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. ----- 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”. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Messages from the Last Sermon of Prophet Muhammad Pbuh - An Elixir for a Decaying Human Society -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: The Last Sermon of the Prophet Muhammad -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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] ---- Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam. 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