Farewell Sermon (Khutbat al-Wada‘) — at Arafat
The Prophet’s final major public address to the largest gathering of sahabah — sanctity of life, property, and honour; rights of women; abolition of usury and blood feuds; holding to Qur’an and Sunnah.
Authentically preserved text
Jabir ibn Abdullah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that in the Farewell Pilgrimage the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood and praised Allah, extolled Him, and reminded the people. He said: O people, listen to my words, for I do not know whether I shall meet you again after this year in this place. So listen carefully to what I say and convey it to those who are absent. He then affirmed the inviolability of Muslim life, property, and honour until the Day of Resurrection, comparing their sanctity to the sacredness of this day, this month, and this city. O people, your blood, your property, and your honour are sacred and inviolable among you until you meet your Lord, as sacred as this day of yours in this month of yours in this land of yours. He declared all usury of the Jahiliyyah abolished, beginning with the usury owed to his uncle al-Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib. All blood feuds of the Jahiliyyah were abolished, and the first claim he cancelled was the blood of Rabi‘ah ibn al-Harith. Every claim of usury is abolished; you will have your capital sums, without wronging or being wronged. The first usury I abolish is the usury of al-Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib — it is all abolished. All the practices of the Jahiliyyah are under my feet, and the blood feuds of the Jahiliyyah are abolished. The first blood I abolish is our blood — the blood of Rabi‘ah ibn al-Harith, who was nursed among Banu Layth and killed by Hudhayl. It is abolished. He warned against wronging others and reminded that Satan had despaired of being worshipped in the Arabian Peninsula, but would still stir discord among them. Beware of Satan for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope of leading you astray in major matters, but he is still hopeful in minor matters that you will obey him — so beware of him in your religion. Regarding women, he commanded kind treatment and reminded men of their covenant with Allah regarding wives. O people, fear Allah concerning women. You have taken them as a trust from Allah, and their private parts have been made lawful to you by the word of Allah. Your right over them is that they do not allow anyone you dislike on your beds; if they do, then strike them lightly without severity. Their right over you is that you provide for them and clothe them in kindness. O people, your women have rights over you and you have rights over them. Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers. He established brotherhood between believers without distinction of race, and left the ummah a clear standard of taqwa. O people, your Lord is One and your father is one. There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor of a non-Arab over an Arab, nor of a white over a black, nor of a black over a white — except by taqwa (piety). The most noble among you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous. 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 — except by piety and good action. He commanded adherence to the Book of Allah and his Sunnah, and warned against innovation after him. I leave among you that which, if you hold fast to it, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah. O people, I am only a man. It may be that the messenger of my Lord comes to me soon and I respond. I am leaving among you two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my progeny, the people of my house. If you hold fast to them you will never go astray. He reminded them of accountability for trusts and contracts, and that no bearer of burdens bears the burden of another. He reminded them that the months of Hajj and the sacred months must be respected, and that the customs of ignorance were abolished. Do not revert after me to disbelief, striking the necks of one another. Lo! the devil has despaired of being worshipped in your land, but he will be pleased to be obeyed in other matters you think small — so beware of him in your religion. Allah has made your blood and your property and your honour sacred, as sacred as this day in this month in this land. Have I conveyed the message? O Allah, bear witness. Feed your slaves what you feed yourselves, and clothe them as you clothe yourselves. Let him who is present convey to him who is absent — perhaps the one told will understand better than the one who heard directly. He asked those present to bear witness that he had conveyed the message. On this journey Qur’an 5:3 was revealed: “Today I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.” Months later the Prophet (ﷺ) returned to Madinah and passed away in 11 AH. Today I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.
Jabir ibn Abdullah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that in the Farewell Pilgrimage the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood and praised Allah, extolled Him, and reminded the people. He said:
O people, listen to my words, for I do not know whether I shall meet you again after this year in this place. So listen carefully to what I say and convey it to those who are absent.Muslim 1218
He then affirmed the inviolability of Muslim life, property, and honour until the Day of Resurrection, comparing their sanctity to the sacredness of this day, this month, and this city.
O people, your blood, your property, and your honour are sacred and inviolable among you until you meet your Lord, as sacred as this day of yours in this month of yours in this land of yours.Muslim 1218; Ahmad
He declared all usury of the Jahiliyyah abolished, beginning with the usury owed to his uncle al-Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib. All blood feuds of the Jahiliyyah were abolished, and the first claim he cancelled was the blood of Rabi‘ah ibn al-Harith.
Every claim of usury is abolished; you will have your capital sums, without wronging or being wronged. The first usury I abolish is the usury of al-Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib — it is all abolished.Muslim 1218
All the practices of the Jahiliyyah are under my feet, and the blood feuds of the Jahiliyyah are abolished. The first blood I abolish is our blood — the blood of Rabi‘ah ibn al-Harith, who was nursed among Banu Layth and killed by Hudhayl. It is abolished.Muslim 1218; Abu Dawud 1900
He warned against wronging others and reminded that Satan had despaired of being worshipped in the Arabian Peninsula, but would still stir discord among them.
Beware of Satan for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope of leading you astray in major matters, but he is still hopeful in minor matters that you will obey him — so beware of him in your religion.Muslim 1218
Regarding women, he commanded kind treatment and reminded men of their covenant with Allah regarding wives.
O people, fear Allah concerning women. You have taken them as a trust from Allah, and their private parts have been made lawful to you by the word of Allah. Your right over them is that they do not allow anyone you dislike on your beds; if they do, then strike them lightly without severity. Their right over you is that you provide for them and clothe them in kindness.Muslim 1218; Abu Dawud 1900
O people, your women have rights over you and you have rights over them. Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers.Tirmidhi 1163; Ibn Majah 1851
He established brotherhood between believers without distinction of race, and left the ummah a clear standard of taqwa.
O people, your Lord is One and your father is one. There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor of a non-Arab over an Arab, nor of a white over a black, nor of a black over a white — except by taqwa (piety). The most noble among you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous.Ahmad; Musnad; authenticated in many collections
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 — except by piety and good action.Bayhaqi, Shu‘ab al-Iman
He commanded adherence to the Book of Allah and his Sunnah, and warned against innovation after him.
I leave among you that which, if you hold fast to it, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah.al-Hakim; al-Mustadrak — hasan li ghayrihi in composite reports
O people, I am only a man. It may be that the messenger of my Lord comes to me soon and I respond. I am leaving among you two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my progeny, the people of my house. If you hold fast to them you will never go astray.Reported in Muslim and others with variant wording on Ahl al-Bayt
He reminded them of accountability for trusts and contracts, and that no bearer of burdens bears the burden of another.
He reminded them that the months of Hajj and the sacred months must be respected, and that the customs of ignorance were abolished.
Do not revert after me to disbelief, striking the necks of one another. Lo! the devil has despaired of being worshipped in your land, but he will be pleased to be obeyed in other matters you think small — so beware of him in your religion.Muslim 1218; Abu Dawud 1900
Allah has made your blood and your property and your honour sacred, as sacred as this day in this month in this land. Have I conveyed the message? O Allah, bear witness.Muslim 1218 — closing witness
Feed your slaves what you feed yourselves, and clothe them as you clothe yourselves. Let him who is present convey to him who is absent — perhaps the one told will understand better than the one who heard directly.Muslim 1218; Ahmad — conveyance to absent sahabah
He asked those present to bear witness that he had conveyed the message. On this journey Qur’an 5:3 was revealed: “Today I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.” Months later the Prophet (ﷺ) returned to Madinah and passed away in 11 AH.
Today I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.Qur’an 5:3 — context of Farewell Hajj