Allah, the Almighty, held back the elephants from Makkah, but He enabled His Messenger and the believers to conquer it. Fighting in it was not permitted for anybody before me, nor will it be permitted for anybody after me; it was permitted for me only for a short while during the day. Verily, it is from this moment a sanctuary

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that after the conquest of Makkah, a man from Khuzā‘ah murdered a man from Hudhayl in retaliation for having killed one of their people before Islam.

Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and gave the speech mentioned in the Hadīth, wherein he highlighted the sanctity of Makkah and stated that Allah, the Almighty, Who prevented the elephant’s army from entering it, permitted His Prophet to fight and conquer it for only a short time of that day. The word ‘sā‘ah’ here does not mean an hour in the literal sense; rather, it signifies part of the day of the conquest.

This was made permissible for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) from the morning of that day to the afternoon. He then declared that Makkah turned back to its state of sanctity and that it was now impermissible to cut down its trees; remove its grass, except for lemongrass; uproot its thorns; or pick up the lost items found therein, except by one intending to look for its owner.