Remembering Prophet’s Birthday:
The Last Hajj Sermon of
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) Was
The First Charter of Human Rights
In The Recorded History!
(M. Javed Naseem)
We are in the 3rd month (Rabi-al Awwal or Rabi-1)
of the Islamic calendar. This is the month during which Prophet Muhammad
(s.a.w.) was born in Makkah. Since many Muslims all over the world are busy
celebrating the Prophet’s birthday without caring much about his teachings and lifestyle
as a role-model, it is only appropriate that I remind people of the Prophet’s
last sermon at the time of Hajj. This is also called the ‘Last Hajj Sermon’ (or
Khutba) of the Prophet. It was delivered at Arafat in the year 632
A.D. and it was the first recorded Declaration (or
Charter) of Human Rights of the planet.
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) undertook his farewell pilgrimage
in the year 10 A.H.
It was the first and the last pilgrimage made by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.).
Thousands of people from far and near joined the gathering (as per one
estimate: 114,000) because this pilgrimage served as a model to perform the
fifth pillar of the Faith – Hajj. Every Muslim wanted to see how Prophet
Muhammad (s.a.w.) performed the rituals; and the faithful have been emulating
him since then.
On the 8th of Dhul Hijjah, the Prophet (s.a.w.) left with
his companions for Mina and spent the night there, and on the 9th, after the
Fajr (dawn) prayer, He proceeded to the Plains of Arafat where he delivered the
famous sermon.
It was a declaration of Human Rights and moral values, a
charter of Women’s Rights. The world has not been able to lay down better
principles of ethics and morality than those enunciated in it. It aims at
establishing righteousness, justice and fair dealing among men on a workable
basis. It establishes brotherhood among Muslims irrespective of the divergence
of their geographical, racial and color backgrounds, and provides an outline of
a social order, perfectly free from oppression and social injustice. It was the
declaration of finality of the Holy Messenger’s Prophet-hood. It was at that
point that Allah also declared that on that particular day, HE had perfected
this ‘Deen’ called Islam, thus leaving no room for any changes or alterations.
But man happens to be wicked and corrupt. He takes the bait
from Shaitan (Devil) quickly and plays the fool, forgetting God. He corrupted
the Scriptures and altered/edited the Divine Message of every prophet or
messenger of God, to suit his own comfortable worldly life. So, he altered the
text of this sermon of the Prophet (s.a.w.) too, despite the fact that there
were more than 100,000 (as per one narration: 114,000) people listening as ‘eye
witnesses’ to this historic event.
Here’s the text of the Final Sermon! I am just hoping and
praying to Allah that I made the right selection, Insha-Allah.
"All praise is due to Allah, so we praise Him, and seek
His pardon and we turn to Him. We seek refuge with Allah from the evils of
ourselves and from the evil consequences of our deeds. Whom Allah guides
aright there is none to lead him astray; and there is none to guide him
aright whom Allah leaves astray. I bear witness that there is no God but
Allah, the One, having no partner with Him. His is the sovereignty and to
Him is due all praise. He grants life and causes death and is Powerful over
everything. There is no God but Allah, the One; He fulfilled His promise
and granted victory to His bondsmen, and He alone routed the confederates
(enemies of Islam)”.
“O People! Listen to my words carefully, for I do not know
whether we shall ever meet again and perform Hajj after this year”.
"O people! Allah says: 'O people! We created you from
one male and one female and made you into tribes and nations, so as to be
known to one another.' Verily, in the sight of Allah, the most honored
among you is the one who is most pious (God-fearing). There is no superiority
for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a non-Arab over an Arab; nor for the
white over the black nor for the black over the white, except in
righteousness (God-consciousness)."
“All mankind is the progeny of Adam and Adam was fashioned
out of clay. Behold! Every claim of privilege, whether that of blood or
property, is under my heels except that of the custody of the Kaabah and
supplying of water to the pilgrims”.
“O people of Quraish! Don’t appear (on the Day
of Judgment) with the burden of this world around your necks, whereas
other people may appear (before the Lord) with the rewards of the
hereafter. In that case I shall avail you naught against Allah”.
“Behold! All practices of the days of ignorance are now
under my feet. The blood revenges of the days of ignorance are remitted.
The first claim on blood I abolish is that of Ibn Rabiah bin Harith who
was nursed in the tribe of Saad and whom the Hudhayls killed”.
“All interest and usurious dues accruing from the times
of ignorance stand wiped out. And the first amount of interest that I
remit is that which Abbas ibn Abd-al Muttalib had to receive. Verily it is
remitted entirely”.
“O people! Verily your blood, your property and your honor
are sacred and inviolable until you appear before your Lord, as the sacred
inviolability of this day of yours, this month of yours and this very town
(of yours). Verily, you will soon meet your Lord and you will be held
answerable for your actions”.
“O people! Verily you have got certain rights over your
women and your women have certain rights over you. It is your right upon
them to honor their conjugal rights, and not to commit acts of
impropriety, which if they do, you are authorized by Allah to separate
them from your beds and chastise them, but not severely, and if they
refrain, then clothe and feed them properly”.
“Behold! It is not permissible for a woman to give anything
from the wealth of her husband to anyone but with his consent”.
“Treat women kindly since they are your helpers and are not
in a position to manage their affairs by themselves! Fear Allah concerning
women, for verily, you have taken them on the security of Allah and have
made their persons lawful unto you by words of Allah”.
“O people! Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, has ordained to
every one his due share (of inheritance). Hence there is no need (of
special) testament for an heir (departing from the rules laid down by the
Shariah)”.
“He who attributes his ancestry to other than his father or
claims his clientship to other than his master, the curse of Allah is upon
him”.
“All debts must be repaid, all borrowed property must be
returned, gifts should be reciprocated and a surety must make good the
loss to the assured”.
“Beware! No one committing a crime is responsible for it but
himself. Neither the child is responsible for the crime of his father, nor
is the father responsible for the crime of his child”.
“Nothing of his brother is lawful for a Muslim except what
he himself gives willingly. So do not wrong yourselves”.
“Take heed not to go astray after me and strike one
another’s necks. He who (among you) has any trust with him, he must return
it to its owner”.
“O people! Listen and obey, though a mangled Abyssinian
slave is appointed your Ameer, provided he executes (the Ordinance of) the
Book of Allah among you”.
“O people! No Prophet would be raised after me and no new
Ummah (would be formed) after you”.
“Verily, I have left among you that which will never lead
you astray, the Book of Allah, which if you hold fast, you shall never go
astray”.
“And beware of transgressing the limits set in the matters
of religion, for it is transgression of (the proper bounds of) religion
that brought destruction to many people before you”.
“Verily, the Satan is disappointed at ever being worshiped
in this land of yours, but he will be pleased by obedience in anything
(short of worship that is) in matters you may be disposed to think
insignificant, so beware of him in your matters of religion”.
“Behold! Worship your Lord; offer prayers five times a day;
observe fast in the month of Ramadan; pay readily the Zakat (poor-due) on
your property; and perform pilgrimage to the House of God and obey your
rulers and you will be admitted to the Paradise of your Lord”.
Then he asked the audience: “And if you were asked about me,
what would you say?"
They answered: "We bear witness that you have conveyed
the trust (of religion) and discharged your ministry of Prophet-hood and
looked to our welfare."
Thereupon, Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.) lifted his
forefinger towards the sky and then pointing towards people said:
"O Lord! Bear You witness unto it".
"O Lord! Bear You witness unto it".
(From the ‘Khutbat-ul-Hajjatul Wida’, Seerat Ibne Hesham)
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