~9 Dhu al-Hijjah, 10 AH (Friday) · 10 AH
On the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, 10 AH, the Prophet ﷺ stood in the Valley of Aranah at Arafah and addressed the huge crowd of pilgrims. That year the day fell on a Friday, and he called it the Day of al-Hajj al-Akbar (the Great Hajj). He asked his uncle Abbas RA and his cousin Ali RA to quieten the crowd so that his words could carry. Some sahaba reported that they could hear him even from their tents, which is counted among his miracles.
It was on this occasion that Allah revealed the verse, "This day, I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion" [Qur'an, 5:3]. It was one of the last verses to be revealed, though not the very last.
The Prophet ﷺ opened by saying, "O people, listen to me, for I know not whether I shall meet you again after this year." He declared that the blood, wealth and honour of every Muslim were sacred, as sacred as that day, that month and that land. He abolished the customs of the days before Islam (Jahiliyyah), and he began with his own family. First he cancelled the unpaid blood money his family was owed by the tribe of Hudhayl. Then he cancelled the riba (interest) still owed to his uncle al-Abbas RA. He told the people to fear Allah in how they treated women, and he set out the rights that husbands and wives have over each other.
He told them that he had left them the Book of Allah, and that as long as they held to it they would never go astray. He then told them that they would soon be asked about him, and asked what they would say. The people replied that they would testify he had conveyed the message, done his duty and been sincere with them. He raised his hands and said three times, "O Allah, bear witness."
This is the most quoted sermon of the Prophet ﷺ's life. It is the source of the hadith on the sanctity of Muslim life, property and honour, and of the abolition of the blood feuds and riba of the days before Islam. It also set out the rights of women. The famous declaration that no Arab is superior to a non-Arab except by taqwa (God-consciousness) also comes from the Farewell Hajj, a statement without precedent in any society before it. The popular posters of "the Farewell Sermon" in fact combine this Arafah sermon with the separate sermons the Prophet ﷺ gave at Mina on the 10th, 11th and 12th of Dhu al-Hijjah.
Other events recorded in 10 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
Verily, the riba from the days of Jahiliyyah is under my foot, abolished. And the first riba that I abolish is that of my uncle al-Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib.
Al-Abbas, the Prophet ﷺ's uncle, was still owed interest from loans made before riba was prohibited; he canceled it first, ahead of any other claim, to lead by example.
O people, listen to me, for I know not whether I shall meet you again after this year.
Your blood and your money are haram for you, just as this day has its sanctity, and this month has its sanctity, and this land has its sanctity.
Verily, everything from the time of Jahiliyyah is under my foot, obliterated. And all of the blood feuds from the days of Jahiliyyah are gone.
And fear Allah with regards to women and their rights, for you have taken them with the protection of Allah, and made them permissible with the name of Allah. And your right upon them is that they do not allow anyone to step on your bed whom you would hate; and if they do, you have the right to discipline them in a manner that is not painful. And they have a right over you, that you give them their sustenance and provision in a manner that is suitable to you.
And I have left amongst you something that, as long as you hold it, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah.
You shall soon be asked about me, so what shall you say?
The people replied that they would testify before Allah that he had conveyed the Message, discharged his duty, and been sincere with them.
Allahumma fashhad. Allahumma fashhad. Allahumma fashhad. (O Allah, bear witness.)
Raised his hands to the sky and repeated this three times.
The first blood money that I obliterate is the blood money owed to my own family, the son of Rabi'ah ibn al-Harith ibn Abdul Muttalib.
A son of the Prophet ﷺ's cousin Rabi'ah ibn al-Harith had been killed by the tribe of Hudhayl, leaving a blood-debt owed to his own family; he set it aside first, ahead of any other claim.
O Amir al-Mu'minin, you have a verse in your Qur'an which, if we had its equivalent, we would have taken that day as a day of eid.
What verse? ... I know exactly when this verse was revealed: the Prophet ﷺ was standing on the Plains of Arafah on the day of al-Hajj al-Akbar, and Allah revealed this verse.
The Jew recited verse [5:3] to him in reply to his question.
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
“This day, I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.”
Revealed to the Prophet ﷺ while he stood on the Plains of Arafah during this sermon.
فَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
“[On the Day of Judgment,] We will surely question those who received Messengers, and We will question the Messengers [themselves].”
The Prophet's ﷺ closing declaration ("O Allah, bear witness") here reflects this ayah's theme of messengers being questioned as witnesses over their nations.