Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) addressed the people saying, "Don't you know what is the day today?" They replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." We thought that he might give that day another name. The Prophet said, "Isn't it the day of An-Nahr?" We replied, "Yes. O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)." He then said, "What town is this? Isn't it the forbidden (Sacred) Town (Mecca)?" We replied, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)." He then said, "Your blood, your properties, your honors and your skins (i.e., bodies) are as sacred to one another like the sanctity of this day of yours in this month of yours in this town of yours. (Listen) Haven't I conveyed Allah's message to you?" We replied, "Yes" He said, "O Allah! Be witness (for it). So it is incumbent upon those who are present to convey it (this message of mine) to those who are absent because the informed one might comprehend what I have said better than the present audience who will convey it to him.)" The narrator added: In fact, it was like that. The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "Beware! Do not renegade as disbelievers after me by striking (cutting) the necks of one another."
The Farewell Sermon: Foundations of Sacred Protection
This profound narration from Sahih al-Bukhari 7078 captures essential elements of the Prophet's Farewell Pilgrimage sermon, establishing eternal principles for the Muslim community. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) deliberately questioned his companions about the sanctity of the day (Yawm al-Nahr), the month (Dhul-Hijjah), and the city (Makkah) to emphasize that human life, property, honor, and physical safety share equal sacred status.
Scholarly Commentary on Sacred Inviolability
Classical scholars emphasize that the Prophet established four fundamental inviolable rights: blood (life), property, honor, and physical security. These are declared as sacred as the sanctity of the Sacred Month, the Sacred Day of Sacrifice, and the Sacred City of Mecca - the highest forms of sanctity in Islamic tradition.
Imam al-Nawawi comments that this hadith establishes the foundation of Islamic social contract, where Muslims are forbidden from transgressing against one another's fundamental rights. The comparison to the sanctity of time and place emphasizes the permanent and absolute nature of these protections.
The Command to Convey and Final Warning
The Prophet's instruction "Let those present convey to those absent" establishes the principle of tabligh (conveying the message) as a collective responsibility of the Ummah. Scholars note this creates a chain of transmission ensuring preservation of Islamic teachings.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains in Fath al-Bari that the final warning against "striking the necks of one another" specifically prohibits civil strife and intra-Muslim warfare. This prophetic foresight warns against the fitnah (trials) that would emerge after his passing, emphasizing unity and preservation of Muslim life as paramount religious obligations.