Significance and Impact of the Last Sermon of The Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم)

Abstract

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 لا الہ الااللہ محمد رسول اللہ ) had come into existence. The Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) appointed 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 اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) the 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 اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) with 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 اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) has conveyed the Message of God which was a trust with him in the most trustworthy manner. Thus the Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) made 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 اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) proceeded from al-Madinah al-Munawwarah towards Makkah al-Mukarramah to perform Hajj. Abu Dujanah Sa`idi or Saba` bin `Artafah Ghifari was appointed to look after the affairs at al-Madinah al-Munawwarah till the return of the Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) from Hajj. A caravan of ninety thousands believers accompanied the Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) from 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 اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) had taken along with him the sacrificial animals also. When they reached the place called Sarf, the Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) directed 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 اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) was 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 Messengership 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 اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) to 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 اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) has got the status of Universal Manifesto for whole mankind. As he is the Messenger of Allah and Last of all the Prophets (صلی اللہ علیہ و آلہ وسلم) so this address is the Last Word on the subject of Human Rights.