The Farewell Sermon of Prophet Muhammad: An Analytical Review

Abstract

Historically, the Last Sermon (khutabat al-wida) of Prophet Muhammad (s) has occupied an important place in the Islamic narrative. The sermon was delivered during the last hajj (pilgrimage) he attended on 9th of Dhu al-Hijja (6 March 632). The location was the Mount Arafat and the Sermon is consists of summarized exhortations based on some core teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah. While there are multiple versions of the Sermon, quite notably there is no single consolidated source. Rather, the sermon seems to have been weaved as one piece from multiple sources. This brief essay examines the Last Sermon based on the various versions.

Keywords: Islam, Muhammad, Hajj, Last Sermon, Farewell Sermon

JEL Classification: Z12