Time has completed a cycle and come to the state of the day when Allah created the heavens and the earth. The year is constituted of twelve months, of which four are sacred; three of them consecutive, viz. Dhu'l-Qa'da, Dhu'l- Hijja and Muharram, and also Rajab the month of Mudar which comes between Jumada and Sha'ban. He (the Holy Prophet) then said: which month is this? We said Allah and His Messenger know best. He (the narrator) said: He (the Holy Prophet) remained silent for some time until we thought that he would give it a name other than that (by which it was known). He said: Is it not Dha'l-Hijja? We said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Which city is this? We said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He (the Holy Prophety remained silent until we thought that he would give it another name. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Is it not the Balda (the city of Mecca)? We said: Yes. He said: What day is this? We said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He (the Holy Prophet) remained silent until we thought that he would give it another name. He said: Is it not the Day of Sacrifice? We said: Allah's Messenger. yes. Thereupon he said: Your blood, your property (Muhammad, one of the narrators, said: I think, he also said this) and your honour are sacred to you like the sacredness of this day of yours, in this city of yours, and in this month of yours. You will soon meet your Lord and He will ask you about your deeds. So do not turn after me unbelievers (or misguided), some of you striking the necks of the others. Behold I let him who is present convey to him who is absent, for many a one whom a message is conveyed has a more retentive memory than one who hears. He again said: Behold! have I not delivered (the message) to you? This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters, but with a slight variation of words.
The Book of Oaths, Muharibin, Qasas (Retaliation), and Diyat (Blood Money)
Sahih Muslim 1679 a
Contextual Background
This profound narration was delivered during the Farewell Pilgrimage of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr) at Mina. It represents one of the final comprehensive addresses to the Muslim community, establishing fundamental principles of Islamic sacred law and ethics.
Sacred Time and Sacred Space
The Prophet begins by affirming the divine ordinance of time's cyclical nature and the sanctity of four specific months: Dhu'l-Qa'da, Dhu'l-Hijja, Muharram (consecutive), and Rajab of Mudar. This establishes the concept of sacred time in Islam, where these months possess special spiritual significance and wherein warfare was traditionally prohibited.
The deliberate questioning about the month, city, and day serves as a pedagogical method to emphasize their sacred status. By having the companions confirm these realities, the Prophet establishes collective acknowledgment of Mecca's sanctity as Allah's Sacred Sanctuary (Haram) and the Day of Sacrifice's importance within the pilgrimage rites.
The Sanctity of Human Life and Honor
The core legal principle established here is the absolute inviolability of Muslim life, property, and honor. The Prophet draws an analogy between the sacredness of the time (month), place (Mecca), and occasion (Day of Sacrifice) with the sacredness of human rights. This forms the foundation of Islamic criminal law regarding homicide and bodily harm.
This declaration abrogated pre-Islamic tribal vengeance systems and established that no individual has the right to violate another's life, wealth, or dignity without legitimate legal process.
Eschatological Warning and Prohibition of Discord
The reminder of the final meeting with Allah serves as the ultimate motivation for ethical conduct. The stern prohibition against reverting to disbelief or misguidance, particularly through internecine conflict, establishes the principle of Muslim unity and the gravity of intra-Muslim violence.
The command to convey the message emphasizes the responsibility of religious transmission (tabligh) and the importance of preserving the Prophetic teachings for future generations.
Legal Implications
This hadith provides the foundational principle for laws governing: the sanctity of human life (prohibition of murder), protection of property (prohibition of theft and usurpation), preservation of honor (prohibition of slander and false accusation), the sacred months during which fighting is prohibited except in self-defense, and the inviolability of Mecca as a sanctuary of peace.
Scholars derive from this that violating these sanctities constitutes major sins requiring serious repentance and, in cases like murder, legal consequences including qisas (retaliation) or diyat (blood money) as detailed in subsequent chapters of this book.