The Farewell Pilgrimage sermon is a comprehensive, practical and exemplary charter and collection of laws for eternal life, the principles of human civilisation and culture, the protection of human rights, measures for world peace, teaching brotherhood and tolerance, the establishment of justice and fairness, instructions on fraternity and equality, human economic betterment, progress and prosperity, and social purity and cleanliness. It is narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) in Abu Dawud and others.
As it is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him):
“On the day of Arafah, when the sun had passed its zenith, he ordered a saddle to be placed on the she-camel named Qaswa, came to the middle of the valley, addressed the people and said: Indeed your blood and your wealth are forbidden to you, just as this day of yours is sacred, in this month and in this city. All matters of the Jahiliyyah are trampled beneath my feet, the bloodshed of the Jahiliyyah is abolished. And the first blood that I forgive is the blood of the son of Rabi’ah ibn al-Harith; he was being nursed among Banu Sa’d when Hudhayl killed him. The usury of the Jahiliyyah is abolished, and the first of our usury that I abolish is the usury of Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib. Fear Allah regarding women, for you have taken them as a trust from Allah, and by His command their private parts have been made lawful to you. It is also their responsibility not to give anyone a place on your beds. If they do so, then punish them lightly. And they have a right over you to their food and clothing, according to what is customary. I am leaving among you the Book of Allah. If you hold fast to it, you will never go astray. And you will be asked about me, so what will you say? The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said: We will bear witness that you conveyed [the message], fulfilled [the responsibility] and gave sincere advice. He pointed his index finger towards the sky, then moved it towards the people, and said three times: O Allah, be witness! O Allah, be witness!”
Fiqh al-Hadith:
The following rulings are derived from the above hadith.
1: The invalidity of the theory of socialism in property, and respect for individual ownership.
2: The announcement of the abolition of Jahili matters and usury.
3: The protection of women’s rights.
4: After the Prophet ﷺ, the Book of Allah is the decisive proof for Muslims.
5: The protection of the office of prophethood.
6: Allah the Exalted’s height above the Throne.
The Sermon of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the Day of Sacrifice:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered a sermon to us on the tenth of Dhul-Hijjah. He said: Which day is greatest in sanctity? The people said: This very day of ours. He said: Which month is greatest in sanctity? The people said: This very month. He said: Which city is greatest in sanctity? The people said: This very city of ours. He said: Then your blood and your wealth are forbidden to you in the same way as the sanctity of this day, in this city and in this month.
Another Sermon on the Occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sulayman ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Prophet ﷺ say on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage sermon:
“O people! Which day is most sacred? He said it three times. The people said: The day of the greater Hajj. He said: Then your blood, your wealth and your honour are forbidden among you, like the sanctity of this day, this month and this city. Beware! Every wrongdoer is responsible for his own wrongdoing; the wrongdoing of a father does not fall on his child, and the wrongdoing of a child does not fall on his father. Beware! Satan has despaired of being worshipped in this city; however, he will be obeyed in some things, which you will consider insignificant, and he will be pleased with that. Beware! The bloodshed of the Jahiliyyah is abolished. The first blood that I forgive is the blood of Harith ibn Abdul Muttalib, who was killed by Hudhayl while he was completing his nursing period among Banu Layth. Beware! The usury of the Jahiliyyah has been set aside; now you may take your principal capital. Do not wrong others, and you will not be wronged. O community! Have I truly conveyed [the message] to you? He said it three times. The people replied: Yes. He said three times: O Allah, be witness!”
Derived Rulings:
The following rulings are derived from this sermon.
1: The right to equality in retaliation (qisas), blood-money (diyah) and other legal matters.
2: Iblis’s despair of disbelief and shirk in the Arabian Peninsula.
3: Iblis being pleased with the minor shortcomings of the Muslims.
4: The caller to Islam should first set his own condition right.
5: The importance of conveying the religion.
Another sermon of his:
Sayyiduna Abu Hurrah al-Raqashi narrates from his paternal uncle: I was holding the rein of the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, in the middle of the days of Tashriq, and I was keeping the people away from him. He said: “O people! Do you know in which month you are? And on which day? And in which city?” The people replied: “On a sacred day, in a sacred city, and in a sacred month.” He said: “Your blood, your wealth and your honour are forbidden to you, until the Day of Resurrection, like the sanctity of this day, this month and this city.” Then he said: “Listen to me and you will live forever. Beware! Do not wrong, do not wrong, do not wrong. The property of no Muslim is lawful without his consent. Beware! Blood, wealth and the claims coming from the era of ignorance are beneath this foot of mine until the Day of Resurrection. The first blood that I forgive is the blood of Rabi’ah ibn al-Harith. He was being nursed among Banu Layth, and Hudhayl killed him. Beware! The usury of the era of ignorance has been abolished. According to the decision of Allah the Exalted, the first usury to be abolished is the usury of al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib. You will receive your principal. Do not wrong, and you will not be wronged. Beware! Time has come round to the same form as on the day Allah created the heavens and the earth.” Then he recited this verse:
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ
“Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the Book of Allah, from the day He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are sacred.”
“This is the straight system, so do not wrong anyone in them. Satan has despaired that those who pray will worship him, but he will remain among you in making you fight. Fear Allah regarding women; they have rights over you, and you have a right over them that they do not allow anyone to sit on your beds, and do not allow anyone to enter your houses without your permission. If you fear their disobedience, then admonish them and separate from them in the beds, and discipline them lightly. Their sustenance and clothing, according to circumstances, are upon the man. You have taken them as a trust from Allah, and their private parts have been made lawful to you by the command of Allah. Beware! Whoever has a trust belonging to someone should return it to him.” He spread out both his hands and said: “Beware! Have I conveyed it? Beware! Have I conveyed it? Beware! Have I conveyed it?” Then he said: “Let the one present convey to the one absent. Many a one to whom it is conveyed is more fortunate than the one who heard it.”
Derived rulings:
The following rulings are derived from the above sermon:
1: The protection of blood, wealth and honour.
2: Life lies in following his Sunnah, in which there is no room for injustice.
3: Acting with justice and fairness is a command of Allah.
4: Time has come round and returned to its original state.
5: The command to fulfil trusts.
6: Being a faqih (jurist) is not a condition for the narrator of a hadith.
Another sermon in the middle of the days of Tashriq:
Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Abu Nadrah (may Allah have mercy on him), who said: A Companion who heard the sermon of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the middle of the days of Tashriq narrated to me that he said:
“O people! Your Lord is one and your father is one. Beware! There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor of a non-Arab over an Arab, nor of a black person over a red one, nor of a red person over a black one, except by taqwa (piety). Have I conveyed the message?” (The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them) replied, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has conveyed it.” Then he said, “Which day is this?” The people said, “A sacred day.” Then he said, “Which month is this?” The people said, “A sacred month.” Then he said, “Which city is this?” The people said, “A sacred city.” He said: “Allah the Exalted has made your blood and your wealth forbidden, just as this day of yours is sacred in this month and this city. Have I conveyed the message to you?” The people replied, “You have conveyed it.” He said, “Let those present convey this message of mine to those who are not present here.”
Imam al-Bazzar (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated it from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), with these additional words:
“O people! Whoever has a trust should hand it over to its owner. O people! Satan has despaired of being worshipped in these lands until the end of time, but he will be pleased with your minor mistakes. Beware of evil deeds that you regard as insignificant in matters of your religion.”
Imam al-Tabarani narrates from al-‘Adda’ ibn Khalid that on the day of the Farewell Pilgrimage he ﷺ climbed the pulpit, praised and glorified Allah, and said:
“Indeed Allah says: O people! We created you from a male and a female, and We made you into families and tribes so that you may recognize one another. The most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is most pious. So there is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor of a non-Arab over an Arab, nor of a black person over a red one, nor of a red person over a black one, except by taqwa. O group of Quraysh! Do not come with the world loaded on your necks while other people come with the deeds of the Hereafter. I will not be able to ward off Allah’s punishment from you.”
Also, Imam al-Tabarani narrates from Abu Qabilah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood among the people on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage and said: “There is no prophet after me, and there is no nation after you. So worship your Lord, establish the five prayers, fast the month of Ramadan, obey the rulers of the time, and then enter the Paradise of your Lord.”
Rulings derived:
The following rulings are derived from the mentioned hadith.
1: Observing the rights of Allah.
2: There is no superiority among people in anything other than taqwa.
3: Brotherhood in faith is superior.
4: Lineage has no standing compared to deeds.
5: Lineage without deeds is of no benefit.
6: The chain of prophethood ends with him ﷺ.
7: The command to obey the rulers of the time.
8: Satan’s despair of being worshipped.
9: One should avoid even minor lapses.
