Sunan Abi Dawud 2017
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ - عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ لَمَّا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَكَّةَ قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِيهِمْ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَحَبَسَ عَنْ مَكَّةَ الْفِيلَ وَسَلَّطَ عَلَيْهَا رَسُولَهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِنَّمَا أُحِلَّتْ لِي سَاعَةً مِنَ النَّهَارِ ثُمَّ هِيَ حَرَامٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لاَ يُعْضَدُ شَجَرُهَا وَلاَ يُنَفَّرُ صَيْدُهَا وَلاَ تَحِلُّ لُقَطَتُهَا إِلاَّ لِمُنْشِدٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَامَ عَبَّاسٌ أَوْ قَالَ قَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ الإِذْخِرَ فَإِنَّهُ لِقُبُورِنَا وَبُيُوتِنَا ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ إِلاَّ الإِذْخِرَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَزَادَنَا فِيهِ ابْنُ الْمُصَفَّى عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ فَقَامَ أَبُو شَاهٍ - رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ - فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اكْتُبُوا لِي ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ اكْتُبُوا لأَبِي شَاهٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ لِلأَوْزَاعِيِّ مَا قَوْلُهُ ‏"‏ اكْتُبُوا لأَبِي شَاهٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ هَذِهِ الْخُطْبَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعَهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏
Translation

Abu Hurairah said: When Allah, the Exalted, granted His Messenger victory over Makkah, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood among the people, praised Allah and extolled Him, then said: "Verily, Allah restrained the Elephant from Makkah, and gave His Messenger and the believers mastery over it. It was only made lawful for me for an hour of the day, and it is sacred from this day until the Day of Resurrection: its trees are not to be cut, its game is not to be driven away, and its lost property is not permissible except for one who announces it." Al-Abbas or Al-Abbas said: "O Messenger of Allah, except for the idhkir (rush), for we use it for our graves and our houses." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Except the idhkir." Abu Dawud said: Ibn al-Musaffa added for us on the authority of Al-Walid: Abu Shah, a man from the people of Yemen, stood up and said: "Write it down for me, O Messenger of Allah." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Write it down for Abu Shah." I said to Al-Awza'i: "What is his statement: 'Write it down for Abu Shah'?” He said: "This refers to the sermon which he heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)."

Comment

The Rites of Hajj (Kitab Al-Manasik Wa'l-Hajj)

Sunan Abi Dawud 2017 - Commentary by Classical Scholars

Sacred Status of Makkah

This hadith establishes the permanent sanctity of Makkah, which Allah protected from Abraha's army with elephants. The Prophet ﷺ affirmed that Makkah remains inviolable until the Day of Judgment, with its trees protected, game preserved, and lost property only retrievable through public announcement.

The Exception of Idhkhir

When Al-Abbas requested an exception for idhkhir (aromatic rush grass), the Prophet ﷺ permitted it due to its legitimate benefits for graves and households. Scholars explain this shows that while general prohibitions stand, specific exceptions can be made for clear human needs that don't violate the sanctuary's sanctity.

The Request for Written Documentation

Abu Shah's request for written documentation demonstrates the Companions' meticulous preservation of Prophetic teachings. Scholars note this reflects the early Islamic emphasis on accurately transmitting religious knowledge, whether orally or in written form.