In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Ten years after the migration (Hijrat), the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) decided to perform the Hajj and a public announcement was made concerning this.
People from all the tribes gathered in Medina to accompany the Prophet. This Hajj of the Prophet is referred to as the Farewell Hajj, Hajj of Islam, Complete Hajj, Perfect Hajj, Whole Hajj etc.1
It is so named, because it was the only Hajj, which the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) performed after Hijrat.
It was Saturday, five or six days before the end of the Zilqad month [five or six days before the new moon of Zilhajj], that he came out on foot.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) performed the ritual bath (Ghusl), massaged oil to the body2 , applied perfume, combed the hair and set out from Medina.
When he came out of Medina, he wore only two pieces of cloth: one was a piece thrown around the shoulders and another piece tied around the waist; and accompanied by his wives and family members.
All his family members, and Muhajireen and Ansar and other people accompanied him.3
At that time there was an epidemic of small pox or measles, in Medina due to which a large number of people were deprived of the honor of accompanying the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.). Inspite of this, tens of thousands of people accompanied him. Various historians have mentioned 90 thousand and more.
In addition to this, there were people residing in Mecca and those who came from the surrounding areas and those who accompanied Ameerul Momineen Ali (a.s.) from Yemen and Abu Moosa.4
In this way, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) completed the rituals of Hajj and on his return journey, halted at a place from where the caravans of Medina, Egypt and Iraq diverged in different directions.
On Thursday5 , 18th of Zilhajj, when he reached the land of Johfa and the locality of Ghadeer Khum, the trustworthy angel of divine revelation, Jibraeel descended on His Eminence (s.a.w.a.) and conveyed to him the following message from Almighty Allah:
يَأَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ۖ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَغْتَ رسالَتَهُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَفِرِينَ
“O Apostle! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people.”6
And he was commanded to publicly announce that Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a.s.) is the standard of guidance and the emblem of religion and to declare his obedience and Mastership (Wilayat) on all.
Hence the Prophet ordered halt, told the people to call back those gone ahead and wait for those following behind.
A vast multitude conglomerated in the scorching desert. It was such a hot day that people kept one end of their dress on their heads and the other below their feet.
All were anxious to know why the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had ordered them to halt at such an apparently unfit place. The fire of curiosity mingled with the scorching heat in the atmosphere and made the pilgrims restless.
Orders were issued to tie a canopy below some aged trees and to erect a pulpit of camel saddles. At about the time of Noon Prayer, when all the pilgrims had arrived, the Prophet mounted the pulpit7 and delivered the following sermon:8
“All praise is only for Almighty Allah. We seek help from Him, have faith in Him and rely only on Him. We seek His refuge from personal evil and our bad deeds. He is the God, Who does not guide the deviated people and does not misguide the guided ones. I testify that there is no deity, except Allah and Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
So to say: “O people, the kind9 and all-knowing Lord has informed me that the age of every prophet does exceed half that of his preceding prophet.10 I will be summoned very soon and I will have to harken to the call. I will be questioned and so will you be. What will you reply?”
People said: “We would say that you conveyed the message of God, gave counsel and endeavored to spread the message. May Allah recompense you well for it.”