عَن أبي شُريَحٍ العَدوِيِّ
أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِعَمْرِو بْنِ سَعِيدٍ وَهُوَ يَبْعَثُ الْبُعُوثَ إِلَى مَكَّةَ: ائْذَنْ لِي أَيُّهَا الْأَمِيرُ أُحَدِّثْكَ قَوْلًا قَامَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الغدَ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْفَتْحِ سَمِعَتْهُ أُذُنَايَ وَوَعَاهُ قَلْبِي وَأَبْصَرَتْهُ عَيْنَايَ حِينَ تَكَلَّمَ بِهِ: حَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ: «إِنَّ مَكَّةَ حَرَّمَهَا اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُحَرِّمْهَا النَّاسُ فَلَا يَحِلُّ لِامْرِئٍ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَنْ يَسْفِكَ بِهَا دَمًا وَلَا يَعْضِدَ بِهَا شَجَرَةً فَإِنْ أَحَدٌ تَرَخَّصَ بِقِتَالِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِيهَا فَقُولُوا لَهُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَذِنَ لرَسُوله وَلم يَأْذَن لِرَسُولِهِ وَلَمْ يَأْذَنْ لَكُمْ وَإِنَّمَا أُذِنَ لِي فِيهَا سَاعَة نَهَارٍ وَقَدْ عَادَتْ حُرْمَتُهَا الْيَوْمَ كَحُرْمَتِهَا بِالْأَمْسِ وَلْيُبْلِغِ الشَّاهِدُ الْغَائِبَ».
فَقِيلَ لِأَبِي شُرَيْحٍ: مَا قَالُ لَكَ عَمْرٌو؟ قَالَ: قَالَ: أَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِذَلِكَ مِنْكَ يَا أَبَا شُرَيْحٍ أَنَّ الْحَرَمَ لَا يُعِيذُ عَاصِيًا وَلَا فَارًّا بِدَمٍ وَلَا فَارًّا بِخَرْبَةٍ
Let me tell you something, commander, which God’s messenger said on the day following the Conquest. My ears heard it, my heart has retained it, and my eyes saw him when he spoke it.
After praising and extolling God he said, “God, not men, has made Mecca sacred, so it is not allowable for a man who believes in God and in the last day to shed blood in it, or lop a tree in it. If anyone seeks licence to do so on the ground that God’s messenger fought in it, tell him that God has given permission to His messenger but not to you.
He gave him permission only during one hour on one day, and its sacredness has been restored to it like what it was yesterday. Let him who is present convey the information to him who is absent.”
Abu Shuraih was asked what Amr had replied, and said he had replied, “I am better informed of that than you, Abu Shuraih.” The sacred territory does not give refuge to one who is disobedient, or one who flies when he has shed blood, or one who flies because of a fault (kharba). (The word is used of a vice) Bukhari and Muslim. In Bukhari’s work kharba is said to mean a crime.