Yawm al Arafah
(Day Of Arafah or Arafat)
9th of Dhul Hijjah
(Thursday, July 30, 2020)
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) delivered
his last Sermon of Hajj -- the First
Charter of Human Rights in the
recorded history -- on this historic day!
(M. Javed Naseem)
(The author at Jabl ar-Rahmah at Arafat, the site of the Last Sermon.)
Today, Friday, the 31st July, 2020 (the 10th of Dhul Hijjah), the Muslim Ummah is celebrating Eid-al-Adha (or Eid-ul-Azha or Eid Kabir) -- also known as the ‘Festival of Sacrifice’. Yesterday, the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, was the anniversary of the historic sermon of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) that he delivered on Jabl ar-Rahmah (the Mount of Mercy, also called the Mount Arafat). Today, the Muslims all over the world are celebrating Hajj and Eid in a quite different manner, as required by the special situation due to the Coronavirus. Big gatherings are prohibited and in some countries the Friday prayers are still not allowed. At the same time, many countries have allowed the Friday prayers with precautionary measures, like use of masks and observance of social-distancing.
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) delivered the last Hajj Sermon in the year 632-AD, in front of about 120,000 pilgrims who came to perform Hajj in his company. The address is commonly called ‘The Last Sermon’ or the ‘Last Khutbah’. To honor this occasion it is only befitting that we implement the teachings of the Prophet (s.a.w.) and live by the principles laid down for us. A Muslim is the one who follows Islam -- submits to Allah in all affairs. We should look into the mirror and ponder. Are we what we claim to be?
It is a bit surprising to note that there are different versions of this sermon despite the fact that there were about 120,000 people present as ‘eye-witnesses’. It is really sad to see that a ‘Muslim’ could be so corrupt and irresponsible that he would even change the words of the Prophet to suit his own view!
An account of the sermon was collected by the early historian Ibn Ishaq, as quoted in Ibn Hisham’s «Seerah an-Nabawiyah» and at-Tabari’s «Tarikh» with minor differences. I am using Ibn Hisham’s version. Here are the excerpts:
"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”.
“O People! Every Muslim is the brother of every other Muslim, and all the Muslims form one brotherhood. And as for your slaves, see that you feed them with such food as you eat yourselves, and clothe them with the clothes that you yourselves wear”
“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”.
“Let him that is present, convey it unto him who is absent, for many people to whom the message is conveyed may be more mindful of it than this audience”.
May Allah bless you with guidance, good health, sense of justice and happiness! Eid Mubarak Saeed!
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