أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ طَهْمَانَ عَنْ الْحَجَّاجِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي حَسَّانَ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ الْأَشْتَرِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِعَلِيٍّ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ تَفَشَّغَ بِهِمْ مَا يَسْمَعُونَ فَإِنْ کَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَهِدَ إِلَيْکَ عَهْدًا فَحَدِّثْنَا بِهِ قَالَ مَا عَهِدَ إِلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَهْدًا لَمْ يَعْهَدْهُ إِلَی النَّاسِ غَيْرَ أَنَّ فِي قِرَابِ سَيْفِي صَحِيفَةً فَإِذَا فِيهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ تَتَکَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ يَسْعَی بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ لَا يُقْتَلُ مُؤْمِنٌ بِکَافِرٍ وَلَا ذُو عَهْدٍ فِي عَهْدِهِ مُخْتَصَرٌ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 4761
It was narrated from Al Ashtar that he said to ‘Ali: “What the people have been hearing from you has become widespread. If the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم told you anything, then tell us.” He said: “The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم did not tell me anything that he did not tell the people, except that in the sheath of my sword there is a sheet, in which it says: ‘The lives of the believers are equal in value, and they hasten to support the asylum granted by the least of them. But no believer may be killed in return for a disbeliever, nor one with a covenant while his covenant is in effect.” It is an abridgement of it. (Sahih).
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020