The Prophet's (s) Farewell Sermon

"Praise belongs to Allah. We ask Him for help, and we believe in Him, and to Him we trust. We seek refuge to Him from the evil of our souls and the sins of our deeds. Verily there is no guide for the one whom Allah leaves in stray, and there is non who leads astray the one whom Allah has guided."

"O People! Know that Gabriel came down to me several times bringing me an order from the Lord, the Merciful, that I should stop at this place and inform you. Behold! It is as if the time approached when I shall be called away (by Allah) and I shall answer that call."

"O People! Don't you witness that there is no deity but Allah, Muhammad is His servant and His Apostle, Paradise is truth, Hell is truth, death is truth, resurrection is truth, and that the Hour shall certainly arrive, and Allah shall raise people from the graves?"

People replied: "Yes, we believe in them."

He continued: "O People! Do you hear my voice (clearly)?"

They said: "Yes"

The Prophet said: "Behold! I am leaving among you two precious and weighty things (thaqalayn) that if you adhere to both of them, you shall never go astray after me. Each of these two surpasses the other in its grandeur."

A person asked: "O Messenger of Allah, what are those two precious things?"

The Prophet replied: "One of them is the Book of Allah and the other one is my select progeny , my Ahlul Bayt. Beware of how you behave them when I am gone from amongst you, for Allah, the Merciful, has informed me that these two (i.e., Quran and Ahlul-Bayt) shall never separate from each other until they reach me in Heaven at the Pool (of al-Kawthar). I remind you, in the name of Allah, about my Ahlul-Bayt. I remind you, in the name of Allah, about my Ahlul-Bayt. Once more! I remind you, in the name of Allah, about my Ahlul-Bayt."

"Behold! I am your predecessor at the Pool (of Paradise) and I shall be a witness against you. Thus be careful how you treat these two precious things after me. Do not precede these two for you will perish, and do not stay away from them for you will perish."

"O People! Don't you know that I have more authority upon you than yourself?"

People cried and said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah."

Then Prophet repeated: "O People! Do I not have more right over the believers than what they have over themselves?"

People said again "Yes, O Messenger of Allah."

Then Prophet said: "O People! Surely God is my Master, and I am the master of all believers."

Then he grasped the hand of Ali and raised it and said: "Whoever I am his Master, Ali is his Master [also]" (repeating three times). O God! Love those who love him. Be hostile to those who are hostile to him. Help those who help him. Forsake those who forsake him. And keep the truth with him wherever he turns (i.e., make him the axis of the truth)."

"Ali, the son of Abu Talib, is my brother, my executor (Wasi), and my successor (Caliph), and the leader (Imam) after me. His position to me is the same as the position of Haroon (Aaron) to Moses, except that there shall be no prophet after me. He is your master after Allah and His Messenger."

"O People! Verily Allah has appointed him to be your Imam and ruler. Obedience of him is obligatory for all Immigrants (Muhajirin) and Helpers (Ansar) and those who follow them in virtue, and on the dwellers of the cities and the nomads, the Arabs and the non-Arabs, the freeman and the slave, the young and the old, the great and the small, the white and the black."

"His commands should be obeyed, and his word is binding and his order is obligatory on everyone who believes in one God. Cursed is the man who disobeys him, and blessed is the one who follows him, and he who believes in him is a true believer. His WILAYAH (belief in his mastery and guardianship) has been made obligatory by Allah, the Powerful, the Exalted."

"O People! Study the Quran. Reflect on its clear verses and do not presume the meaning of the ambiguous verses. For, by Allah, nobody can properly explain them to you its warnings and its meanings except me and this man (i.e., Ali) whose hand I am lifting up in front of myself. "

"O People! This is the last time that I shall stand in this assembly. Therefore listen to me and obey and submit to the command of Lord. Verily Allah, He is your Lord and God. After Him, His prophet, Muhammad who is addressing you, is your master. Then after me, this= Ali is your master and your leader (Imam) according to Allah's command. Then after him leadership will continue through some selected individuals in my descendants till the day you meet Allah and His Prophet."

"Behold! Certainly you shall meet your Lord and He will ask you about your deeds. Beware! Do not become infidels after me by striking the necks of one another. Lo! It is incumbent upon those who are present to inform what I said to those who are absent for perhaps the informed one might comprehend it (understand it) better than some of the present audience. Behold! Haven't I conveyed the Message of Allah to you? Behold! Haven't I conveyed the Message of Allah to you?"

People replied: "Yes!"

The Prophet said: "O God! Bear witness."

References: A'alam al-Wara, pp 132-133, Tadhkirat al-Khawas al-Ummah, Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi al-Hanafi, pp 28-33, al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, by Noor al-Din al-Halabi, vol 3, pg 273