Al-Bukhari also narrates a supporting report from al-Miqdam ibn Ma‘di Karib. Its documentation is given in Ghayat al-Maram (121/163).
3528 (1) — (.........................................).
- “Allah withheld killing—or the Elephant; Abu ‘Abd Allah was uncertain—from Mecca, but He granted His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the believers power over it. Indeed, it was not made lawful for anyone before me, nor will it be made lawful for anyone after me. It was made lawful for me only for an hour of one day. Indeed, as of this very hour, it is forbidden: its thorny shrubs are not to be cut, its trees are not to be felled, and its lost property is not to be picked up except by one who will announce it. Whoever has a relative killed has the better of two choices: he may accept blood money, or the killer may be handed over to the slain man’s family for retaliation.”
It was reported by al-Bukhari (112, 2434, and 6880), Muslim (4/110), al-Darimi (2/265), Ahmad (2/238), Abu Dawud from him (2017), al-Daraqutni (3/96/58), and al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan (8/52) and al-Dala’il (5/84), all through Abu Salamah from Abu Hurayrah:
Khuzā‘ah killed a man from Banu Layth in the year of the Conquest of Mecca, in retaliation for one of their own whom the latter had killed. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was informed of this, so he mounted his riding camel and delivered a sermon, saying: … and he mentioned it.
The two Shaykhs and others added: Then a man from Yemen came and said, “Have it written down for me, Messenger of Allah.” He said:
“Write it down for Abu So-and-so.” A man from Quraysh then said, “Except for idhkhir, Messenger of Allah! For we use it in our houses and graves.” The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: