Last Prophet’s Sermon

History:
The farewell Pilgrimage of the Holy Prophet may rightly be called the culminating point in his Prophetic
career. It was the sixty-third year of the Prophet’s life which coincided with the close of the 10th of Hijra that
he decided to perform Hajj, which in history, goes by the name of Hajja-tul-Wada. The Prophet’s mission,
had, by this time, been completed to all intents and purposes. To a people steeped in ignorance, he gave light
and inspired them with belief in Allah, the sole Creator, Master and Sustainer of the Universe. To a disunited
mass, engaged in perpetual warfare, he gave unity of thought and action. He had revealed the love of God
and His will to mankind and had given it a visible expression by founding a society on the basis of
righteousness, piety and God-consciousness, the like of which is not to be found in the whole history of
mankind. In short, Syedna Muhammad had delivered to human race the final Truth with all its necessary
implications.

The completion of His prophetic mission implied His departure from this earthly home to the heavenly abode.
The Holy Prophet had clearly visualised it. He, therefore, decided to give the finishing touch to his massive
work and imprint its salient points on the minds of his devoted followers so that they might always keep
before them the system of life-values enunciated by Islam. It was with this object in view that messages were
sent to all parts of Arabia inviting people to join him in this great Pilgrimage.

Five days before Dhu-al-hijjah, the Holy Prophet put on Ahram, the pilgrim’s garb, and set out to Makkah
with more than 114,000 Muslims. All his wives accompanied him. As he rode, he recited "Labbaik!
Allahumma Labbaik! Labbaika Laa shareeka Lak, Inna lHamda wan na'imata lakaa wal mulk, laa shareeka lak"
signifying, "Here I am at Thy service, here I am, O’ Lord, here I am to declare that there is no partner with
Thee. All praise and blessings belong to Thee and all sovereignity is Thine. I am here at Thy service, and Thou
hast no partner, O’ Allah." As the Holy Prophet recited the above call, all his Companions repeated the same
loudly.

The Holy Prophet reached Makkah on the 5th of Dhu-al-Hijjah. He made seven circuits (tawaf) of the Ka’bah,
offered two rak’ats of prayer at ‘Maqam-e-Ibrahim’ and climbing the Mount of Safa declared, "There is no
god but Allah, He has no partner, all sovereignty and praise belong to Him. He gives life and brings death. He
is All-Powerful and Supreme over everything."

On the 8th of Dhu-al-Hijjah, the Prophet left with his Companions for Mina and spent the night there, and on
the 9th, after the Fajr, Morning Prayer, He proceeded to Plains of Arafat where he delivered the famous
sermon which we have the honour to present below.
The sermon of the Holy Prophet is not only remarkable for its eloquence, but it contains a sublime message
for the whole of the human race. It was a declaration of Human Rights and moral values, a charter of Women
Rights. The world has not been able to lay down better principles of ethics and morality than those
enunciated in it. Every word of it breathes a spirit of magnanimity and aims at establishing righteousness and
fair dealing among men on a workable basis. It establishes brotherhood among Muslims irrespective of the
divergence of their geographical, racial and colour backgrounds and provides an outline of a social order,
perfectly free from oppression and injustice. It was the declaration of Finality of Syedna Muhammad's
Prophethood, the religion was being perfected by this Final Message from The Creator to his creatures for all
times to come.

Main Events:
"Oh Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, news bearer and a warner and as someone who invites
people to God by His permission and a shining Lamp" (33:45-46).

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who was sent to mankind as a news bearer and a warmer for he spoke the truth
and did not invent something of his own. The purpose of this article is to confirm the statements made by
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) during his farewell address during the last pilgrimage (10 AH).

After praising and thanking God, the Messenger said,

"Oh people, listen to my words carefully for I know not whether I will meet you on such an occasion again."

Trust and Accountability:

Sermon: "Oh people, just as you regard this month, this day, and this city as sacred, so regard the life and
property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Remember that you will indeed appear before God and answer
for your actions."

Quran: "If anyone killed a person unless it is for a murder or spreading mischief on earth it would be as it
he killed the whole mankind, and if anyone who saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of whole
mankind" (5:32). "Then on that day not a soul will be wronged in the least and you shall but be prepaid in
the needs of your past deeds" (36:54).
Financial Obligations:
Sermon: "Return the things kept with you as trust (amanah) to their rightful owners."

Quran: "If one of you entrusts (something) the one who has been entrusted with it should hand over his
security and he should heed God and not hide any testimony. Anyone who hides it-has a sinful heart"
(2:283).

Interest (Ribah):
Sermon: "All dues of interest shall stand cancelled and you will have only your capital back. Allah has
forbidden interest, and I cancel the dues of interest payable to my Uncle Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib."

Quran: "You who believe fear God and write off anything that remains outstanding from lending at interest
if you are (true) God and His Messenger If you repent you may retail your principal do not wrong and you
will not be wronged" (2:278).

Treatment of wife (Spouse):

Sermon: "Oh people, your wives have a certain right over you and you have a certain right over them.
Treat them well and be kind to them for they are your committed partners and commited helpers.

Quran: "Provide for them the rich according to his income and the poor according to his means, a provision
according to the custom. This is an obligation for those who act kindly" (2:236). "Treat them politely even if
you dislike them. Perhaps you dislike something in which God has placed much good" (4:19).

Warning about Satan:

Sermon: "Beware of Satan, he is desperate to divert you from the worship of God so beware of him in
matters of your way of life."

Quran: "Verily Satan is an enemy to you so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his followers that they
may become companions of the blazing fire" (35:6).
Brotherhood:
Sermon: "Oh you people listen carefully. All the believers are brothers. You are not allowed to the things
belonging to another Muslim unless he give it to you willingly."

Quran: "Believers are but brothers so set things right between your brothers and fear God so that you may
find mercy" (49: 1 0).

Superiority is only piety and submission:

Sermon: "Oh people, no one is higher than the other unless he is higher in obedience to God. No Arab is
superior to a non-Arab except in piety."

Quran: "The most honored among you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you and God
has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)" (49:134). "Who can be better in religion than he
who submits his whose self to God, does good and follows the ways of Abraham for God did take Abraham
for a friend" (4:125).

In order to be successful we must obey

both god and his messenger:
"Oh people, reflect on my words. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example and if you follow
these, you will not fail."

Quran: "And obey God and the Messenger so that you may receive mercy" (3:132).

Observe the pillars of Islam:

Sermon: "Listen to me carefully. Worship God and offer prescribed prayer, observe fasting in the month of
Ramadan and pay the poor-due."

Quran: "And establish the prescribed prayer, practice regular charity and bow down with those who bow
down" (2:43). "Oh you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that
you may learn self-restraint" (2:183).
Duties regarding those working under us.

Sermon: "Oh people, be mindful of those who work under you. Feed and clothe them as you feed and clothe
yourselves."

Quran: "Act kindly just as God treated you kindly" (28:77). "God has favored some of you over their
provisions to those whom their right hand controls so that they become equal (partners) in it. Would they
thus disclaim God's favor" (16:71).

Muhammad is the last prophet:

Sermon: "Oh people, no prophet or messenger will come after me and no new faith will emerge."

Quran: "Muhammad is not the father of any of you men but he is God's Messenger and the Seal of Prophets.
God is aware of everything".

Impacts:
The function of calling people towards Islam and conveying them the message of God was accomplished and
a new society based on the social contract (the soul of which was ‫ ) ال الہ االہللا محمد رسول ہللا‬had come into
existence. The Messenger of Allah (‫ )صلی ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬appointed Mu`adh bin Jabal the Governor of Yemen
in 10 AH and while seeing him off, inter alia, disclosed: O Mu`adh! Probably, you will not meet me again after
this year of mine. Rather, you will pass by this mosque of mine and my grave. Hearing this Mu`adh wept. In
fact, Allah Almighty was pleased to show to his Prophet (‫ )صلی ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬the fruits of the labour of that
he had put and the hardships and afflictions he had suffered at the hands of the opponents of Islam for the
last over twenty years in accomplishing the Divine mission of calling mankind towards their True God, True
Lord, Almighty Allah. It was thus the Divine Policy that on the occasion of Hajj the Messenger of Allah ( ‫صلی ہللا‬
‫ )علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬with representatives of all tribes of Arabs get together and there the Injunctions of Islam are
made public and open evidence be taken on the fact that the Messenger of Allah (‫ )صلی ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬has
conveyed the Message of God which was a trust with him in the most trustworthy manner. Thus the
Messenger of Allah (‫ )صلی ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬made known his intention to perform the Hajj which attracted every
Muslim to follow the imprints of the Prophetic feet in this behalf. It was the 25th of Zil-Qa`adah, 10 AH/
March, 632 AD that the Messenger of Allah (‫ )صلی ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬proceeded from al-Madinah al-
Munawwarah towards Makkah al-Mukarramah to perform Hajj. Abu Dujanah Sa`idi or Saba` bin `Arafat
Ghifari was appointed to look after the affairs at al-Madinah al-Munawwarah till the return of the Messenger
of Allah (‫ )صلی ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬from Hajj. A caravan of ninety thousands believers accompanied the Messenger
of Allah (‫ )صلی ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬from al-Madinah al-Munawwarah and before its reaching Makkah al-
Mukarramah people of other tribes and people who had come from Yemen had reached Makkah al-
Mukarramah. On the Day of Hajj in the plane of `Arafat there was grand assembly of 1, 24,000 believers who
had come there all the way long for performance of Hajj . The Messenger of Allah (‫ )صلی ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬had
taken along with him the sacrificial animals also. When they reached the place called Sarf, the Messenger of
Allah (‫ )صلی ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬directed that those persons who had not brought the sacrificial animals with them
should come out of the Ihram of `Umrah. Hadrat `A’ishah Siddiqah was undergoing the menstrual circle, she
was informed that she had performed all the rituals of Hajj which are performed by the pilgrims but that she
should not circumambulate the Ka`batullah in such physic-biological condition. The Messenger of Allah ( ‫صلی‬
‫ )ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬was riding on his camel called Qaswa’ in the plane of `Arafat and delivered the historical
address and gave guiding principles to the Ummah that were the best till the Last Day and stated that He has
accomplished his Prophetic and Messenger ship mission fully. The Qur’anic verse 5:8 was revealed on that
occasion. This address is called the Farewell Address as it was the last Sermon delivered to the people during
the Last Hajj of his life.Khutabah Hajjatul-Wida` is in fact the First Human Charter which was given by the
Messenger of Allah (‫ )صلی ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬to the whole mankind on 9th of Zul-Hajj 10th AH./ February, 632 AD.
While standing on the Jabal al-Rahmat in the Valley of `Arafat. It was a sermon so sincere and serene, yet so
melodious and thought provoking and giving to mankind fundamental and guiding principles concerning the
rights of humanity whereby life at all levels could be reformed and set right at individual, collective, national,
international and universal level for all time s to come. This Farewell Address of the Messenger of Allah ( ‫صلی‬
‫ )ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬has got the status of Universal Manifesto for whole mankind. As he is the Messenger of Allah
and Last of all the Prophets (‫ )صلی ہللا علیہ و آلہ وسلم‬so this address is the Last Word on the subject of Human
Rights.