After praising and thanking Allah the Prophet (saws) said:
“O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying 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 obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn ‘Abd’al Muttalib (the Prophet’s uncle) 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.
O People, the unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calender in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to forbid that which Allah has made permissible. With Allah the months are twelve in number. Four of them are holy, three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Shaban.
Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope of that he will 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. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right, 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 of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste. O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadhan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.
All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white – except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not therefore do injustice to yourselves. Remember one day you will meet Allah and answer 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 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, O Allah, that I have conveyed Your message to Your people.”
Who are the Poor in Reality?
Abu Hurayrah (rta) reported that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “Do you know who is poor [among us]?” The companions replied: “A poor person among us is one who is penniless and is without provisions. At this, the Prophet (sws) remarked: “The poor of my ummah is one who would come on the Day of Judgement with prayers, fasts and zakah but he would have abused some person and falsely accused another of fornication, devoured the wealth of a person and shed the blood of another and beat up another. Then one good deed after another will be given from his account and given [to the one he had oppressed]. If these good deeds will fall short to pay back what he was liable for, the sins of those he had oppressed will be taken and credited into his account and then he will be thrown into the Fire [of Hell].”
Kindness to Widows, Orphans and the Poor
Abu Hurayrah (rta) stated that the Prophet (sws) said: “He who strives [to earn and spend] on widows and the poor is like the one who strives in the cause of God.”
Abu Hurayrah (rta) stated that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “One who looks after an orphan whether he is his relative or not, I and he would be together in Paradise like this,” and [one of the narrators of this Hadith:] Malik [explained the gesture of the Prophet] by drawing his index finger and middle finger close together.
Beware of the Pleading of the Oppressed
Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (rta) reports that when the Prophet (sws) sent Mu’adh ibn Jabal (rta) to Yemen [as its administrator] he said: “Beware of the pleading of an oppressed person because there is no obstruction between it and God.”
The treaty of Hudaibiya.
The treaty reads:
1. In your name, O God!
2. This is the treaty of peace between Muhammad ibn Abdullah and Suhail ibn Amr.
3. They have agreed to ceasefire for ten years. During this time each party shall be secure, and neither shall harm the other. No secret damage – theft or betrayal – shall be inflicted.
4. The people of Muhammad may visit Makkah for Haj, Umra or trade and their life and belongings shall be secure, likewise people of Qureysh may visit or pass through Medina to Egypt or Syria for trade and their life and belongings shall be secure.
5. And if a man from Qureysh comes, without the permission of his guardian, to Muhammad, he shall be returned to them; but if, on the other hand, one of Muhammad’s people comes to the Qureysh, he shall not be returned.
6. Whoever in Arabia wishes to enter into a treaty or covenant with Muhammad can do so, and whoever wishes to enter into a treaty or covenant with the Qureysh can do so.
7. This year, Muhammad, with his companions, must retract from Makkah, but next year, he, with his companions, may come to Makkah and remain for three days, yet without their weapons except those of a traveler i.e. the swords remaining in their sheaths.
The Prophet said:
Being Gentle
Jarir (rta) reported that the Prophet (sws) said: “He who is devoid of gentleness is in fact devoid of goodness.”
‘A’ishah, the wife of the Prophet, reported that God’s Messenger (sws) said:
” ‘A’ishah! Indeed, God is gentle and He loves gentleness and gives [to a person who shows] gentleness what He does not give [to a person who shows] harshness and what He does not give to any other person.”
‘A’ishah (rta), the wife of the Prophet (sws), reported that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “Whenever gentleness is found in something it increases its grandeur and when it is taken away from anything it makes it flawed.”
Description of a Believer
The Messenger of Allah [SWS] said: “The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe, and the believer is the one from whom the people’s lives and wealth are safe.”
On Mercy
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “He who is not merciful to people Allah will not be merciful to him.”
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind.”
Jarir reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah Almighty will not show mercy to the person who does not show mercy to other people.”
Caliph Abu Bakr’s (RA) instructions to Usama
Some weeks before his death, the holy Prophet had nominated
Usama to lead an expedition against Syria. The preparations of the expedition were under way when the holy Prophet (saw) fell seriously ill and passed away. That held up Usama’s expedition for some weeks.
As soon as Abu Bakr became Caliph, the first thing he thought of was the sending out of the expedition.
Before the Caliph bade farewell to Usama, he gave him much useful advice. Some of it was:
Look! Be not dishonest.
Do not deceive anyone.
Do not hide the booty you get.
Do not mutilate anyone.
Do not kill the aged, the children and the women.
Do not set fire to date-palms.
Do not cut down fruit trees.
Do not slaughter a goat, or a cow, or a camel, except for purposes of food.
You will come across people who have given up the world and are sitting in monasteries. Leave them alone.