Delivered by Prophet Hazrat Muhammad 

Sal Allaho Alehi Wasallam in the Valley of

Arafat.
        O people, perhaps you shall not see me again after this. Therefore listen to what I am
saying to you very carefully 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. Allah has forbidden you to
take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation 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 with regard to your women, but they
also have rights over you. It they abide by your rights, 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 anyone whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery. 

        O people, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast
during the month of Ramadaan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can
afford to. 
        You know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. You are all equal.
Nobody has superiority over another except by piety and good action. Remember, one day
you will appear before Allah 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 my words which I convey to you. I leave
behind me two things, the Qur`an 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 may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to
me directly. 
        Be my witness Oh Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people.
First and the Final charter

By Rizwan Ullah

Utar kar Hera se soo-e-Qaum Aaya

Aur ek nuskha-e- kimia sath laya
(Descended from Hira down to the people, and brought with him a prescription al-
chemic)
- Khawaja Altaf Husain Hali

The revelation of the prescription part by part took twenty-three years to complete. Then its
completion was announced to the people, to the people everywhere for all time to come. This
was the time of announcement, the month of Zil Hijja in the tenth year of Hijrah and the
occasion was when Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam (pbuh) arrived in Makkah from Madina to
perform Hajj, Hajjatul-Wida', the last Hajj and delivered his Khutba, the sermon. That was the
occasion when the first and the final charter for the humankind was given to the people.

That was the time more than 1400 years ago, when men’s perceptive imagination could hardly
go beyond the clan or tribe, at the most it could encompass the neighbouring tribes with which
they were in constant confrontation and strife. At that time it was not less than a miracle to
address a gathering of over a hundred thousand people coming from far and wide, while
population was sparse and far between and transportation was arduous and hazardous.

At that time what a great ingenuity, imagination and far sight it would have been for the Prophet
(pbuh) when he addressed such a vast gathering as ‘O! People!’ It must have been no less than a
revolution for the Arabs and for the tribesmen to have been addressed as commoners. The
opening words of the address itself proved without an iota of doubt that all discriminations on
whatever grounds had been forsaken forever.
 

The universality of mankind and equality for all was further emphasized in no uncertain terms
when the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘ No Arab has any privilege over a non-Arab, except that based on
piety. We cannot imagine today how much courage was needed to declare to the proud Arabs in
their face that they were no longer superior to anyone unless they stood up to a measure of piety.
At that point of time Arabs had to believe that others could be superior and better than they were.
The declaration of this single precept of universal equality and making a whole mass of people
believe it was a miracle of such a great magnitude that it was enough to prove the prophet-hood
of the Prophet (pbuh).

The concept of equality was not vogue. It was further amplified when the Prophet (pbuh)
pointedly mentioned the rights of women among other sections of the society. He said, ‘O!
People! To you a right belongs with respect to your women and to your women a right with
respect to you. It is your right that they do not fraternize with anyone of whom you do not
approve, as well as never to commit adultery… Do treat your women well and be kind to them
for they are your partners and committed helpers. Remember that you have taken them as your
wives and enjoyed their flesh only under God’s trust and with His permission.

It may be reminded that the rights of women were in a way confirmed and institutionalized at a
time when that concept was beyond the imagination of the society which did not hesitate to bury
a girl child alive. That day of the announcement of the rights of women must be celebrated as a
day of deliverance of women. Unfortunately, the so-called agitators for women’s rights are
simply groping in the darkness of disbelief and befooling half of the humanity by their false
promises to get what had already been granted centuries ago.

At the same time slavery was struck at its roots. It was abolished in one stroke. Not in principle
only but in actual practice. A segment of humanity for the first time inhaled the freshness of
freedom. Unfortunately, the practice of slavery in its various incarnations has bedeviled the
modern society simply because of its evasion from Islamic principles. Not only the people in
physical bondage were relieved but those under the bondage of debts with its unbearable burden
of interest were also relieved. The blood money was also abolished when the Prophet (pbuh)
said:

‘O People! Your lives and property shall be inviolable 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 inequity. God has judged that there shall be no interest
and that all interest due to Abbas ibn Abd al Muttalib shall henceforth 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 Rabiah ibn al Harith ibn Abd al Muttalib.’

The Prophet (pbuh) summarized in following words: ‘O people! Listen to me in earnest, worship
Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in
Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford. You know that every Muslim is a brother of another
Muslim. You are all equal. Nobody has superiority over other except by piety and good deed.’

The Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘O people! Listen well to my words and take these words to those who
could not be present here today.’ That is the rationale for all Tabligh and Jamiat. That is the
rationale for individuals to carry that message as far and as long as they could. That is the
rationale for these few lines written in an imperfect vehicle of expression but written in all
humility in compliance of that order, written with the faith that due is expected to carry only as
much as he is capable of in thought and action.