EVERYTHING HAD COME about as willed by Heaven. The faith in One God had cleansed and illuminated the souls. The devil within had been cast away along with the vileness of the pagan past, and the false deities had been turned out of the House of God. Once again the believers were smitten with the love of God and their hearts were set on going round the holy sanctuary for it was long since they had been there. The mission of the Apostle of God was also nearing completion. He was soon to bid farewell to his loving Companions. And so Allāh permitted His Messenger to take them on pilgrimage. It was the first hajj of the Prophet in Islam.
EDUCATIVE APOSTLE OF THE PILGRIMAGE
There were several reasons for the Apostle’s setting out from Madinah for the pilgrimage: he had to meet the Muslims coming from far and near; to teach them the observances of faith and the rituals of hajj; to bear witness to the truth and thus finally redeem his pledge to God; to advise them as well as to give them final instructions; to charge them with an oath to follow his teachings, and to trample under his feet the last vestiges of the pagan past. His pilgrimage was, in truth and reality, better than a thousand sermons and lessons. It was an itinerant school, a mosque on the move, or a peripatetic training centre which imparted knowledge to the unenlightened, animated the slothful and indolent souls and invested the weak in spirit with the power of faith. All this was achieved under the benevolent and affectionate care of the greatest teacher, the Apostle of God.
UNIQUE RECORD OF THE FAREWELL PILGRIMAGE
The minute details of the Prophet’s journey have been preserved by the most trustworthy narrators, the Companions of the Prophet. It is a record so authentic and detailed, and there has never existed a historical document of comparable genuineness, either of an Emperor’s itinerary or of the memoirs of any saint or scholar.[1]
A SYNOPSIS OF THE FAREWELL PILGRIMAGE
We provide here a brief outline of this journey undertaken by the Apostle which is variously known as Hajjat al-Wadā’;[2] Hajjat al-Balāgh[3] and Hajjat al-Tamām,[4] but actually it was all of these and much more than to give it a single name. More than a hundred thousand Companions went along with the Apostle of God to perform the pilgrimage.[5]
HOW THE PILGRIMAGE WAS PERFORMED
When the Apostle decided to go on pilgrimage he had a public announcement made and the people started making preparations for the journey.
Large numbers came to Madīnah as the news spread, and even larger throngs joined the Apostle on the way, until there were more people than one could tell. The teeming crowd of the faithful around the Apostle extended as far as the eye could see in every direction. The Apostle set out from Madīnah on Saturday, the 25th of Dhū ‘l-Qa’dah, after performing the four rak’āt[6] of zuhr[7] prayer followed by a sermon in which he explained the essentials of putting on the iḥrām.[8]
The Messenger of God then went ahead raising his voice in praise of God:
“At Your service, O God, at Your service. You have no partner. At Your service. Praise and Grace are Yours and the Dominion. You have no partner.”
The entire crowd chanted the talbiyyah[9] along with the Apostle; some curtailed a few words while others supplemented it with a few more in a tremor of excitement; but the Apostle did not admonish them. He kept on repeating the praise of God until he reached ‘Araj where he encamped. Abū Bakr and the Apostle rode on the same dromedary.
The stages in the journey ahead were at al-Abwā’; the wādi of ‘Asfān, Sarif and then Dhi Tuwā where he stayed during the Saturday night. It was now the 4th of Dhū’l-Hijjah. The Apostle performed the morning prayer at this place and also took a bath. The caravan now bent its way towards Makkah and entered the valley from its heights. It was an hour or so before noon when his glance fell on the Ka’bah. He exclaimed: “O God, increase the honour and estimation and deference and awe for Your House.” And then lifting up his hands he raised his voice to say: “God is Great.” Then he said: “O God, You are the source of all Peace, Peace is from You. Cause us to live in peace, O Lord.”
The first thing he did on entering the sanctuary was to go straight to the Ka’bah. He kissed the sacred Black Stone set in the south-east corner, and then moved on to circumambulate the Ka’bah seven times, commencing to the right and with the Ka’bah to his left. He made seven circuits, three at a quick step and then four at a slow pace.[10]
The Apostle was walking at a quicker step but the paces were not long. The seamless garment in which he had wrapped himself was thrown loosely over one shoulder, the other being left bare. Each time he passed the Black Stone he touched it with a stick in his hand and kissed it. Thereafter he took to the Station of Ibrahim and recited the Qur’ānic verses: “Take as your place of worship the place where Ibrahim stood (to pray),[11] and performed two rak’at of prayer. Going to the Black Stone after the prayer, he kissed it again and then he went to As-Safā from the opposite door. On reaching near As-Safā the Apostle said: “Lo! As-Safā and al-Marwah are among the signs of Allāh.[12] I begin with what Allāh began with.” So he mounted it until he could see the House of God, declared God’s Oneness and proclaimed His greatness facing the qiblah. He said:
“There is no god but God alone who has no partner. To Him belongs the dominion. To Him praise is due. He is omnipotent. There is no god but God, Who alone has fulfilled His promise, helped His servant and alone routed the confederates.”
The Apostle remained in Makkah from Saturday to Wednesday. On Thursday morning he went to Minā along with the Muslims, performed the zuhr and ‘aṣr [13] prayers and stayed there for the night. It was the night before Friday. After the sun had risen he made for Arafāt where he saw the tent set up for him at Namirah. God’s Messenger rested in the tent and when the sun had passed the meridian he ordered Qaswa’ to be brought. When it was saddled for him he went down into the valley and addressed the people wherein he explained to them the fundamental principles of Islam and struck at the roots of polytheism and ignorance. He commanded the people to treat as inviolable and sacrosanct the life, honour and property of every man as warranted by all the religions-and declared that all the usages and customs of the pagan past were trampled under his feet. The Apostle abolished the usury of the pre-Islamic days, although he allowed recovery of the original sums lent to the debtors. The Apostle dwelt in his sermon on the rights of women, threw light on the mutual obligations of the husband and wife and bade the people to deal kindly and provide food and clothing to their spouses in a fitting manner. Thereafter, referring to the Book of God, he told his Companions that if they held fast to it they would never fall into error. Finally, he told them that on the Day of Judgment God would ask them about him, so what answer would they give on that Day. The entire congregation replied, as one man, that they would testify that he had conveyed the message and fulfilled his mission.
Then, raising his finger towards the sky the Apostle said, “O God, be a witness,” repeating it thrice. He also asked those present to inform all those who were absent about it.
The sermon ended, and the Apostle asked Bilāl to give the call to prayer. After the call was over, he performed the noon and afternoon prayers, performing only two rak’āt for each. The day he delivered this sermon was Friday.
The Apostle then mounted his camel and came to Mawqif;[14] the place of standing, where he remained on the back of his camel till sunset, lamenting and beseeching and glorifying the Lord. He appeared to be tormented and disconsolate, repeatedly raising his hands in prayer to his chest, like a man bereaved and indigent, crying for his livelihood. He was heard saying:
O God, You hear what I say and see where I am and know what I conceal or reveal. Nothing can remain hidden from You. I am discontented, exhausted and distressed, seeking refuge with You as one sorrow-stricken and horrified. I acknowledge my sins and confess my faults. I call as a beggar upon You and cry as an abased sinner unto You! I beseech You as one who is troubled and humbled, falling prone before You, shedding tears as one who has thrown himself at Your feet and bitten the dust. O God, cause me not to be misfortunate in my supplication to You. Be Kind and Merciful unto me. Lo! Thou art the Best of all those who are implored and the Most Generous of all who bestow.[15]
It was then that God sent down the revelation: “This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”[16] When the disc of the sun had disappeared, the Apostle took Usamah ibn Zayd up behind him and wended ahead slowly, holding the halter of his camel in a way that his head, lowered in submission to God, almost touched the saddle. The Apostle was repeating the talbiyyah: “At Thy Service, O God, at Thy Service.” And asking the people to proceed slowly and gently he kept raising his voice in talbiyyah until he came to Muzdalifah. There he ordered Bilal to give the call to prayer and performed the sunset prayer before the camels were knelt down and unloaded. He recited the night prayer after the camels were unburdened and then went to take rest and slept till dawn.
Having performed the dawn prayer early in the morning, the Apostle mounted Qaswa’ and came to Mash’ar al-Haram, the sacred site in Muzdalifah, where he faced the qiblah, supplicated to God and declared His Greatness until the morning light was clear. Thus he glorified God before the sun had risen. Then he left Muzdalifah with Fadl ibn ‘Abbās up behind him on the back of his camel, chanting the talbiyyah all the way. He asked Ibn ‘Abbās to pick up seven small pebbles for rami jamār[17] When he came to the middle of the valley of Muhassar, he urged his camel to go fast and passed the plain quickly for it was the place where punishment was inflicted upon the army, of Abraham. The Apostle came to Minā and from there to the jamrat al-‘Aqabah[18] There he cast the pebbles after the sun had well risen and ended it with the recitation of talbiyyah.
Returning to Minā the Apostle delivered a glowing address in which he dwelt upon the sacredness of yawm an-Nahr[19] and the significance God has assigned to the day. He elucidated the honour and distinction that God had conferred on Makkah over all the cities of the world and called upon the people to follow whoever guided them in accordance with the Book of God. Then, asking the people present there to learn the rites of pilgrimage from him, the Apostle urged them not to revert to the ways of the infidels, spilling blood and tribal warfare after him. He asked those present to convey everything he had told them to those who were absent. Then, he said:
Worship your Lord, offer prayers five times a day, observe fast for a month (in Ramadan), obey those of you who are in authority and you shall enter the paradise of your Lord.
The Apostle also said something to his Companions on this occasion which alluded to his farewell and hence the pilgrimage came to be known as the Hajjat al-Wadā’.
The Apostle then went to the place of sacrifice in Minā and sacrificed sixty-three camels with his own hand-the number of sacrificial camels being the same as the years he remained alive. He ordered ‘Alī to sacrifice the remainder to make up a total of one hundred camels sacrificed on his behalf. The sacrifice having been completed, he sent for the barber, had his head shaved and distributed his shaved hair among the people. Then returned to Makkah on his mount and went round the Kābah again. After that he came near the well of Zamzam and drank its water without sitting down, and returned to Minā on the same day. He spent the night at Minā where he stayed until the sun had passed the meridian. Then he went to stone the jamrah and starting from the first one he went on to throw pebbles on the middle jamrah and finally on the last one. The Apostle delivered two sermons at Minā, one on the Day of Sacrifice which has been mentioned earlier and the next one the day after.
The Apostle remained at the place to perform the stoning at the jamrah on the three days after the Day of Sacrifice, known as Ayyām tashrīq.[20] Then he left for Makkah. First he circumambulated the House of God at dawn and then after taking farewell of the House asked his Companions to get ready to depart. Thereafter he set forth for Madīnah.[21]
Having arrived at Ghadir Khum,[22] the Apostle addressed the people again and said:
Whoever loves me should love ‘Alī also. O God, hold him dear who is attached to ‘Alī and be hostile to him who bears ill-will to ‘Alī.[23]
The Apostle stopped for the night at Dhū’l-Hulayfah. When the outskirt of Madinah came in sight he raised his voice to say, “God is Great”, three times and then said, “There is no god but God. He is One, without any partner. To Him belongs the dominion and the praise and He has power over all things. We are the returning and the repenting and the submitting and the worshipping. God has fulfilled His promise and helped His bondman and alone routed the confederates.”[24] The Apostle entered Madinah in broad daylight.
THE ADDRESSES OF THE APOSTLE
The sermons delivered by the Apostle on the Day of Sacrifice and on the second day of Tashrīq are given here, as both are fitting and eloquent as well as being vitally instructive.
Your blood and your property are inviolable like the sacredness of this day in this month in this city of yours. Lo! Everything pertaining to the days of paganism is unlawful, and claims of blood-vengeance belonging to the pre-Islamic period have been abolished. The first claim on blood I remit is that of Ibn Rabī’ah ibn al-Hārith who was suckled among the Banū Sa’d and killed by Hudhayl.
The usury of the days of ignorance is abolished, and the first of our usury I abolish is that of my own uncle, ‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Mutṭalib, for it is all abolished.
Fear Allāh concerning women. Verily, you have taken them under God’s security and have made their persons lawful unto you by God’s word. It is incumbent upon them that they must not bring into your houses anyone whom you dislike, but if they do that then you have authority to chastise them, yet not severely. You are responsible for providing them with their food and clothing in a fitting manner.
I have left among you something, by which, if you hold to it, you will never go astray. What is that? It is the Book of God!
And you will be asked by God about me so what will you say?
The Companions replied with one voice, “We testify that you have conveyed the message and fulfilled your mission.” The Apostle then raised his forefinger towards the sky and said thrice, “O God, be a witness.”[25]
The text of the other sermon, delivered by the Apostle, on the second day
O people, do you know in which city you are, what month and what day this is?” The Apostle asked his audience. They replied, “This is the sacred month, the day has a great sanctity and the city is the holy city.” Resuming his address the Apostle said:
Like this day, this month and this city, your lives and your property and your honour shall remain sacred to the Day of Resurrection. Behold! Take it from me so that you may live and be prosperous. Beware! Do no wrong. Beware! Do no wrong. Beware! Do no wrong. It is not lawful for you to take anything from the property of a Muslim save by his consent. Every claim of blood vengeance and blood money that was due in the days of ignorance is now abolished till the Day of Judgment. And the first claim of blood-vengeance that I remit is that of Rabi’ah ibn al-Hārith ibn ‘Abd al-Mutṭalib who was suckled among Ibn Layth and killed by Hudhayl. The usury of the pagan past is abolished and God has commanded that the first one to be abolished is that of ‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Mutṭalib
Time has completed the cycle to reach the same point when God created the heavens and the earth.
Thereafter he recited the Qur’anic verse:
Lo! The number of months with Allāh is twelve months, by Allāh’s ordinance in the day that He created the heavens and the earth. Four of them are sacred-that is the true religion. So wrong not yourselves in them.[26]
Behold! Do not become infidels after me, beheading one another. The Devil has despaired of ever being worshipped by those who pray, but he will create dissension among you. Fear Allāh concerning women. You have claims on your womenfolk and they on you. They are saddled with the obligation not to bring in anyone whom you dislike, but if you suspect that they are disobedient, instruct and withdraw from them and chastise them but lightly. You are obliged to provide them with food and clothing in a befitting manner for they are your spouses under God’s security, and have a right to their person by God’s word.
Behold! Whoever holds anything in trust should return it to the person who trusted him with it.
The Apostle then asked, “Have I delivered the message? Have I delivered the message? Thereafter he said, “Let him who is present convey it to him who is absent, for many a one to whom a message is conveyed can better commit it to his memory.”[27]
***
[1] For details see Hajjat al-Wadā’ wa ‘Umrat an-Nabi by Sheikh al-Hadith Mawlānā Muḥammad Zakariyyah and the introduction to the book by the writer.
[2] Lit. farewell pilgrimage.
[3] Lit. instructive pilgrimage.
[4] Lit. completive or perfected pilgrimage.
[5] It is variously reported as being one hundred and fourteen thousand and one hundred and thirty thousand. We will be relying on the abridged version of Zād al-Ma’ād, by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d. 751 AH) to relate the happenings of the farewell pilgrimage.
[6] A section of the Islamic prayer consisting of recitation of the Qur’an in the standing position, to bow and two prostrations. A prayer may consist of two or more rak’āt (plural).
[7] The time for the prayer performed when the sun has begun to decline from its zenith.
[8] Lit. “prohibiting.” The pilgrim’s dress consisting of two white cotton sheets, one of which is thrown over the back, exposing the arm and the shoulder, while the other is wrapped round the loins from the waist to the knee and tucked in at the middle.
[9] Lit. “waiting or standing for orders.” It stands for the words, given here, recited during the pilgrimage to Makkah, declaring one’s readiness to be present for the service of God.
[10] The act of circumambulating the Ka’bah is known as tawāf, the first three quick steps are known as ramal.
[11] Qur’ān 2:125.
[12] Qur’ān 2:158.
[13] The time for the prayer performed midway between noon and sunset.
[14] A place in Arafāt still known by that name.
[15] Kanz al-‘Ummāl, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbās
[16] Qur’ān 5:3.
[17] Throwing of the pebbles at the pillars or jamrah in Minā, which mark the spots where the Devil appeared to Ibrahim and Ismā’īl.
[18] There are three pillars, Ūlā, the first, Wustā the middle and ‘aqabah the last.
[19] The Day of Sacrifice, the tenth day of Dhū ‘l-Hijjah.
[20] Ayyām tashrīq comprise five days, i.e. from the 9th to the 13th of Dhū’l-Hijjah.
[21] The account of Farewell Pilgrimage given here has been summarised from the detailed description given in the Zād al-Ma’ād (vol. I, pp. 180-249). The matter pertaining to the legal aspect of the pilgrimage has been left out however.
[22] A place midway between Makkah and Madīnah, about three km from Juhfa.
[23] On the authority of Ahmad and Nasā’i. The reason for what the Apostle said on this occasion was that certain persons who were displeased with ‘Alī had made a complaint against him to the Prophet. These persons had been with ‘Alī in Yemen and suspected him of being unjust in some his decisions although their complaint was unfounded and based on a misunderstanding (Ibn Kathir, vol. 4, pp. 415-16)
[24] Zād al-Ma’ād vol. p. 249.
[25] Muslim, Abū Dāwūd and other books of traditions, on the authority of Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah.
[26] Qur’ān 9:36
[27] Ahmad on the authority of Abū Ḥurrah ar-Raqāshī.
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