Arafah
Day (Yaum al-Arafah)
Prophet
Muhammad (s.a.w.)’s
Last
Sermon of Hajj
(Khutbah
Hajjat-ul Wadaa)
(M.
Javed Naseem)
Prophet
Muhammad (s.a.w.)’s last sermon (Khutbah) at the Farewell Hajj
(Hajjat-ul Wadaa), delivered at Arafat in the year 632 A.D., was the
first recorded Declaration (or Charter) of Human Rights of this
planet Earth.
Prophet
Muhammad (s.a.w.) undertook his farewell pilgrimage in the year
10-Hijri. It was the first and the last Hajj 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.
This
sermon was not only a reminder to his followers (Muslims), but also
an important admonition for the nations of the world. The final
sermon confirmed the end of his Prophetic Mission. It was the year
10-Hijri of the Islamic calendar which is considered as one of the
most significant years in Islamic history for three reasons:
Firstly,
this was the year when the Prophet (s.a.w.) delivered his Last Sermon
during his ‘farewell’ pilgrimage to Mecca.
Secondly,
this was the year when number of local and foreign deputations came
to the Prophet (s.a.w.) and embraced Islam along with their tribes.
Thirdly,
it was the ‘golden period’ of Islam as this ‘Deen’ of
Allah started flourishing and taking its roots even outside Arabia
because multitudes of people overseas joined the Islamic community by
converting to Islam after accepting the message of the Prophet
(s.a.w.).
Prophet
Muhammad (s.a.w.)’s final sermon was delivered during the Hajj of
the year 632
C.E. (10 Hijra) , on the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th month of
the lunar year, at Arafat.
Five
days before Dhul Hijjah, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) put on Ahram,
the pilgrim’s garb, and set out to Makkah with more than 100,000
Muslims. All his wives accompanied him. As he rode, he recited
"Labbaik! Allahumma Labbaik! Labbaika Laa shareeka Lak, Innal
Hamda wan niamata laka wal mulk, la shareeka lak", signifying:
"Here I am at Your service; here I am, O’ Lord! Here I am to
declare that there is no partner with You. All praise and blessings
belong to You and all sovereignty is Yours. I am here at Your
service, and You have no partner, O’ Allah!"
As
the Holy Prophet recited the above call, all his Companions repeated
the same loudly.
Throughout
the route, big and small groups of people (pilgrims) kept joining the
entourage as the word had already spread that the Prophet (s.a.w.)
was going to Makkah to perform Hajj, for the first and the last time.
The
Prophet (s.a.w.) reached Makkah on the 5th of Dhul Hijjah. He circled
around Kaabah seven times (performing Tawaf), offered two Rakaats of
prayer at ‘Maqam-e-Ibrahim’ (Abraham’s place). While climbing
the Mount of Safa, he 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 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 Plains of Arafat where he delivered
the famous sermon, known as the ‘Last Sermon (Khutbah) of Farewell
Hajj’.
The
‘last sermon’ of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) is not only remarkable
for its eloquence, but it contains a sublime message for the entire
human race. 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.
Every word of it breathes a spirit of magnanimity and 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 at 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 at his hands, 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 present as ‘eye witnesses’ to
this historic event.
There
are three different versions of the last sermon of the Prophet
(s.a.w.) in the books and on the internet. If one is authentic and
correct, then the remaining two are not authentic! What does it say?
It says: Shame on you Muslims, you are not even capable of
safeguarding and preserving your heritage!Following are the excerpts
of the Final Sermon!
"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. 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 not in a position to
manage their affairs 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 the father
is 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”.
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:
Khutbat-ul-Hajjatul Widaa, Seerat Ibn Hesham)
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