Mukhtasar Muslim

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Indeed, time has turned back to its original state as it was on the day Allah created the heavens and the earth. The year consists of twelve months, of which four are sacred months (meaning, fighting in them is not permissible). Three of them are consecutive: Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram, and the fourth is Rajab, the month of (the tribe of) Mudar, which is between Jumada al-Thani and Sha'ban. Then he said: What month is this? We said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent until we thought he would give it another name. Then he said: Is it not the month of Dhu al-Hijjah? We said: Yes, it is the month of Dhu al-Hijjah. He said: What city is this? We said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Again, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent until we thought he would give it another name. Then he said: Is it not (al-Balad) Makkah? We said: Yes, it is. He said: What day is this? We said: Allah and His Messenger know best. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent until we thought he would give it another name. Then he said: Is it not the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr)? We said: O Messenger of Allah! Indeed, it is the Day of Sacrifice. He said: Your lives, your wealth (the narrator says: I think he also said), and your honor (dignity) are as sacred to you as this day is sacred in this city, in this month. (Just as the sanctity of this day, city, and month is beyond doubt, so too is the life, honor, and wealth of a Muslim sacred, and it is not permissible to take them without a valid Shari'ah reason.) Soon you will meet your Lord, and He will ask you about your deeds. So do not turn back to disbelief or misguidance after me, striking the necks of one another (i.e., do not fight among yourselves and kill each other. This was the last and very great and excellent advice of the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Alas, Muslims acted upon it for a short time, then fell into calamity and destroyed their hereafter). Whoever is present (in this gathering) should convey this message to the absent (those who are not present). For it may be that the one to whom this message is conveyed will remember it better than the one who heard it. Then he said: Behold, have I conveyed the message of Allah?