" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) addressed us on the day of Nahr (Sacrifice) and said: What day is this? And the rest of the hadith is the same except that he did not make mention of" your honour," and also did not make mention of this: He then turned his attention towards two rams and what follows, and in a hadith (the words pertaining to sacred- ness are recorded in this way):" Like the sacredness of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this city of yours to the day when you will meet your Lord. Behold, have I not conveyed (the Message of God)? They said: Yes. He said: O Allah, bear witness."
The Book of Oaths, Muharibin, Qasas (Retaliation), and Diyat (Blood Money)
Sahih Muslim - Hadith Reference: Sahih Muslim 1679 d
Contextual Analysis
This profound address was delivered by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) during his Farewell Pilgrimage on the Day of Nahr (10th Dhul-Hijjah). The rhetorical question "What day is this?" serves as a pedagogical method to emphasize the sanctity of the occasion and ensure the message remains etched in the companions' hearts.
Sacred Inviolability
The Prophet established the absolute sanctity of Muslim life, property, and honor through this declaration. The omission of "your honor" in this narration variant does not diminish its established protection in other authentic transmissions, but rather focuses attention on the fundamental inviolability of life and wealth.
Temporal and Spatial Sanctity
The triple emphasis - "this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this city of yours" - establishes a hierarchy of sacredness that extends perpetually until the Day of Judgment. This creates a continuous spiritual framework governing Muslim conduct.
Legal Implications
This hadith forms the foundation for Islamic criminal law regarding blood money (diyat) and retaliation (qasas). The sanctity of life established here necessitates just compensation for unlawful killing and provides the theological basis for the legal distinctions between intentional and unintentional homicide.
Prophetic Confirmation
The concluding exchange - "Have I not conveyed?" followed by the invocation "O Allah, bear witness" - serves as both a legal testimony and spiritual confirmation of the completeness of the Divine message, particularly regarding the sacred ordinances of Islamic law.