out for Makkah to perform Hajj. This time about 100,000 believers
accompanied him. This pilgrimage is commonly known as the Farewell
Hajj. It was during this time that he explained the rules of Hajj and
gave his famous speech, known as the Final Sermon.
Upon reaching Makkah, the Prophetand his followers put on the white
sheets that showed their equality before Allah Almighty. This is
called Ihram. Then the pilgrims went directly to the Ka'bah and walked
round it seven times in a counter-clockwise direction. This is called
the Tawaf. As the Muslim pilgrims arrived, they called out: Here I am,
O Allah, here I am! Here I am, O You without equal, Here I am! Yours
is the kingdom, the praise and the glory, O You without equal, God
Alone!
This is the prayer called the Talbiyah, which is the answer to the
Divine call to come and give one's life wholly to Allah.
Next, they ran back and forth seven times between the small hills of
Safa and Marwah in memory of the time when Allah Almighty tested the
Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and his family. This is called the
Sa'i, and it shows the soul's determined search for that which gives
true life.
Allah had told Ibrahim, peace be upon him, to leave his wife, Hajar,
and their son, Isma'il ]Ishmael, peace be upon him[, in His care in
the uninhabited valley of Makkah. In the barren desert the two soon
began to die of thirst. Frantic, Hajar ran back and forth between the
hilltops trying to spot a passing caravan in the distance. But there
was none. Finally, when all seemed lost, a spring gushed forth at the
feet of the suffering child, Isma'il, peace be upon him. This spring
is now known as the well of Zamzam. It reminds pilgrims of the truth,
that when all hope has vanished, God remains to give healing, strength
and life to the soul.
Now the pilgrims had completed the rites in the Sacred Mosque in
Makkah. On the eighth day of the Hajj, the pilgrims went to the valley
of Mina, about ten kilometers from the Ka'bah, where Allah Almighty
tested Ibrahim, peace be upon him, by ordering him to sacrifice his
son, Isma'il. At the last moment, Allah Almighty stopped Ibrahim,
peace be upon him, and allowed him to sacrifice a ram instead.
The Farewell Sermon
On the ninth day of the Prophet's Hajj, the pilgrims proceeded to the
Plain of Arafat to stand on the Mount of Mercy. There they stood in
the sweltering heat, bareheaded, thinking about Allah Almighty and
praying for His mercy. This is called the Woqouf. Here, on that day
during the sermon, an important passage of the Quran was revealed to
the Prophet Muhammad:"…This day I have perfected for you your religion
and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as
religion…"]Quran 5:3[
The Prophetspoke to his followers. He told the Muslims to let the
Quran and his own example be their source of guidance in life. He
ordered them to stop living as they had done before Islam. The age-old
practice of revenge ended. Property was to be respected. And, he
said,"Know that Muslims are brothers to one another."This was a new
idea amongst the quarreling tribes."Have I made myself very
clear?"asked the Prophetafter every point.
After the sermon, the Prophetlooked up and cried:"My Lord! Have I
delivered aright the Message I was charged with and fulfilled my
calling?"Then he told the gathering:"You will be asked about me, so
what will you say?"
They answered with one voice: "We bear witness that you have conveyed
Allah's message, performed your duty and that you have meant goodness
for us." Pointing his index finger toward heaven and then to the
people, he said:"O Allah, be witness; O Allah, be witness; O Allah, be
witness."The Prophetended his speech by saying,"Let those present
convey the message to those who are absent."
By sunset, they headed back toward Mina, gathering pebbles along the
way. On the next day, they performed the ritual of casting their
pebbles, symbolized by three pillars set up in memory of how Ibrahim,
peace be upon him, and his family resisted the temptation of Satan. In
doing this, the pilgrims pledged themselves once more to Allah
Almighty and promised to do their best to drive any devils out of
themselves.
Finally, animals were sacrificed, and the pilgrims returned to perform
the Farewell Tawaf of the Ka'bah. The meat from the sacrifices was
sent to the poor and needy.
Three months after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage to Madinah,
the Prophetfell ill. The Messenger of Allahdied on 8th June 632 A.D.
He was 63 years old.
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