10 Injunctions Derived from The Last Homily of the Prophet
This day, those who disbelieved have given up all hope of your religion, so fear them not, but fear Me. This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. — Qur’an 5[Al-Maidah]:3
Allah’s Apostle was the seal of prophethood sent to mankind. He delivered the message with truth and guided the people from darkness to light. After accomplishing this mission, he knew what next was the certainty — death. So he made one last pilgrimage to the holy land in Makkah. During this trip, he had symptoms indicating the moment was near. Thus, the infamous last sermon was delivered. This occurred on the Uranah valley of Mount Arafat’ on the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah 10AH.
Customary with all his speeches, he began by praising Allah The Most-High and went further to say these catchy words of consciousness. For brevity of this piece, the whole speech wouldn’t be published but you can find attached a voice narration. However, we shall savor a brief of the exemplary wisdom.
O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today…
- The life and property of a Muslim is sacred: He (PBUH) stated how important it is to safeguard the life and property of a Muslim. Abusing him is disliked and killing him is linked to disbelief. So hurt not your brother nor take hold of his property without his permission.
- It is forbidden for you to take usury: Ar-Riba(usury or interest) is a major sin which Allah despises. The similitude is like committing adultery with your mother in the Ka’bah; in fact, it’s worse than that. Interest of all forms is completely rejected but trading to reap profit is highly permissible.
- Observe the holy months as sacrosanct: The months in the sight of Allah are twelve and out of which four are sacred — Muharram, Rajab, Dhul Qadah and Dhul Hijjah. Sins in the sacred months are multiplied the same way good deeds are in manifolds. Hence, do not follow the path of the unbelievers. Fighting is forbidden during these months except in response to aggression.
- Beware of shaytan your open enemy: Shaytan the accursed has been an enemy to mankind since the day man was created. So he’s lost hope in misleading the ummah to shirk. However, he’s highly skilled when it comes to tempting you with minor sins; so do not fall for his tricks.
- Be courteous and kind with your women: He emphasized that men should cater for women as established by Allah. Treat your mothers, wives, and daughters well. Be generous with your wealth upon them and protect their dignity. The women were equally admonished to show respect and honor to their husbands as well.
Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient (to Allah and to their husbands), and guard in the husband’s absence what Allah orders them to guard — Qur’an 4[Al-Maidah]:34
6. Uphold the five pillars: He also made a clear call to action on the fulfillment of the five pillars of Islam. There he said: “O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadhan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to”.
7. No man is superior over another: In today’s world, racism and superiority are the order of the day. Fourteen centuries ago, the Prophet (PBUH) established Islam as universal brotherhood, making it a religion of racial equality. He said:
“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white — except by piety and good action.
8. Stand firm for justice: The prophet mentioned that he’d let justice prevail even if it’s in the case of his beloved daughter Fatimah. He established justice and ordered that his followers do the same and abide by this life principle of equity. Remember Allah has forbidden injustice to Himself, therefore do not do injustice to yourselves.
9. Adhere to righteousness: Allah’s Apostle (PBUH) met the people in a state of heedlessness and guided them to righteousness. The disparity of which was similar to day and night. He reminded them (and us) of accountability before Allah on the day we meet Him. He also mentioned the two legacies which are sine qua nons to guidance: the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
10. Convey the message to others: The message of Islam was spread by words and good conduct contrary to the sword. This tells that da’wah is our collective responsibility, not the duty of specific individuals. The Noble Prophet (PBUH) completed his sermon upon this clarion call:
“All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may be the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed Your message to Your people.”
As golden as those words were delivered hundreds of years ago, they still remain relevant and essential in our world today. In fact, adhering to these principles is one sure way to attain felicity before Allah on the last day. This is because it’s recommended by the Prophet (PBUH), the companions implemented it and they became successful. If we follow the same path, we shall succeed if we truly believe.
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