Seerah
8. The farewell
The last pilgrimage and the end of a life
5 min, Intro
In 632 the Prophet ﷺ makes his only Hajj, and gives a final sermon to a vast crowd. A few months later he falls ill and dies in Madinah. Abu Bakr steadies a shaken community with one ayah.
Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
The thread
In 632 the Prophet makes his only Hajj, and speaks to the pilgrims at 'Arafah. A few months later he dies in Madinah. The community is shattered, until Abu Bakr steadies it with one ayah. What he left behind was not a throne. It was a book, an example and a community.
The farewell pilgrimage
In 632 the Prophet makes the pilgrimage to Makkah, the Hajj. A very large crowd of pilgrims goes with him.
It was his only Hajj. The way he performed it became the model for the Hajj ever since.
Muslims still perform the Hajj the way he did that year.
The sermon at 'Arafah
On the plain of 'Arafah, during that pilgrimage, the Prophet gives the Farewell Sermon.
What did he say? According to the reports collected in the hadith and sirah, he declared lives and property sacred. He cancelled the interest debts and blood feuds of the old order, beginning with his own family's. And he urged the men to treat their wives kindly.
One idea runs through it: the equality of believers. It echoes the Qur'an. People were made nations and tribes to know one another, and the most honoured with God is the most righteous.
During this same pilgrimage, the ayah declaring the religion perfected was revealed.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرࣲ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ شُعُوبࣱا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ أَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتۡقَىٰكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرࣰ ١٣
13 O people, We have created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes so that you may recognize one another. Indeed, the most noble of you before Allah is the most righteous among you. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.
حُرِّمَتۡ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡمَيۡتَةُ وَٱلدَّمُ وَلَحۡمُ ٱلۡخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيۡرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ وَٱلۡمُنۡخَنِقَةُ وَٱلۡمَوۡقُوذَةُ وَٱلۡمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ ٱلسَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيۡتُمۡ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى ٱلنُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسۡتَقۡسِمُواْ بِٱلۡأَزۡلَٰمِۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ فِسۡقٌۗ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ يَئِسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمۡ فَلَا تَخۡشَوۡهُمۡ وَٱخۡشَوۡنِۚ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡإِسۡلَٰمَ دِينࣱاۚ فَمَنِ ٱضۡطُرَّ فِي مَخۡمَصَةٍ غَيۡرَ مُتَجَانِفࣲ لِّإِثۡمࣲ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورࣰ رَّحِيمࣰ ٣
3 Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which is sacrificed to other than Allah; and that which is killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored; and that which is partly eaten by a predator unless you slaughter it [before it dies]; and that which is sacrificed to idols. Also it is forbidden to use arrows [of chance] to determine your decisions. This is all evil practice. Today the disbelievers have lost all hope in [eliminating] your religion, so do not fear them but fear Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen Islam as your religion. But if anyone is compelled by severe hunger, not intending to sin, then Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
At 'Arafah he spoke of equality: people were made nations and tribes to know one another.
"Whoever worshipped Muhammad..."
Back in Madinah, the Prophet falls ill with a fever. When he can no longer lead the prayer, he asks Abu Bakr to lead it.
He dies in June 632, in the room of his wife 'A'ishah. He is about sixty-three.
The news shatters the community. 'Umar refuses to believe it.
Abu Bakr addresses them: whoever worshipped Muhammad, Muhammad has died; whoever worships God, God is alive and does not die. Then he recites an ayah. It reminds them that Muhammad was a messenger, and messengers had passed away before him.
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولࣰ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُۚ أَفَإِيْن مَّاتَ أَوۡ قُتِلَ ٱنقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَعۡقَٰبِكُمۡۚ وَمَن يَنقَلِبۡ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيۡهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ ٱللَّهَ شَيۡـࣱٔاۚ وَسَيَجۡزِي ٱللَّهُ ٱلشَّٰكِرِينَ ١٤٤
144 Muhammad is no more than a messenger; there were messengers who passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels? Anyone who turns back on his heels will not harm Allah in the least, but Allah will reward those who are grateful.
Abu Bakr's point: Muhammad was a messenger, and messengers die. God does not.
What he left
What did the Prophet leave behind? Almost no property. When he died, his armour was pawned for barley.
What he left was the Qur'an, the example of his life, and a community of believers.
Abu Bakr was chosen as the first caliph: his successor in leading the community, though not as a prophet. Within about a century, that community reached from Spain to Central Asia. Lantern's History faculty takes the story on from here.
He left no throne. He left a book, an example and a community.