenger , as we use it in our houses and graves". The Prophet said, "Except Al-Idhkhir ie Al-Idhkhir is allowed to be plucked".
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ دُكَيْنٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ خُزَاعَةَ، قَتَلُوا رَجُلاً مِنْ بَنِي لَيْثٍ عَامَ فَتْحِ مَكَّةَ بِقَتِيلٍ مِنْهُمْ قَتَلُوهُ، فَأُخْبِرَ بِذَلِكَ النَّبِيُّ فَرَكِبَ رَاحِلَتَهُ، فَخَطَبَ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَسَ عَنْ مَكَّةَ الْقَتْلَ ـ أَوِ الْفِيلَ شَكَّ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ وَسَلَّطَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَلاَ وَإِنَّهَا لَمْ تَحِلَّ لأَحَدٍ قَبْلِي، وَلاَ تَحِلُّ لأَحَدٍ بَعْدِي أَلاَ وَإِنَّهَا حَلَّتْ لِي سَاعَةً مِنْ نَهَارٍ، أَلاَ وَإِنَّهَا سَاعَتِي هَذِهِ حَرَامٌ، لاَ يُخْتَلَى شَوْكُهَا، وَلاَ يُعْضَدُ شَجَرُهَا، وَلاَ تُلْتَقَطُ سَاقِطَتُهَا إِلاَّ لِمُنْشِدٍ، فَمَنْ قُتِلَ فَهُوَ بِخَيْرِ النَّظَرَيْنِ إِمَّا أَنْ يُعْقَلَ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ يُقَادَ أَهْلُ الْقَتِيلِ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ فَقَالَ اكْتُبْ لِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ اكْتُبُوا لأَبِي فُلاَنٍ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ إِلاَّ الإِذْخِرَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، فَإِنَّا نَجْعَلُهُ فِي بُيُوتِنَا وَقُبُورِنَا‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ‏"‏ إِلاَّ الإِذْخِرَ، إِلاَّ الإِذْخِرَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يُقَالُ يُقَادُ بِالْقَافِ‏.‏ فَقِيلَ لأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَىُّ شَىْءٍ كَتَبَ لَهُ قَالَ كَتَبَ لَهُ هَذِهِ الْخُطْبَةَ‏.‏

TOPICS
mecca  *  sanctuary  *  conquest  *  retaliation  *  makkah  *  haram  *  fath  *  diyya  *  qisas  *  bloodmoney

QUICK LESSONS:
Respect life even when seeking revenge or retribution .

EXPLANATIONS:
This hadith speaks about the sanctity of Mecca and how it was made a sanctuary by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. On the day of Conquest of Mecca in 629 CE, fighting was allowed for only a few hours and then it became forbidden to fight there ever again. If someone is killed in this sacred city then their closest relative has two options; either they can take blood money or they can seek retaliation by killing the killer themselves. This hadith also mentions Al-Idhkhir which is a type of grass with good smell which people use in their houses and graves; this grass is allowed to be plucked from within this sacred city as an exception.

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