Sister Reminder blogs

Since the commencement of Dhul Hijjah, I have been revisiting the last khutbah a lot that was given by Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) on the Day of Arafah. As I am not with the excited pilgrims in Mecca to perform Hajj, it has more than helped me get into the mood of this blessed month. While I read each line, tears stream down my cheeks. Picture the sight it might have been to our ummah who witnessed it that day. Imagine their thoughts when they heard their beloved Messenger say “O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don’t know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again.” Sigh, I just get goose bumps every time I think about how this last speech might have affected all those who were present and while emotions run high performing Hajj as it is, they also heard for the first time the mention of their dear Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) possibly not being among them soon. I can hardly visualize how their minds might have digested this thought.

“….Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.” Allah’s Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) commanded those who were present to convey the message to those who were not. He passed away in the following year on 12 Rabi’Awal AH.  And hundreds of years after this speech was given and recorded, we sit here today reading this speech with our hearts heavy and minds geared towards his message!

His khutbah was a reminder for all of us, a reminder of what the main highlights of Islam were that we needed to focus on. How beautifully he recapitulated the points for us. It might not have been an easy task to give a fairly short speech summarizing the last 23 years of Islam that were revealed to the people in Arabia.

Let’s make our goals for the new year, and let’s try and be mindful of these points that our dear Rasul (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) stressed upon.

“Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds.”

Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) ended with this dua…

“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.”

Let’s fulfill his last wish….let’s try and focus on these main points and build ourselves to be better Muslims for our ummah and in the hope that we have understood these words BETTER than the ones who listened to him directly.

I end with a verse that Allah revealed to him as soon as this khutbah was given…