Farewell Hajj and Final Sermon
This chapter covers the Prophet’s ﷺ only Hajj after Hijrah: his departure from Madinah, the rites he taught by action and word, the standing at Arafah, the Final Sermon, the completion of the religion, the days of Mina, and the lasting trust he placed upon the Ummah to hold firmly to revelation.
Where This Chapter Fits
After delegations came to Madinah and Islam spread across Arabia, the Prophet ﷺ made Hajj with a vast number of believers. This became the great public teaching moment before the final illness.
Delegations
Tribes came to Madinah to learn Islam and carry it back to their people.
Farewell Hajj
The Prophet ﷺ taught the Ummah its rites, rights, and responsibilities.
Final Illness
The next and final chapter covers the Prophet’s ﷺ last days in Madinah.
The Call to Hajj
In the tenth year after Hijrah, the Prophet ﷺ announced his intention to perform Hajj. People came from many directions to join him, wanting to learn the rites directly from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
This was the only Hajj the Prophet ﷺ performed after Hijrah. Because of what he taught and because of the nearness of the final stage of his life, it became known as the Farewell Hajj.
The journey was not only pilgrimage. It was a living classroom for the whole Ummah: worship, law, equality, family rights, social justice, and the sanctity of Muslim life were all taught together.
Sahih Muslim 1218; Seerah and hadith reportsHajj Is for Allah
وَأَتِمُّوا الْحَجَّ وَالْعُمْرَةَ لِلَّهِ
Meaning: “Complete Hajj and Umrah for Allah.”
Qur'an 2:196Leaving Madinah and Entering Ihram
The Prophet ﷺ left Madinah with the believers and reached Dhul-Hulayfah, the miqat of the people of Madinah. There he entered ihram, raised the talbiyah, and began the sacred journey.
The talbiyah declared pure tawhid: “Here I am, O Allah, here I am. There is no partner for You.” It was the sound of hearts leaving worldly clothing behind and entering obedience.
Throughout the journey, the Companions watched him ﷺ carefully. Hajj was being taught not from a distant manual, but from Prophetic footsteps.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1549; Sahih Muslim 1218Pure Worship
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Meaning: “Say: indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.”
Qur'an 6:162Entering Makkah
The Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah, performed tawaf around the Ka'bah, prayed behind Maqam Ibrahim, and moved between Safa and Marwah.
He taught the rites with calm precision. Every action became guidance: tawaf, prayer, sa'i, dhikr, du'a, and the order of the pilgrimage.
Sahih Muslim 1218“Take your rites from me”
The Prophet ﷺ instructed the people to learn the rites from him. This made the Farewell Hajj a direct transmission of how Hajj is performed.
The Companions preserved what they saw so the Ummah could worship with knowledge instead of guesswork.
Sahih Muslim 1297; Sunan an-Nasa'i 3062Safa and Marwah
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ
Meaning: “Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah.”
Qur'an 2:158Mina, Arafah, Muzdalifah, and the Days of Hajj
The Prophet ﷺ went through the rites of Hajj with the believers: Mina, the standing at Arafah, moving to Muzdalifah, returning for sacrifice, stoning, shaving or shortening, tawaf, and the days of Mina.
He corrected old pre-Islamic customs and restored the rites to the way of Ibrahim عليه السلام. The pilgrimage became a pure worship gathering for Allah alone.
The scale was enormous, but the message was clear: worship belongs to Allah, honour belongs to obedience, and the Ummah must learn its religion directly from revelation and Prophetic guidance.
Sahih Muslim 1218; Sahih al-Bukhari 1739; Sahih al-Bukhari 1741Remember Allah in the Appointed Days
وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْدُودَاتٍ
Meaning: “Remember Allah during the numbered days.”
Qur'an 2:203The Day of Arafah
On the Day of Arafah, the Prophet ﷺ stood with the believers and made du'a. Arafah became the heart of the Hajj, the place of standing, humility, asking, and returning to Allah.
There, the Prophet ﷺ delivered a sermon that gathered the core responsibilities of the Ummah. It was a sermon of rights, worship, blood sanctity, property sanctity, family trust, equality, and holding firmly to guidance.
The people were not hearing a tribal leader. They were hearing the final Messenger ﷺ giving the Ummah a trust that would live beyond that gathering.
Sahih Muslim 1218; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3087; Seerah reportsReligion Completed
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
Meaning: “Today I have perfected for you your religion, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam for you as religion.”
Qur'an 5:3Life and property are sacred
The Prophet ﷺ declared Muslim blood, wealth, and honour protected with sacred seriousness.
Old wrongs were cancelled
Pre-Islamic revenge and usury were abolished under the rule of Islam.
Family rights were emphasised
The Prophet ﷺ reminded men to fear Allah regarding women and to honour marital responsibilities.
The Sanctity of Life, Wealth, and Honour
The Prophet ﷺ asked the people about the sacredness of the day, the month, and the land. Then he taught that their blood, wealth, and honour were sacred among them like the sacredness of that day, month, and land.
This was not a poetic line. It was a law for the Ummah. A Muslim’s life, property, and dignity are not casual matters. They are protected by Allah’s religion.
The sermon placed human rights under divine accountability: no believer may harm another and then pretend it is small before Allah.
Sahih al-Bukhari 67; Sahih Muslim 1679; Sahih Muslim 1218Do Not Wrong One Another
وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ
Meaning: “Do not deprive people of what is rightfully theirs.”
Qur'an 7:85Ending Old Revenge and Usury
The Prophet ﷺ declared that matters of pre-Islamic vengeance were placed under his feet. He began with his own family line, showing that reform does not begin by blaming strangers while protecting one’s own circle.
He also abolished pre-Islamic usury and began with the usury connected to his uncle Abbas رضي الله عنه. This was justice with no royal exemption.
The Farewell Sermon teaches that Islam does not merely preach fairness. It cuts unjust systems from their roots, beginning with those closest to power.
Sahih Muslim 1218; Seerah reportsLeave Usury
وَذَرُوا مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبَا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
Meaning: “Give up what remains of usury, if you are believers.”
Qur'an 2:278Rights of Women and Family Trust
The Prophet ﷺ reminded the Ummah to fear Allah regarding women. Marriage is a trust before Allah, not a field for cruelty, neglect, or arrogance.
He taught that husbands and wives have responsibilities and rights. The sermon placed family life under taqwa, so power inside the home would not become oppression.
This was spoken to a huge gathering, making family justice part of the public message of Islam.
Sahih Muslim 1218; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1163Live with Kindness
وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
Meaning: “Live with them in kindness.”
Qur'an 4:19No Superiority Except by Taqwa
The message of Islam broke the arrogance of lineage, colour, and tribe. Reports from the sermon preserve the meaning that people are from Adam, and honour is by taqwa.
This echoed the Qur'anic principle that Allah made people into nations and tribes so they may know one another, and that the most honoured before Allah are the most mindful of Him.
After years of tribal pride, the Prophet ﷺ stood before Arabia and taught a new measure: not bloodline, not wealth, not clan, but taqwa.
Qur'an 49:13; Musnad Ahmad reports; Seerah reportsHonour Is by Taqwa
إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ
Meaning: “Indeed, the most honoured of you before Allah are the most mindful of Him.”
Qur'an 49:13Holding Firm to Revelation
The Prophet ﷺ left the Ummah with guidance that protects from misguidance: holding firmly to the Book of Allah and the guidance taught by the Messenger ﷺ.
The Farewell Hajj was therefore not only about rites. It was about the future of the Ummah: what would keep Muslims upright after the Prophet ﷺ was no longer walking among them.
The answer was not personality, tribe, or emotion. The answer was revelation, obedience, justice, and the Sunnah preserved by the Companions.
Sahih Muslim 1218; Muwatta Malik reports; Seerah reportsHold Fast to Allah’s Rope
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا
Meaning: “Hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided.”
Qur'an 3:103“Have I Conveyed?”
The Prophet ﷺ asked the people whether he had conveyed the message. They answered that he had conveyed, fulfilled, and advised.
He then raised his finger toward the sky and pointed toward the people, calling Allah to witness. This moment is one of the most moving scenes of the Seerah: the Messenger ﷺ placing the Ummah before Allah as witnesses to his completed mission.
The trust then moved to the Ummah: those present were to convey to those absent, because perhaps someone who received the message later would understand it deeply.
Sahih al-Bukhari 67; Sahih Muslim 1218The Messenger’s Duty Is to Convey
وَمَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ
Meaning: “The Messenger has no duty except clear conveyance.”
Qur'an 24:54Religion completed
The Qur'an declared the completion of the religion and Allah’s favour.
The Ummah heard
The Prophet ﷺ asked the people to witness that he had conveyed the message.
Those present must convey
The message was carried from the gathering to the generations after it.
The Days of Mina and Continued Teaching
The Prophet ﷺ continued teaching during the days of Mina. He answered questions about the order of rites, sacrifice, shaving, stoning, and tawaf, often making matters easy for those who had done parts in a different order.
His repeated answer in many cases was that there was no blame. This showed the mercy of Islamic law when people make genuine mistakes in the order of rites.
The Farewell Hajj therefore taught both seriousness and ease: preserve the rites, honour the sacred limits, and do not crush people over sincere confusion where the Prophet ﷺ gave room.
Sahih al-Bukhari 83; Sahih al-Bukhari 1736; Sahih Muslim 1306Allah Wants Ease
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ
Meaning: “Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you.”
Qur'an 2:185Why the Farewell Hajj Matters
The Farewell Hajj matters because it gathered the Ummah around the Messenger ﷺ for a final complete teaching: how to worship, how to honour life, how to protect property and dignity, how to treat women, how to abandon old injustice, how to reject racism and tribal arrogance, and how to hold fast to guidance.
It was the Seerah’s great gathering of completion. The Prophet ﷺ had been rejected in Makkah, sheltered in Madinah, opposed in battle, tested in family sorrow, supported by the Companions, and now he stood before a vast believing Ummah.
The final chapter will move from this public completion to the Prophet’s ﷺ final illness in Madinah, where the lessons become intimate, tender, and heavy.
Dua for Acceptance
رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
Meaning: “Our Lord, accept from us. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing.”
Qur'an 2:127Keep rites and sermon together
The Farewell Hajj taught both worship actions and public principles for the Ummah.
Keep justice central
Life, wealth, honour, women’s rights, and equality were all protected in the sermon.
Keep completion clear
Qur'an 5:3 belongs at Arafah and marks a major moment of completion.
What This Stage Led To
After the Farewell Hajj, the Prophet ﷺ returned to Madinah. The next and final chapter covers his final illness, his last teachings, and the Ummah’s most tender farewell.
The Prophet ﷺ set out for Hajj
Large numbers joined to learn directly from him.
The Final Sermon was delivered
The Prophet ﷺ taught rights, justice, equality, and the trust of revelation.
Qur'an 5:3 was revealed
Allah declared the religion completed and His favour perfected.
The Final Illness
The final Seerah page moves to Madinah and the Prophet’s ﷺ last days.
References Used in This Chapter
Major claims are tied to Qur'an, authentic hadith, or named Seerah reports.
- Qur'an 2:196, Qur'an 2:158, and Qur'an 2:203: Hajj and Umrah, Safa and Marwah, and remembrance during the numbered days.
- Qur'an 6:162: worship, sacrifice, living, and dying for Allah alone.
- Qur'an 5:3: completion of religion and Allah’s favour, revealed during the Farewell Hajj.
- Qur'an 7:85, Qur'an 2:278, Qur'an 4:19, Qur'an 49:13, Qur'an 3:103, Qur'an 24:54, Qur'an 2:185, and Qur'an 2:127: justice, leaving usury, kindness in marriage, equality by taqwa, unity upon Allah’s rope, clear conveyance, ease, and dua for acceptance.
- Sahih Muslim 1218: the most detailed hadith of Jabir رضي الله عنه describing the Prophet’s ﷺ Hajj, the sermon, and the rites.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1549: entering ihram and talbiyah reports.
- Sahih Muslim 1297 and Sunan an-Nasa'i 3062: “Take your rites from me” meaning and Hajj instruction.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 67, Sahih Muslim 1679, and Sahih Muslim 1218: sanctity of life, wealth, and honour.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1739, Sahih al-Bukhari 1741, Sahih al-Bukhari 83, Sahih al-Bukhari 1736, and Sahih Muslim 1306: rites during Mina and the Prophet’s ﷺ answers about order and ease.
- Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3087, Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1163, Musnad Ahmad reports, Muwatta Malik reports, and Seerah reports: supporting reports connected to the sermon’s wording, women’s rights, equality, and holding firmly to guidance.