The final sermon: the honor of a human being and the end of racism

someone who heard the sermon of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the middle the days of tashrīq ˹toward the end of Ḥajj˺ narrated to me that he (the Prophet ﷺ) said, "O people! Your Lord is One and your father ˹Adam˺ is one. There is no preference of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab over an Arab, and neither one of white skin over one of black skin, nor one of black skin over one of white skin, except through God-conscious righteousness. Have I delivered ˹the message˺?” They said, “The Messenger of Allah has delivered ˹the message˺."

Then he said, "Which day is this?" They said: A sacred day. Then he said, "Which month is this?" They said: A sacred month. He said, then he said, "Which city is this?", They said: A sacred city. He said, "˹Similarly,˺ Allah has made your lives and and your wealth sacred between you" – he said: and I don't know whether or not he said "your honor", "just like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this city of yours. Have I delivered ˹the message˺?" They said: “The Messenger of Allah has delivered ˹the message˺."

He said, "The one present must deliver to the one absent."  

حَدَّثَنِي مَنْ سَمِعَ خُطْبَةَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي وَسَطِ أَيَّامِ التَّشْرِيقِ فَقَالَ: «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ! أَلَا إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ وَاحِدٌ، وَإِنَّ أَبَاكُمْ وَاحِدٌ۔ أَلَا لَا فَضْلَ لِعَرَبِيٍّ عَلَى عَجَمِيٍّ، وَلَا لِعَجَمِيٍّ عَلَى عَرَبِيٍّ، وَلَا أَحْمَرَ عَلَى أَسْوَدَ، وَلَا أَسْوَدَ عَلَى أَحْمَرَ، إِلَّا بِالتَّقْوَى۔ أَبَلَّغْتُ؟» قَالُوا: بَلَّغَ رَسُولُ اللهِ!

ثُمَّ قَالَ: «أَيُّ يَوْمٍ هَذَا؟» قَالُوا: يَوْمٌ حَرَامٌ۔ ثُمَّ قَالَ: «أَيُّ شَهْرٍ هَذَا؟» قَالُوا: شَهْرٌ حَرَامٌ۔ قَالَ: ثُمَّ قَالَ: «أَيُّ بَلَدٍ هَذَا؟» قَالُوا: بَلَدٌ حَرَامٌ۔ قَالَ: «فَإِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ حَرَّمَ بَيْنَكُمْ دِمَاءَكُمْ وَأَمْوَالَكُمْ۔» قَالَ وَلَا أَدْرِي قَالَ أَوْ «أَعْرَاضَكُمْ» أَمْ لَا «كَحُرْمَةِ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا فِي شَهْرِكُمْ هَذَا فِي بَلَدِكُمْ هَذَا۔ أَبَلَّغْتُ؟» قَالُوا: بَلَّغَ رَسُولُ اللهِ! قَالَ: «لِيُبَلِّغِ الشَّاهِدُ الْغَائِبَ۔»