~9 Dhu al-Hijjah, 10 AH (Friday) · 10 AH
On the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, 10 AH (a Friday, and the Day of al-Hajj al-Akbar) the Prophet ﷺ stood in the Valley of Aranah at Arafah and addressed the assembled multitude, with Abbas RA and Ali RA quieting the crowd so his words could carry (some sahaba reported hearing him even from their tents, which is counted among his miracles). He opened by telling the people he did not know whether he would meet them again after that year. 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], one of the last verses revealed, though not the very last.
In the sermon he declared the blood, wealth, and honor of every Muslim sacred, exactly as sacred as that day, that month, and that land; abolished everything of Jahiliyyah, beginning with his own family's unpaid blood-money claim against the Hudhayl and his uncle al-Abbas RA's outstanding riba; and charged the people to fear Allah regarding women's rights, spelling out the mutual rights of spouses. He closed by telling the people they would be asked about him on the Day of Judgment, and that he had left them the Book of Allah, holding to which they would never go astray. When the people affirmed that he had conveyed the message, discharged his duty, and been sincere with them, he raised his hands and called three times, "O Allah, bear witness."
This is the single most-quoted sermon of the Prophet ﷺ's life: the source of the hadith on the sanctity of Muslim life and property, the abolition of jahili blood feuds, tribalism and riba, the rights of women, and the declaration that no Arab has superiority over a non-Arab except by taqwa, a statement with no precedent in any society before it. Popular posters of "the Farewell Sermon" actually combine this Arafah khutbah with the separate sermons the Prophet ﷺ gave at Mina on the 10th, 11th, and 12th.
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.