Farewell Sermon of Prophet Muhammad: A Groundbreaking, Historic Declaration of Universal Human Rights
By
Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam
28 December
2023
The Farewell Sermon Delivered By The Prophet
Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) To A Sizable Crowd In The Area Of Arafat During
His Final Visit To The Holy Ka’ba, A Few Months Before He Passed Away,
Eloquently Demonstrates How He Established The Concept Of Universal Human
Rights And Contributed To The Advancement Of Human Rights In A World Where
Tribalism Had Previously Prevailed.
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During his
Farewell Sermon, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) imparted universal lessons and values founded on the dignity, respect, and
rights of humankind. However, this is not the only document from the Prophet's
life that addresses human rights. The lessons of human dignity and respect
permeated the entire life of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). However,
regarding the protection and practical implementation of human rights, the
Fateh Makkah Sermon and the Hajj Farewell Sermon play a crucial role.
At the
beginning of his Farewell Sermon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that
there is no God but Allah and that He has no partners. Then he says, “O People!
Your lives and your property, until the very day you meet your Lord, are as
inviolable to each other as the inviolability of this holy day you are now in,
this holy month you are now in, and in this holy city you are now in. have I
conveyed the divine message? —O Allah, be my witness”.
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Also Read: Messages from the Last Sermon of Prophet Muhammad
Pbuh - An Elixir for a Decaying Human Society
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This sermon
makes it very evident that human lives and possessions are holy and sacred. The
Arabic word used in this sermon for sacred or inviolable is "haram."
Even in pre-Islamic times, this word was used to refer to people, places (like
Makkah), dates (like months and days), and things (like the idols in the
Kaaba). As an illustration, al-Masjid al-Haram means "sacred Masjid,"
and al-Shahr al-Haram means "the sacred month." The Arabs
observed Muharram, Dhil-Qa'ada, Dhil-Hijjah, and Rajab as four
sacred months even before the coming of Islam. According to Arabic custom,
people were considered sacrosanct throughout these months. Similar to this, the
Kaaba was also revered as a sacred location.
It might be
argued that human respect and sanctity were limited in terms of time and
location during the pre-Islamic era. This restriction resulted from a departure
from the precepts established by the Kaaba's builder, Hazrat Prophet Abraham
(peace be upon him). The Arabs had to
uphold such a stringent rule of law, security, and peace to facilitate the Hajj
and business in Makkah, which they needed to generate cash. People were only
revered during the four holy months and while they were at the Kaaba. This
granted the powerful Arab clans the legal and moral license to do as they
pleased for the rest of the year. But they also kept four holy months, when
people could go about their business and practise their religion in peace, as
total turmoil would have caused the economy to implode.
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Also
Read: The Last Sermon of the Prophet Muhammad
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The Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) eliminated these restrictions on time and location
when he gave his Farewell Sermon, establishing human sacredness and respect
everywhere. Given that this uprising violated Arab traditions at the time, Arab
society might have readily rejected it. The Prophet Muhammad emphasized the
time and location of his utterance, as well as the phrasing of his injunction.
He repeated his command multiple times on multiple occasions during the sermon,
which was delivered during the Hajj, which was held at a sacred time and
location. It was also made clear by him that God was the witness when Prophet
Muhammad gave the people this admonition and that God was the source of it.
This
farewell was interpreted slightly differently once it gained popularity among
the succeeding Muslim generations. Several Muslim jurists state that the
Prophet Muhammad included everyone when he said, "O People,"
regardless of their ethnicity, gender, religion, creed, or colour. According to this viewpoint, the Prophet laid
the groundwork for universalism. The universalist jurists who supported the
universal sacredness of human beings, especially those from the Hanafi school
of law, embraced this point of view. Since this is the law that the lawgiver,
Prophet Muhammad, has revealed, they believe that every human being's life,
property, and honour are sacrosanct and sacred.
Conversely,
some contended that the Prophet referred to the Muslim community alone when he
said, "O people." This argument is communalist as opposed to
universalist.
However,
modern Muslims have uncovered and repurposed the farewell sermon to promote the
1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. From a contemporary
standpoint, the earliest human rights declaration was presented by the prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him). This is now highly well-liked among Muslims.
Muhammad Hamidullah was one of the pioneers who promoted this idea. An Indian
Muslim professor of Islamic law named Tahir Mahmood also interprets the parting
sermon in light of contemporary events. The translation of "Ya Ayyuha
Al-Nas" as "O mankind!" reflects his universalistic viewpoint: O
mankind! There is no superiority between Arabs and non-Arabs, between white
people and black people, or between rich people and the poor. Neither does
white people have better status than black people or vice versa. You are all
descended from Adam, and Adam was formed of soil. Prof. Tahir Mahmood refers to
the last sermon as "a Declaration of the Equality of Mankind".
The
Farewell emphasized several rights and significant issues, such as the equality
of all people, respect for human rights, the eradication of lawlessness and
ethnicity, the right to life and property, social rights, cultural rights,
labour rights, women's rights, and inheritance rights, among other things.
The
Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) Said:
“O people,
lend me an attentive ear for I know not whether, after this year, I shall ever
be amongst you again. Therefore, listen very carefully to what I am saying to
you and take these words to those who could not be present here today.
“O people,
just as you regard this month, this day, this city as sacred, so regard the
life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted
to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.
Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord and that He will indeed reckon
your deeds. God has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all
interest obligations shall henceforth be waived.
“Your
capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any
inequity. God has judged that there shall be no interest and that all the
interest due to Al-Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib shall henceforth be waived… Beware
of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will
ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in
small things.
“O people,
it is true that you have certain rights about your women, but they also have
rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under the
trust of God and with His permission. If they abide by your right, then to them
belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well
and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is
your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not
approve, as well as never to be unchaste.
“O people,
listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, perform your daily prayers, fast during
the month of Ramazan, and offer Zakat. Perform Haj if you have the means.
“All
mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor
does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; a white has no superiority
over a black, nor does a black have any superiority over a white; (none have
superiority over another) except by piety and good action. Learn that every
Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one
brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow
Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do
injustice to yourselves. Remember, one day you will appear before God and
answer for your deeds. So, beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness
after I am gone.
“O People,
no prophet or apostle will come after me, and no new faith will be born. Reason
well, therefore, O people, and understand the words which I convey to you. I
leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah, and if you
follow these, you will never go astray.
“All those
who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again,
and it may be that the last ones understand my words better than those who
listen to me directly. Be my witness, O God, that I have conveyed your message
to your people.”
(Excerpts
Taken From: The
Final Sermon Near The Summit Of Mount Arafat]
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Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a
regular columnist for New Age Islam.
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism