Musnad Ahmad — Hadith #45416

Bahz narrated to us, Hammam narrated to us, Qatada narrated to us, on the authority of Abu Hassan, that Ali, may God be pleased with him, used to order a matter, and it would be brought and it would be said. We have done such-and-such, and he says, “Allah and His Messenger have spoken the truth.” Al-Ashtar said to him, “Indeed, this is what you say has spread among the people. The entrustment made to you by the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Ali, may God be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, entrusted me with nothing in particular. No people, except for something I heard from him. It was in a parchment in the sleeve of my sword. He said, so they did not stop with it until he took out the parchment. He said, “If therein, whoever commits an offense or harbors an infidel, upon him will be the curse of God, the angels, and all of mankind. No word or letter will be accepted from him.” He said, “And behold, therein, Abraham made Mecca sacred, and I make Medina sacred, all of it between its two free places and its protectors is sacred, without its interior being left alone.” Its prey shall not be driven away, nor shall its shot be taken except for the one who signals it, nor shall any tree of it be cut down unless a man feeds his camel and it shall not be carried with it. Weapons for battle. He said, “And when therein are the believers, their blood will be equaled, and the lowest of them will pursue their obligation, and they will have a hand on everyone else.” A believer will not be killed for an unbeliever, nor will a person who has pledged a covenant with him be killed.