1. The Context and Significance of the Farewell Sermon

In the tenth year after the Hijrah, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ performed Hajj for the first and last time in his life. He traveled from Medina to Mecca with a vast multitude of Companions — estimated at over 100,000, with some reports suggesting up to 124,000 — and on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah, the Day of Arafah, he delivered a sermon from the back of his camel in the Uranah Valley of Mount Arafat . The Prophet ﷺ began by acknowledging that he might not meet his followers again: “I do not know whether after this year I shall ever be amongst you again” .

The sermon was delivered on a Friday, and it was on this very day that Allah revealed the verse:

Ibn Kathir, in his Tafsir, notes that this verse was revealed on the Day of Arafah during the Farewell Pilgrimage, and it is considered one of the final Qur’anic revelations . The Prophet ﷺ passed away approximately eighty-one days after this sermon, making it his final, comprehensive testament to the Muslim Ummah .

The Farewell Sermon is preserved in multiple authentic narrations, most notably in Sahih Muslim (hadith 1218), Sunan Abi Dawud, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, and other collections. While the exact wording varies slightly across narrations, the core content and commands are consistent and Mutawatir (mass-transmitted) in meaning . Imam al-Nawawi, in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, devoted extensive discussion to this sermon, noting its comprehensive nature and its status as a foundational text for Islamic law .

2. The Complete Text of the Farewell Sermon

The following is a composite translation based on the authentic narrations preserved in Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, and other reliable sources :

3. Decoding the Sermon: The Sanctity of Life, Property, and Honor

The Prophet ﷺ opened the substantive portion of his sermon by establishing a principle that would govern all Muslim relations: “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.” He equated the inviolability of a Muslim’s life, wealth, and honor with the sanctity of the most sacred time (Dhul-Hijjah), the most sacred day (Arafah), and the most sacred place (Mecca) .

This is not a mere moral exhortation; it is a divine command rooted in the Qur’an. Allah says:

And:

The Prophet ﷺ reinforced this in his final sermon precisely because he was leaving them. The Companions had heard these commands before, but the Prophet ﷺ wanted them etched into their hearts as his final testament. The hadith of the Prophet ﷺ in Sahih Muslim states: “Your blood, your property, and your honor are sacred to you, like the sacredness of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this city of yours” .

The sermon also commands: “Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.” This establishes the principle of reciprocity and justice that is the foundation of Islamic social ethics. The Prophet ﷺ is reminding them that the Day of Judgment is real, and Allah will “reckon your deeds” .

Imam al-Nawawi commented that this hadith establishes the inviolability of a Muslim’s blood, wealth, and honor as a foundational principle of Islamic law, and that it is among the most comprehensive statements of the Prophet ﷺ regarding the rights of Muslims over one another .

4. Decoding the Sermon: The Abolition of Pre-Islamic Usury and Blood Feuds

The Prophet ﷺ then declared: “Allah has forbidden you to take usury, therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived.” This is a direct reference to the Qur’anic prohibition of riba, which is mentioned in several verses, including:

And:

The Prophet ﷺ did not merely announce the prohibition; he demonstrated it by waiving the interest owed to his own uncle, Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. This is a powerful gesture: the Prophet ﷺ did not exempt his own family from the law. The first interest waived was the interest of his uncle, and the first blood feud waived was the blood of Rabiah ibn al-Harith, a relative of the Prophet ﷺ .

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived.” This was a radical declaration. In pre-Islamic Arabia, tribal blood feuds could last for generations, consuming entire communities in cycles of violence. The Prophet ﷺ abolished this system entirely, establishing that justice belongs to Allah and that the believers must not return to the ways of ignorance.

Ibn Hajar, in Fath al-Bari, notes that the Prophet’s waiving of his own family’s claims was a demonstration of sincerity and a means of encouraging others to follow suit . The Prophet ﷺ also addressed the manipulation of the sacred months: “The unbelievers tamper with the calendar in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade.” This refers to the practice of nasi’, the postponement of sacred months, which Allah condemns in the Qur’an:

The Prophet ﷺ is declaring that the Islamic calendar is now fixed and that the sacred months are inviolable .

5. Decoding the Sermon: The Rights and Status of Women

The Prophet ﷺ dedicated a substantial portion of his final sermon to the rights of women, a topic of immense importance given the pre-Islamic treatment of women as property with few rights. He said: “Fear Allah concerning women! Verily you have taken them on the guarantee of Allah, and being intimate with them has been made lawful unto you by words of Allah” .

The Prophet ﷺ established that marriage is not a contract of ownership but a trust (amanah) from Allah. The woman is not a possession; she is a partner and a “committed helper” . The Prophet ﷺ outlined the mutual rights: the wife’s right to be fed and clothed in kindness, and the husband’s right that she not admit anyone he disapproves of into the home, nor be unchaste .

This teaching is rooted in the Qur’an:

And:

The Prophet ﷺ also commanded: “Do treat your women well and be kind to them.” This is not optional; it is an obligation. The Prophet ﷺ in his final sermon, knowing he would soon die, chose to leave his Ummah with this command, indicating its paramount importance.

The Prophet ﷺ also said in a hadith: “The best of you are those who are best to their women” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3895, graded Sahih). And: “I command you to be good to women” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5186, Sahih Muslim 1468) .

Imam al-Nawawi noted that the Prophet’s ﷺ command to treat women well in his final sermon indicates the gravity of this obligation and that it is among the most important of Islamic teachings .

6. Decoding the Sermon: The Unity of Humanity and the End of Racism

Perhaps the most universally quoted passage from the Farewell Sermon is the declaration of human equality: “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 — except by piety and good action” .

This is a direct refutation of the tribal and racial hierarchies that dominated pre-Islamic Arabia and continue to plague humanity today. The Qur’an states:

The Prophet ﷺ is not merely preaching tolerance; he is abolishing the very concept of racial superiority. The only criterion of distinction is taqwa — God-consciousness and righteous action. This is a radical, revolutionary teaching that remains as relevant today as it was in 632 CE.

The Prophet ﷺ then declared: “Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim, and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.” This brotherhood is not based on blood, tribe, or nationality; it is based on faith. Allah says:

And the Prophet ﷺ said in a hadith:

The Prophet ﷺ also warned: “Do not therefore do injustice to yourselves. Remember one day you will meet Allah and answer your deeds.” This is a reminder that the brotherhood of Islam is not merely a social convention; it is a divine obligation, and its violation is a sin for which one will be held accountable .

7. Decoding the Sermon: The Two Trusts — Qur’an and Sunnah

The Prophet ﷺ concluded his sermon with his most important bequest: “I leave behind me two things: the Qur’an and my Sunnah, and if you follow these, you will never go astray” .

This is the final, definitive criterion for the Muslim Ummah. The Prophet ﷺ did not leave them with a political system, a sect, or a personality cult. He left them with two things: the Book of Allah and his own practice (Sunnah). Whoever adheres to these two will not go astray; whoever deviates from them will inevitably fall into error.

This is confirmed by the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ:

The Prophet ﷺ also warned: “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.” This is a crucial warning: the greatest danger to the Ummah is not outright apostasy but the slow erosion of the Sunnah through small innovations (bid’ah). Satan does not ask the believer to abandon Islam entirely; he asks him to add a little here and subtract a little there, until the religion becomes unrecognizable.

This is why the Prophet ﷺ emphasized: “I leave behind me two things: the Qur’an and my Sunnah.” The criterion is clear. Anything that is not from the Qur’an and Sunnah is not from Islam, regardless of how beautiful it may appear.

Imam al-Shafi’i stated: “Whatever the Prophet ﷺ legislated, it is sufficient for us; whatever he did not legislate, we do not legislate.” And Ibn Mas’ud said: “Follow and do not innovate, for you have been sufficed.” This is the criterion of the Salaf.

8. The Finality of Prophethood and the Perfection of Religion

The Farewell Sermon was delivered at a moment of divine completion. The verse “This day I have perfected for you your religion” (Qur’an 5:3) was revealed on this very day . The religion was complete. There was no need for a new prophet, a new book, or a new law.

The Prophet ﷺ declared: “O people! No prophet or apostle will come after me, and no new faith will be born” . This is the doctrine of the finality of prophethood (Khatm al-Nubuwwah), which is established in the Qur’an:

The Prophet ﷺ is the Seal of the Prophets. Anyone who claims prophethood after him is a liar. The religion is perfected. The door of revelation is closed. The only task remaining for the Ummah is to adhere to what was revealed — neither adding nor subtracting.

The Prophet ﷺ asked the Companions to bear witness: “Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed Your message to Your people” . He had fulfilled his mission. The message was delivered. The trust was passed on. It is now the responsibility of every subsequent generation to preserve and practice that message exactly as it was revealed.

Ibn Kathir, in his Tafsir of Qur’an 5:3, notes that this verse marks the completion of the religion and the perfection of Allah’s favor upon the believers. After this verse, no new legislation was revealed, and the religion was sealed .

9. Conclusion: A Sermon for All Time

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