Points derived from the ḥadīth:

1. We have already established that once amān (a pledge of safe-conduct) is concluded it becomes binding—whether it is granted by the imām or by someone under his authority, each within his sphere of competence. It may not be revoked unless treachery is feared on the other side, and it is unlawful to kill, capture, or enslave the person who enjoys that protection, for the covenant of amān grants him inviolability.

2. We likewise explained that the covenant secures both parties: anyone who enters the territory of the other does so in safety and tranquillity by virtue of his pledge. Al-Bukhārī reports from Ibn ʿUmar that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever kills a muʿāhad (a person under covenant) shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”

3. Envoys who serve as intermediaries between the Muslims and their enemies—carrying letters, conveying replies, and negotiating matters pertaining to peace, war, and the like—are sacrosanct; it is prohibited to kill them.

4. Killing emissaries is outright corruption, for it cuts off international communication and hinders negotiation and understanding among states and governments.

5. Embassies in foreign countries act as the intermediary between the sending state and the host state that has accredited the embassy on its soil.

6. Today relations among states extend to political, cultural, economic, and consular affairs. The bodies that organize, coordinate, and conduct these interactions are the embassies and consulates. Hence the host country grants them and their personnel special immunity and diligently safeguards their security and stability, for this concerns both nations. International custom guarantees them the protection and immunity needed to perform their mission.

7. These regulations and the principle of reciprocal security are taken from the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: “I do not violate a covenant, nor do I detain envoys.”