The Prophet’s Farewell Sermon: A Blueprint for Global Peace

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Jul 28, 2025

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Every year, as the calendar turns to the month of Dhul-Hijjah, the Muslim Ummah prepares for its annual congregation—Hajj. This ritual spans from the 8th to the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah and serves as a powerful reminder of numerous historic and meaningful events.

It was during this time that Allah’s beloved Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.) was commanded in a dream to sacrifice his son Ismail (A.S.)—a test of faith.

As he prepared to fulfill the command, Allah, pleased with his submission, replaced Ismail with an animal for the sacrifice. Since then, animal sacrifice has been practiced during Eid and Hajj to commemorate that moment.

Hajj itself predates the final revelation of Islam by over 2,500 years, during which even polytheists performed pilgrimage to the Kaaba, circumambulated it, and offered sacrifices.

However, over time, the followers of Ibrahim (A.S.) deviated from Tawheed (monotheism), embraced idolatry, and corrupted the practice, though Hajj continued.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) maintained the rituals of Hajj but transformed its essence. He moved the central congregation to the plains of Arafat and gave the pilgrimage its true spiritual and societal purpose.

Previously, pagans circumambulated the Kaaba naked—Islam replaced this with two unstitched garments. The physical rituals remained mostly unchanged, but the spiritual and ideological shift was vast: idols were removed from the Kaaba, and the gathering became an annual summit of the global Muslim Ummah.

Because in Islam, religion and worldly life are intertwined, Hajj became both a spiritual journey and a national summit, addressing both the soul and society.

At Arafat, believers are reminded of the Day of Judgment and feel as if standing before Allah. Thus, Hajj is a combination of the spiritual and the worldly—a holistic unity for Muslims.

The Messenger (S.A.W) performed Hajj only once in his lifetime. Over 100,000 companions were present. That final Hajj was also the largest gathering in his life.

On the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah in the 10th year of Hijrah, during the Day of Arafat and the following day (Eid and the day of sacrifice), the Messenger (S.A.W) delivered his Farewell Sermon.

He knew it would be his last Hajj. So, what did he say to his people in that sermon? A brief summary of the key points includes:

O people! Remember that your Lord is One, and He has no partners. You all descend from one father. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a white person over a black, nor vice versa. Superiority is only in piety (Taqwa).

Your blood and wealth are sacred, just like this sacred month, day, and city.

All forms of usury (interest) are now forbidden.

Fear Allah regarding women. You have taken them as a trust from Allah and made them lawful through His word.

I am leaving behind two things—hold firmly to them and you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah.

O people! There will be no prophet after me, and no new nation after you. Worship your Lord, pray five times a day, fast during Ramadan, give zakat willingly, perform Hajj, and obey your leaders—even if he is a slave. Do this, and you will enter Paradise (Ibn Majah).

No one shall be held accountable for another's crime.

All Muslims are brothers. Be kind to your servants—feed them what you eat, clothe them as you do, and forgive their faults.

Do not go to extremes in religion, as many before you were destroyed by such extremism.

The Prophet emphasized the importance of this message by instructing those present to convey it to those who were absent—showing how seriously he took this declaration.

Analyzing the sermon reveals that the Prophet (PBUH) offered a revolutionary manifesto to establish justice and human rights. He denounced injustice, racism, slavery, female infanticide, tribal conflict, usury, bribery, adultery, and social division.

He declared all humans are children of Adam, all Muslims are brothers, and no one has superiority over another based on race, ethnicity, or language—only piety defines status in Allah’s eyes.

He also advocated for the rights of slaves, saying they must be treated with the same dignity as their masters—fed and clothed alike. He forbade interest, declared the sanctity of property and trust, and commanded that they be returned to their rightful owners.

At a time when women were treated as property, he called for their dignity and warned men to fear Allah regarding their treatment of women. He emphasized mutual rights between husbands and wives and stressed that no one should be punished for another’s crime.

He forbade unfair inheritance practices and any personal manipulation of wealth distribution, advocating instead for the divine laws of inheritance. In summary, his sermon addressed every aspect necessary to establish a just and peaceful society.

Interestingly, almost all his instructions were societal in nature—not merely individual spiritual practices.

Today, the UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is hailed as the highest document of human rights. Yet Islam demonstrated these rights over 1400 years ago. While the UN’s charter exists in writing, its practice is questionable. Article 2 of the UN Declaration claims no person shall face discrimination based on the political or international status of their territory.

Yet, before the UN’s eyes, Israel continues to oppress and expel Palestinians. Equality and survival itself are denied. Similarly, when Myanmar’s military expelled one million Rohingya Muslims, killing tens of thousands, where was the UN Declaration?

Article 7 of the charter says all are equal before the law. So why don’t the Muslims of Gaza and the Rohingya enjoy that legal protection?

In our country, the situation is similar. The law is only applied against the weak. The powerful loot billions, smuggle wealth abroad—yet justice remains silent.

By contrast, the Prophet (PBUH) devoted his life to establishing Allah’s Deen and built the foundation of a truly peaceful society.

In that society, months could pass without any legal case, people left gold shops open to pray without fear of theft, lost valuables were returned, and the rich searched for poor to give charity—only to be told, “We have enough by the mercy of Allah.”

Such was the justice, security, and prosperity that emerged from the principles of the Farewell Sermon. No declaration can be more just, compassionate, or relevant. These teachings could resolve today’s injustice, corruption, inequality, and social division.

Today, religious communities compete over superiority, claiming divine favor. But the Farewell Sermon reminds us, "There is no superiority of white over black or black over white." True honor lies in justice and righteousness—nothing else.

But the question is: Who will implement these teachings? These are national principles—not individual practices. To implement them, we need a nation that follows Allah’s laws.

Under a system governed by manmade laws, this sermon cannot be fully enacted. For instance, it forbids usury, yet the global capitalist economy is built on interest. One cannot escape it without dismantling the capitalist-democratic order.

So, all of these teachings can only be implemented if Allah’s laws, system, and penalties are established in society.

This requires a group of true believers (Mu’minoon) who will establish this Deen in society, as the Prophet (PBUH) did—by building an Ummah from a handful of individuals and fighting tirelessly for justice and human rights.

There is no other way.

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