By: Ahmed ELNAHAS – Montopoli, November 5th 2012.
I doubt that a single person embracing Islam, regardless of his or her level of belief, practice or even disbelief; doesn’t know, or haven’t even heard about, the last sermon of Prophet Mohammad (may prayers, peace and benedictions be on him). The Sermon by which He did synthesise the Islamic Doctrine in very few lines meant to be His will to the entire human race until the Judgment day. However I am sure that most of us have forgotten the contents of that address which doesn’t exceed a simple half of a single A4 page.
That is why I am bringing the translation of that Sermon as a reminder.. A reminder that we have become so stupid as to complicate what was/is meant to be very simple.. A reminder that we have become more ignorant than our illiterate forefathers.. A reminder that we blew our progressive united brotherhood turning it into an eternal dividing regressive nemesis.. A reminder of our blunt hypocrisy of saying other than what we’re doing. Even worse, just saying and not doing anything at all.
Read it yourself, teach it to your children, pass it to your neighbours, to your friends, and remind the Imam in the Mosque near home of his duty to urge the worshipers to fulfil our prophets last request to ALL of us, “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”.
On the 9th of the month of Thul Hejjah of the 10th year of the Hijrah, in the valley of Uranah at the slope of Mount Arafat, our Master and Teacher delivered this last sermon as his will to humanity:
"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don't know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you 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 obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital is yours to keep .You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequality. Allah has judged that there shall be no interest.
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-Harithiah.
O men! The unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to prohibit what Allah has made permissible. With Allah the months are twelve in number. Four of them are holy, they are successive, except one occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Shaban [meaning Rajab].
Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever 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 right over you. 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 any one 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 (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, 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 does a Black have 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 appear before ALLAH and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray 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 example, the 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."
Once we will succeed to abide by His will, or at least part of it, we should honestly remind ourselves every single morning that we are destined to die.. Whoever is born has to die someday.. So isn’t that valid enough to wake us up and invite us to reunite once more.
Maybe this could be the only good deed to leave behind for generations to come; instead of the long trails of hate, hurt and blood we are inflicting every day among ourselves.. As if we deliberately wish to deepen, and widen, the gap separating and dividing our wretched existence into the actual shabby scattered tribal fragments.. Like crumbs destined to the darkness of amnesia at the bottom of the waste bin of Human History.
Pass On The Word.
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