In the Year 10 A.H. the power of the kuffar and oppositions of the non
Muslims states had virtually disappeared. The mission of Rasulullah had been completed. The
Muslims began to enjoy peace, prosperity and security. Arabia became an Islamic
State and this afforded the Muslims the opportunity to practise their faith
freely and without any hindrance from anyone.
Rasulullah appointed his trustworthy
and pious Sahaba (R.A.) to various parts of Arabia to propound and to
consolidate the principles of Islam and to guide those, who in their weakness,
might bring disrepute to the faith. Islam had reached the highest pinnacle of
glory. The Sahaba (R.A.) were tutored and trained by their beloved
Nabi on the five pillars of
Islam: (1) Imaan (belief) (2) Salaah (prayer) (3) Saum (fasting) (4) Zakaat (charity) (5) Hajj (pilgrimage).
Rasulullah established "madaris";
courts of justice; protection for the underprivileged and the oppressed. Learned
Sahaba (R.A.) were appointed Amirs, magistrates, judges and governors under the
banner of Islam.
Hazrat Khalid ibn Walid (R.A.) was responsible for bringing the tribes of
Najraan into the fold of Islam. Hazrat Ali Abu Talib (R.A.) annexed the
formidable Bazaan, the king of Yemen to the Islamic State. Then came the
revelation of Surah Nasr:
"When come the help of Allah, and victory, and
when you see the people enter Allah's Deen in
Crowds,
Then celebrate the Praise of your Lord, and pray
for his Forgiveness: for no doubt He accepts
repentance'.
Rasulullah understood that Allah was
pleased with his humble work and gaining the impression of his approaching end,
he announced his intention to perform Hajj, the ultimate rite of every Muslim.
He advised his Sahaba (R.A.) to do likewise.
The month of Dhu al Qadah was almost at an end, to be followed by Dhul Hijjah
the month of Hajj (pilgrimage). Until that time, Nabi
had not performed the Hajj, though he had performed Umrah on two previous
occasions. The ritual (arkan) of Hajj had to be established in its entirety so
that Muslims might learn to follow it.
As soon as the people knew of Rasulullah
's intention and heard his call to march with him for Hajj, the whole
Peninsula reverberated with the call, and thousands and thousands of people from
all corners poured into Madinah. From every town and village. From every
mountain and valley, from every plain and desert across the wide Peninsula the
people arrived to perform the Hajj. It was as if this very vast expanse of land
had all been illuminated by the dazzling light of Allah and his Rasool Around Madinah tents were
set up to accommodate the new visitors, numbering 100,000 or more, who rose up
in response to the call of their Nabi .
All these men came as brethren, in love and respect for one another, and united
in true bond of friendship and Islamic brotherhood. whereas but yesteryear they
had been the most hostile of enemies. These thousands upon thousands of men
filled the streets of Madinah, all manifesting the smiles of faith, the
certainty of conviction and the confidence and pride of true religion. Their
gathering was an inspiring evidence of the victory of truth, of the wide reach
of the light of Allah and the deep bond of truth and righteousness which had
cemented them one to the other so that they stood like one great fortress.
There was feverish activity in Madinah. But above all, every Muslim longed to
see Rasulullah People jostled and
clamoured to touch him or part of his garment for blessings. The scene of
respect, love and tenderness and the reverence of the Sahaba (R.A.) towards
their beloved Nabi could never have been
witnessed in any kingdom of the world.
On the twenty fifth of Dhul Qadah of the year 10 A.H. (23rd February 632
A.D.) Rasulullah set forth towards Makkah
accompanied by all his wives each riding her own carriage. He was followed by a
great multitude, numbering 114,000. These men marched with consciences deeply
moved by their Imaan, with hearts full of joy and contentment at their intended
accomplishment of Hajj to the holy sanctuary of Allah.
They reached Dhu al Hulayfah at the end of the day and there they spent the
night. On the following morning, Rasulullah
put on his Ehram (sacred state) and the Muslims followed his example. Everyone
changed their clothes and put on two pieces of unsewn white cloth, the simplest
of all garments. In this way, they expressed the absolute equal political,
economic and legal right for all its citizens-Islam, in its most eloquent
highest sense. Muhammed turned to Allah with all
his heart and mind praying, "At your service O Allah! At your service! You have
no associates! At your service, O Allah! Praise be to Allah! Thank be to Allah!
At your service' O Allah! You have no associates, O Allah! At your service O
Allah". all the Muslims repeated these words after him. Deserts, valleys and
mountains reverberated with this prayer. The sky itself reverberated with the
call of all those pious, believing and worshipping souls.
Thus the procession continued on its way to Makkah, its thousands and
hundreds of thousands filling the air with the sound of his prayer. At every
masjid on the way to Makkah, the procession would stop to pray, and the voices
of thousands would rise proclaiming the unity of Allah, their praise and
blessing in anticipation of the great day of Hajj that awaited them. Everyone
impatient to reach the sanctuary of Allah that he revered and honoured more than
anything else in the world. Undoubtedly the deserts, mountains , valley, the
trees, birds and skies were moved by what they witnessed in this great call, the
like of which they had never heard before. They and the Peninsula had been
blessed by the coming Nabi Muhammed ,
the servant of Allah and his Rasool.
The procession reached Makkah on the fourth of Dhul al Hijjah. Upon arrival,
Rasulullah followed by the Sahaba
(R.A.) hastened to the Ka'bah. There Rasulullah
went to the Hajr-e-Aswad (Black Stone) and kissed it. Then he circumambulated
the holy sanctuary seven times, the first three of which he did at a marching
pace, just as he had done during the Umra. He then proceeded to the sanctuary of
Ibrahim (A.S.) where he performed salaah. Returning to the Hajr-e-Aswad, he
kissed it once more than went to Mount al Safa and from there performed the Sai
between that mount and the mount of Marwah.
On the eight day of Dhul al Hijjah Rasulullah
went to Mina and spent the day and night in that locality. There he performed
all Salaah incumbent during that period. The following day, Nabi S.A.W. recited
his Fajr Salaat and, at sunrise, proceeded on his camel al Qaswa, to the Mount
of Arafat, followed by all the pilgrims. As he ascended the mountain, he was
surrounded by thousands of his Sahaba (R.A.) reciting the talbiyah and the
takbir. Nabi asked some of the Sahaba
(R.A.) to put up a tent for him on the east side of the mountain as a spot
called Namirah. When the sun passed the zenith, he ordered his camel to be
saddled, and rode on it until he reached the valley of 'Uranah'.
It was there that he, while sitting on his camel, delivered his sermon in a
loud voice to his people. Hazrat Rabi'ah ibn Umayyah ibn Khalaf (R.A.) repeated
the sermon after him sentence by sentence.
He began by praising Allah and thanking Him, and turning to the people, he
said:
"O Men. listen well to my words, for I do not know whether I shall
meet you again on such an occasion in the future. O men, your lives and your
property shall be inviolate until you meet your Lord. The safety of your lives
and of your property shall be as inviolate as this holy day and holy month.
Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord and that He will indeed reckon your
deeds. Thus do I warn you. Whoever of you is keeping a trust of someone else
shall return that trust to its rightful owner. All interest obligation shall
henceforth be waived. Your capital however, is yours to keep. You will neither
inflict nor suffer injustice. Allah has judged that there shall be no interest
and that all the interest due to 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al Muttalib shall hence forth
be waived. Every right arising out of homicide in pre-islamic days is henceforth
waived. And the first such right that I waive is that arising from the murder of
Rabi'ah ibn Hrith ibn 'Abd al Muttalib. (ibn Rabi'ah, a cousin of
Rasulullah . He was confided, in
infancy, to the care of a family of the Banu Laith. This child was cruelly
murdered by the member of the tribe of Huzail, but the murder was not yet
avenged). O Men, the shaytaan has lost all hope of ever being worshipped in this
land of yours. Nevertheless, he still is anxious to induce you in the lesser of
your deeds. Beware of him, therefore, for the safety of your religion. O Men,
adding or tampering with the calendar is evidence of great unbelief and confirms
the unbelievers in their misguidance. They include in it one year and forbid it
in the next in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to forbid
that which Allah has made permissible. The pattern according to which the time
is reckoned is always the same. With Allah, the month are twelve in
number. (The Arabs added a month every three years to re-establish equilibrium
and bring the same dates back to the same seasons). O men, to you a right
belongs with respect to your women a right with respect to you. It is your right
that they do not fraternize with anyone whom you do not approve, as well as
never to commit adultery. But if they do, then Allah has permitted you to
isolate them within their homes and to chastise them without cruelty. But 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 you
partners and committed helpers. Remember that you have taken them as your wives
and enjoy their flesh only under Allah's trust and with His permission. Reason
well, therefore, O men, and ponder my words which I now convey to you. I am
leaving you with the Kitab of Allah and the Sunnah of His Rasool. If you follow
them, you will never go astray . O Men, listen well to my words. Learn that
every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslim constitute one
brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belonged to a fellow
Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not therefore do injustice
to your own slaves. Let him that is present tell it unto him that is absent.
Possibly he that shall be told may remember better than he who had heard it".
As Rasulullah delivered his speech,
Hazrat Rabi'ah ibn Umayyah ibn Khalaf (R.A.) repeated it sentence by sentence
and asked the people every now and then whether or not they had understood
Rasulullah 's words and committed
them to memory. In order to make sure that the people understood and remembered,
Rasulullah used to ask his message
bearer to say "The Rasool of Allah asks, 'Do you know which day is this?" The
audience would answer, "Today is the day of Hajj".
At the end of the speech, Rasulullah
exclaimed. "O Allah! I have delivered my message and accomplished my work". The
assembled Sahaba (R.A.) below with one voice cried, "Yes, indeed so! Allah be
witness". O Allah I beseech you, bear you witness unto it".
With these words Rasulullah
finished his address, which according to tradition, was remarkable for its
length, its eloquence and enthusiasm. Rasulullah
dismounted and waited till noon, at which time he performed both the noon
(zohar) and the mid afternoon (Asr) salaah. He then mounted his camel and
proceed to al Sakarat where he recited to the people the concluding divine
revelation : "Today I have completed for you your religion, and granted you the
last of my blessings. Today I have accepted for you Islam as the religion". When
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqe (R.A.) heard these verse he realized that with the
completion of the divine message, Rasulullah 's
life was soon to come to a close.
Rasulullah left 'Arafat and spent his
night at Muzdalifah. In the morning, he first visited the sanctuary of al
Mash'ar, and then Mina on the road to which he threw pebbles against the symbol
of Shaytaan. When he reached his tent, he sacrificed sixty three camels, one for
each year of his life. Hazrat Ali ibn Abu Talib
(R.A), sacrificed the rest
(37) of the animals which Rasulullah S.A.W had brought with him from Madinah.
Rasulullah then had his head shaved
by Hazrat Mi'mar ibn Abdullah (R.A.) and returned to Makkah to perform the
Tawaf. On the same day he returned to Mina where he stayed for three days. On
the 13th day after midday he departed from Minah towards Makkah. On the way he
stopped over in the valley of Muhassab and performed the Zohar, Asr, Maghrib and
Esha Salaah there and rested for the night. In the last part of the night he
entered Makkah, performed his last Tawaf thereafter read his Fajr Salaah and
departed for Madinah.
This Hajj is sometimes called "The Farewell Hajj". Others have called it the
"Hajj of the Annunciation" and others, the "Hajj of Islam". In reality,
Rasulullah 's Hajj was all these at
once. It was the "Farewell Hajj: because Rasulullah
saw Makkah and the holy Haram for the last time. It was also the "Hajj of Islam"
because Allah completed His religion for the benefit of mankind and granted them
His total blessing. Finally, it was also the "Hajj of Annunciation" because
Rasulullah completed his announcement
and conveyance to the people of what had been commanded by Allah to announce and
to convey.
Contents
of the biography of the Prophet Muhammed
Muslims states had virtually disappeared. The mission of Rasulullah had been completed. The
Muslims began to enjoy peace, prosperity and security. Arabia became an Islamic
State and this afforded the Muslims the opportunity to practise their faith
freely and without any hindrance from anyone.
Rasulullah appointed his trustworthy
and pious Sahaba (R.A.) to various parts of Arabia to propound and to
consolidate the principles of Islam and to guide those, who in their weakness,
might bring disrepute to the faith. Islam had reached the highest pinnacle of
glory. The Sahaba (R.A.) were tutored and trained by their beloved
Nabi on the five pillars of
Islam: (1) Imaan (belief) (2) Salaah (prayer) (3) Saum (fasting) (4) Zakaat (charity) (5) Hajj (pilgrimage).
Rasulullah established "madaris";
courts of justice; protection for the underprivileged and the oppressed. Learned
Sahaba (R.A.) were appointed Amirs, magistrates, judges and governors under the
banner of Islam.
Hazrat Khalid ibn Walid (R.A.) was responsible for bringing the tribes of
Najraan into the fold of Islam. Hazrat Ali Abu Talib (R.A.) annexed the
formidable Bazaan, the king of Yemen to the Islamic State. Then came the
revelation of Surah Nasr:
"When come the help of Allah, and victory, and
when you see the people enter Allah's Deen in
Crowds,
Then celebrate the Praise of your Lord, and pray
for his Forgiveness: for no doubt He accepts
repentance'.
Rasulullah understood that Allah was
pleased with his humble work and gaining the impression of his approaching end,
he announced his intention to perform Hajj, the ultimate rite of every Muslim.
He advised his Sahaba (R.A.) to do likewise.
The month of Dhu al Qadah was almost at an end, to be followed by Dhul Hijjah
the month of Hajj (pilgrimage). Until that time, Nabi
had not performed the Hajj, though he had performed Umrah on two previous
occasions. The ritual (arkan) of Hajj had to be established in its entirety so
that Muslims might learn to follow it.
As soon as the people knew of Rasulullah
's intention and heard his call to march with him for Hajj, the whole
Peninsula reverberated with the call, and thousands and thousands of people from
all corners poured into Madinah. From every town and village. From every
mountain and valley, from every plain and desert across the wide Peninsula the
people arrived to perform the Hajj. It was as if this very vast expanse of land
had all been illuminated by the dazzling light of Allah and his Rasool Around Madinah tents were
set up to accommodate the new visitors, numbering 100,000 or more, who rose up
in response to the call of their Nabi .
All these men came as brethren, in love and respect for one another, and united
in true bond of friendship and Islamic brotherhood. whereas but yesteryear they
had been the most hostile of enemies. These thousands upon thousands of men
filled the streets of Madinah, all manifesting the smiles of faith, the
certainty of conviction and the confidence and pride of true religion. Their
gathering was an inspiring evidence of the victory of truth, of the wide reach
of the light of Allah and the deep bond of truth and righteousness which had
cemented them one to the other so that they stood like one great fortress.
There was feverish activity in Madinah. But above all, every Muslim longed to
see Rasulullah People jostled and
clamoured to touch him or part of his garment for blessings. The scene of
respect, love and tenderness and the reverence of the Sahaba (R.A.) towards
their beloved Nabi could never have been
witnessed in any kingdom of the world.
On the twenty fifth of Dhul Qadah of the year 10 A.H. (23rd February 632
A.D.) Rasulullah set forth towards Makkah
accompanied by all his wives each riding her own carriage. He was followed by a
great multitude, numbering 114,000. These men marched with consciences deeply
moved by their Imaan, with hearts full of joy and contentment at their intended
accomplishment of Hajj to the holy sanctuary of Allah.
They reached Dhu al Hulayfah at the end of the day and there they spent the
night. On the following morning, Rasulullah
put on his Ehram (sacred state) and the Muslims followed his example. Everyone
changed their clothes and put on two pieces of unsewn white cloth, the simplest
of all garments. In this way, they expressed the absolute equal political,
economic and legal right for all its citizens-Islam, in its most eloquent
highest sense. Muhammed turned to Allah with all
his heart and mind praying, "At your service O Allah! At your service! You have
no associates! At your service, O Allah! Praise be to Allah! Thank be to Allah!
At your service' O Allah! You have no associates, O Allah! At your service O
Allah". all the Muslims repeated these words after him. Deserts, valleys and
mountains reverberated with this prayer. The sky itself reverberated with the
call of all those pious, believing and worshipping souls.
Thus the procession continued on its way to Makkah, its thousands and
hundreds of thousands filling the air with the sound of his prayer. At every
masjid on the way to Makkah, the procession would stop to pray, and the voices
of thousands would rise proclaiming the unity of Allah, their praise and
blessing in anticipation of the great day of Hajj that awaited them. Everyone
impatient to reach the sanctuary of Allah that he revered and honoured more than
anything else in the world. Undoubtedly the deserts, mountains , valley, the
trees, birds and skies were moved by what they witnessed in this great call, the
like of which they had never heard before. They and the Peninsula had been
blessed by the coming Nabi Muhammed ,
the servant of Allah and his Rasool.
The procession reached Makkah on the fourth of Dhul al Hijjah. Upon arrival,
Rasulullah followed by the Sahaba
(R.A.) hastened to the Ka'bah. There Rasulullah
went to the Hajr-e-Aswad (Black Stone) and kissed it. Then he circumambulated
the holy sanctuary seven times, the first three of which he did at a marching
pace, just as he had done during the Umra. He then proceeded to the sanctuary of
Ibrahim (A.S.) where he performed salaah. Returning to the Hajr-e-Aswad, he
kissed it once more than went to Mount al Safa and from there performed the Sai
between that mount and the mount of Marwah.
On the eight day of Dhul al Hijjah Rasulullah
went to Mina and spent the day and night in that locality. There he performed
all Salaah incumbent during that period. The following day, Nabi S.A.W. recited
his Fajr Salaat and, at sunrise, proceeded on his camel al Qaswa, to the Mount
of Arafat, followed by all the pilgrims. As he ascended the mountain, he was
surrounded by thousands of his Sahaba (R.A.) reciting the talbiyah and the
takbir. Nabi asked some of the Sahaba
(R.A.) to put up a tent for him on the east side of the mountain as a spot
called Namirah. When the sun passed the zenith, he ordered his camel to be
saddled, and rode on it until he reached the valley of 'Uranah'.
It was there that he, while sitting on his camel, delivered his sermon in a
loud voice to his people. Hazrat Rabi'ah ibn Umayyah ibn Khalaf (R.A.) repeated
the sermon after him sentence by sentence.
He began by praising Allah and thanking Him, and turning to the people, he
said:
"O Men. listen well to my words, for I do not know whether I shall
meet you again on such an occasion in the future. O men, your lives and your
property shall be inviolate until you meet your Lord. The safety of your lives
and of your property shall be as inviolate as this holy day and holy month.
Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord and that He will indeed reckon your
deeds. Thus do I warn you. Whoever of you is keeping a trust of someone else
shall return that trust to its rightful owner. All interest obligation shall
henceforth be waived. Your capital however, is yours to keep. You will neither
inflict nor suffer injustice. Allah has judged that there shall be no interest
and that all the interest due to 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al Muttalib shall hence forth
be waived. Every right arising out of homicide in pre-islamic days is henceforth
waived. And the first such right that I waive is that arising from the murder of
Rabi'ah ibn Hrith ibn 'Abd al Muttalib. (ibn Rabi'ah, a cousin of
Rasulullah . He was confided, in
infancy, to the care of a family of the Banu Laith. This child was cruelly
murdered by the member of the tribe of Huzail, but the murder was not yet
avenged). O Men, the shaytaan has lost all hope of ever being worshipped in this
land of yours. Nevertheless, he still is anxious to induce you in the lesser of
your deeds. Beware of him, therefore, for the safety of your religion. O Men,
adding or tampering with the calendar is evidence of great unbelief and confirms
the unbelievers in their misguidance. They include in it one year and forbid it
in the next in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to forbid
that which Allah has made permissible. The pattern according to which the time
is reckoned is always the same. With Allah, the month are twelve in
number. (The Arabs added a month every three years to re-establish equilibrium
and bring the same dates back to the same seasons). O men, to you a right
belongs with respect to your women a right with respect to you. It is your right
that they do not fraternize with anyone whom you do not approve, as well as
never to commit adultery. But if they do, then Allah has permitted you to
isolate them within their homes and to chastise them without cruelty. But 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 you
partners and committed helpers. Remember that you have taken them as your wives
and enjoy their flesh only under Allah's trust and with His permission. Reason
well, therefore, O men, and ponder my words which I now convey to you. I am
leaving you with the Kitab of Allah and the Sunnah of His Rasool. If you follow
them, you will never go astray . O Men, listen well to my words. Learn that
every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslim constitute one
brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belonged to a fellow
Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not therefore do injustice
to your own slaves. Let him that is present tell it unto him that is absent.
Possibly he that shall be told may remember better than he who had heard it".
As Rasulullah delivered his speech,
Hazrat Rabi'ah ibn Umayyah ibn Khalaf (R.A.) repeated it sentence by sentence
and asked the people every now and then whether or not they had understood
Rasulullah 's words and committed
them to memory. In order to make sure that the people understood and remembered,
Rasulullah used to ask his message
bearer to say "The Rasool of Allah asks, 'Do you know which day is this?" The
audience would answer, "Today is the day of Hajj".
At the end of the speech, Rasulullah
exclaimed. "O Allah! I have delivered my message and accomplished my work". The
assembled Sahaba (R.A.) below with one voice cried, "Yes, indeed so! Allah be
witness". O Allah I beseech you, bear you witness unto it".
With these words Rasulullah
finished his address, which according to tradition, was remarkable for its
length, its eloquence and enthusiasm. Rasulullah
dismounted and waited till noon, at which time he performed both the noon
(zohar) and the mid afternoon (Asr) salaah. He then mounted his camel and
proceed to al Sakarat where he recited to the people the concluding divine
revelation : "Today I have completed for you your religion, and granted you the
last of my blessings. Today I have accepted for you Islam as the religion". When
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqe (R.A.) heard these verse he realized that with the
completion of the divine message, Rasulullah 's
life was soon to come to a close.
Rasulullah left 'Arafat and spent his
night at Muzdalifah. In the morning, he first visited the sanctuary of al
Mash'ar, and then Mina on the road to which he threw pebbles against the symbol
of Shaytaan. When he reached his tent, he sacrificed sixty three camels, one for
each year of his life. Hazrat Ali ibn Abu Talib
(R.A), sacrificed the rest
(37) of the animals which Rasulullah S.A.W had brought with him from Madinah.
Rasulullah then had his head shaved
by Hazrat Mi'mar ibn Abdullah (R.A.) and returned to Makkah to perform the
Tawaf. On the same day he returned to Mina where he stayed for three days. On
the 13th day after midday he departed from Minah towards Makkah. On the way he
stopped over in the valley of Muhassab and performed the Zohar, Asr, Maghrib and
Esha Salaah there and rested for the night. In the last part of the night he
entered Makkah, performed his last Tawaf thereafter read his Fajr Salaah and
departed for Madinah.
This Hajj is sometimes called "The Farewell Hajj". Others have called it the
"Hajj of the Annunciation" and others, the "Hajj of Islam". In reality,
Rasulullah 's Hajj was all these at
once. It was the "Farewell Hajj: because Rasulullah
saw Makkah and the holy Haram for the last time. It was also the "Hajj of Islam"
because Allah completed His religion for the benefit of mankind and granted them
His total blessing. Finally, it was also the "Hajj of Annunciation" because
Rasulullah completed his announcement
and conveyance to the people of what had been commanded by Allah to announce and
to convey.
Contents
of the biography of the Prophet Muhammed