The Farewell Sermon of the Prophet (saw)
Over 1,400 years ago, on the Day of 'Arafah, our beloved Prophet (saw) gave a beautiful khutbah known as the Farewell Sermon. It began, 'O people, listen to what I say, for indeed I don’t know whether I will ever meet you at this place after this year...'
After this khutbah, Allah (swt) revealed, 'This day, I have perfected for you your religion and completed upon you My blessing and I have chosen for you Islam as [your] religion'. [The Noble Qur'an, 5:3]
In partnership with TV One, we've created a 10-episode series about this incredible sermon. It is presented by Ustadh Yasrab Shah, our Director of Fundraising.
We hope you find it beneficial!
Episode 1
In this episode, learn about the build-up to the Farwell Sermon, including how the Prophet (saw) announced he was going on Hajj in 10 AH, the excitement of the people of Madinah and neighbouring tribes and how we can gain the reward of performing Hajj with the Prophet (saw). Ustadh Yasrab Shah follows the Sunnah by beginning with the Khutbat al-Hajah or 'the Sermon of Need'
Episode 2
In this episode, learn the historic context of the Farewell Sermon, including the signs at the time that our Prophet would soon return to Allah, as well as the sanctity of the Day of 'Arafah. Ustadh Yasrab Shah narrates how Fatimah (ra) was told by her father (saw) that he would be leaving this world and that she would be the first to join him in the next world.
Episode 3
In this episode, learn about the sanctity of the site of the Farewell Sermon, the plains of 'Arafat, including how it was the site of the divine agreement between ourselves and our Lord and the place where Prophet Adam (as) and his wife were reunited in this world. Ustadh Yasrab Shah also reminds us of the rites of Hajj which took place before the Farewell Sermon and talks about the different narrations regarding how many people were present for this khutbah.
Episode 4
In this episode, the khutbah begins! Ustadh Yasrab Shah reads out the khutbah as recorded by Ibn Hisham, in Arabic and English, beginning with 'O people, listen to what I say, for indeed I don’t know whether I will ever meet you at this place after this year...' We learn some of the eloquent and powerful advice the Prophet (saw) gave us in this sermon regarding the sanctity of our blood and our property.
Episode 5
In this episode, we continue to reflect on the advice of the Farewell Sermon, including the value of the Ka'bah compared with the value of a believer with Allah.
Episode 6
In this episode, we move on to the next statement the Prophet (saw) made in his khutbah, 'Behold! Every practice from the Days of Ignorance is placed under my feet and completely annulled...' Ustadh Yasrab Shah talks about this historic context of blood feuds based on tribalism and the practice of usury (interest). We also learn the Prophet's commands regarding the treatment of women.
Episode 7
In this episode, we reflect on the advice of the Prophet (saw) regarding the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw), and the the five daily prayers which were gifted to us on Al-Isra wal-Mi'raj. We also mention how the Prophet (saw) asked all those who were present to bear witness that he had conveyed his Message to us.
Episode 8
In this episode, we learn about the revelation of the ayah, 'This day, I have perfected for you your religion and completed upon you My blessing and I have chosen for you Islam as [your] religion' [The Noble Qur'an, 5:3]. Ustadh Yasrab Shah speaks about the rites of Hajj after the Day of 'Arafah was over.
Episode 9
In this episode, we talk about the Day of Nahr (Eid al-Adha) and the second sermon of the Prophet (saw) which he gave that morning. Ustadh Yasrab Shah talks about some of the statements he (saw) made, such as: 'Time has come back to its original state which it had when Allah created the Heavens and the Earth. The year is twelve months, four of which are sacred. Three of them are in succession: Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Al-Muharram and Rajab of Mudar [named after the tribe of Mudar as they used to respect this month], which stands between Jumada (ath-Thani) and Sha'ban'. [Bukhari]
Episode 10
In the final episode of this series, Ustadh Yasrab Shah goes through some more narrations regarding the Farewell Sermon from the people who were present that day, including the Prophet (saw) saying that no person is superior to another expect in righteousness. We finish the series by summarising the Farewell Sermon and what we can learn from it.
We hope you enjoyed this series! Before you go, we'd just like to remind you to order your Qurbani in time for Eid al-Adha. We offer Qurbani in 28 locations, including Yemen and Palestine, and we prioritise distributing the meat to orphans and widows first. Order your sacrifice from £35 to fulfil your obligation!
