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The farewell sermon of prophet Muhammad and its moral lessons for our polarized world (Part 1)
Kpone Katamanso Municipal Chief Imam | Certified Counsellor | Governance Expert
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. We praise Him, seek His help, and ask His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own souls and from our misdeeds.
Whomever Allah guides, none can mislead; and whomever He leaves astray, none can guide.
We send endless peace and blessings upon our noble Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., the Seal of the Prophets, whose final sermon stands as a moral compass for humanity.
Introduction: A Timeless Message to a Divided Humanity
In 632 CE, during his final pilgrimage, Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم delivered what would become one of the most profound moral declarations in human history — Khutbat al-Wadā‘ (The Farewell
Sermon). Standing before more than one hundred thousand followers on the plains of ʿArafah, he encapsulated the essence of faith, justice, and human dignity: affirming equality, the sanctity of life, mutual respect, and unwavering devotion to God. Shortly after this address, the Qur’anic revelation affirmed the culmination of divine guidance:
“Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion.” (Qur’an 5:3)
More than fourteen centuries later, this sermon continues to speak to a world divided by race, politics, class, and ideology. Its timeless message remains a moral compass for humanity, resonating far beyond the boundaries of faith. Scholars such as John L. Esposito (2003) and Seyyed Hossein Nasr (2015) regard it as a “charter of universal ethics” — a manifesto of spiritual equality
and social justice that transcends time, geography, and creed.
The Farewell Sermon (Opening Section)
“O people! Listen attentively to me, for I do not know whether after this year I shall ever be among you again in this place. Therefore, listen carefully to what I say and take these words to those who could not be present here today.
O people! Just as you regard this month, this day, and this city as sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Do not wrong anyone, so that none may wrong you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and He will surely reckon your deeds.
Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest); therefore, all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer injustice.
Allah has judged that there shall be no interest, and all interest due to ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (the Prophet’s uncle) is henceforth waived in its entirety.
The Sanctity of Life, Property, and Honour “Indeed, your blood, your property, and your honour are sacred to you, just as the sanctity of this day, this month, and this city.”(Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)
This was not only a declaration for Muslims but a divine affirmation of human dignity. The Prophet linked the sanctity of human life to the holiness of Makkah, Dhul-Hijjah, and the Day of ‘Arafah — emphasizing that harming another person is a violation of sacred trust.
Allah says:“Do not kill the soul which Allah has made sacred, except by right.” (Qur’an 17:33)
“Whoever kills a person unjustly, it is as though he has killed all mankind.” (Qur’an 5:32)
Moral Lesson and Contemporary Relevance
In a world marked by terrorism, ethnic violence, political oppression, and mass shootings, this principle is a moral anchor for all. Islam commands that human life is inviolable — whether Muslim or non-Muslim.
As Dr. Tariq Ramadan (2007) notes, “The Prophet’s final sermon redefined human relations based on divine accountability, not tribal affiliation.”
If embraced universally, this teaching could guide peace-building, conflict resolution, and social justice movements worldwide. It teaches that human life is sacred beyond borders, color, and belief — a message urgently needed in today’s fractured world.
Economic Justice and the Abolition of Exploitation
“Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest); all usury obligations are abolished.”
“Verily, all forms of usury from the pre-Islamic period are abolished, and the first usury I
abolish is that of my uncle, al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib.” (Muslim)
In a single proclamation, the Prophet ended the exploitative financial systems of his era. Islam’s economic vision is rooted in fairness, mutual consent, and compassion.
Allah commands: “O you who believe! Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly, but only through lawful trade by mutual consent.” (Qur’an 4:29)
Moral Lesson and Modern Insight
Economic justice remains one of humanity’s greatest challenges, from poverty and debt slavery to corporate greed. The Prophet’s message is not merely a prohibition of interest, but a call for economic ethics.
Non-Muslims can appreciate this as a model for sustainable finance, encouraging microcredit,ethical banking, non-interest banking system, and corporate social responsibility. The World Bank (2021) and UNDP reports affirm that societies thrive when economies prioritize fairness and reduce inequality.
Islam’s vision of wealth as a social trust (amanah) rather than an instrument of domination is a moral paradigm that the modern world urgently needs.
Respect for Women and Family Rights
“O people, you have certain rights over your women, and your women have rights over you.
Treat them with kindness, for they are your partners and committed helpers.”
At a time when women were denied inheritance and dignity, the Prophet uplifted them as equal moral agents and partners in society.
The Qur’an proclaims: “And live with them in kindness.” (Qur’an 4:19)
“And their rights are similar to the rights upon them, according to what is equitable.” (Qur’an 2:228)
Moral Lesson and Global Relevance
This message resonates deeply in contemporary gender discourse. It challenges both patriarchal injustice and modern exploitative models that objectify women.
As Amina Wadud (1999) writes in Qur’an and Woman, the Prophet’s teachings established “a moral equality that precedes modern feminist thought.”
Muslims and non-Muslims alike can embrace this principle: that strong families and societies depend on justice, empathy, and partnership not dominance. True liberation lies in mutual respect and responsibility.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai
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THE typical itinerant salesman in Sikaman is a herbalist. He is normally a slim macho with the capacity to perambulate the expanse of area covering the triangle of Accra-Tema-Ashiaman. In short, he can walk a total of 60 miles a day, marketing a product that cures every disease, including poverty. 
The door-to-door herbal pharmacist advertises his product by word of mouth. He has nothing to do with the Food and Drugs Board (FDB). After all, his concoctions do not feature on FM stations.
Those herbalists who cannot walk to propagate the herbal gospel, liaise with drivers of mass transportation and their mates. They are, therefore, given the chance to sell their products on Benz buses that ply the routes.
Normally, the herbalist starts his sales message with a prayer and Bible study. He asks the passengers to bow down their heads in supplication to God the father, the son, the Holy Spirit.
When a herbalist asks the passengers to close their eyes and bow their heads, Moslems on board naturally feel offended. They feel that the herbalist has no right to assume that every passenger is a Christian. They think such an assumption is an affront to Islam.
So a Moslem on board will raise the hand for a point of order. He’ll remind the herbalist that it would be in his own interest to mind his language.
“Be careful the way you address people in a public place. Not every person here is a Christian,” he’d state assertively.
Of course, the herbalist will promptly ignore him, but would all the same “watch” his tongue. Who knows whether or not the Moslem brother is inspired by Quoranic zeal to defend the tenets of Islam to the hilt?
When he starts saying, “Wallahi!” and “Inshallah!” it could be the beginning of proclaiming Islam as supreme, a point which must be driven home with talibanic precision.
So the herbalist must tread carefully lest he steps on fire.
The herbalist could even add a measure of mirth to it all, by announcing that Christians on board today have very interesting company on the journey, but that should not detract from the business of the day.
The Moslem brother will weigh the words carefully and offer a wry smile.
He must be careful the occasion does not degenerate into the use of semantics and proverbial oration to deride his conviction that public utterances must be mindful of religious sensibilities. He has made his point very clear and expects that it is taken in good faith in the interest of a peaceful journey.
The herbalist will now open the New Testament and preach salvation, stating clearly that salvation can come only through Jesus Christ and NOBODY else.
The Moslem brother will now start twitching his moustache. The visible and almost revolutionary reflexes of his upper lip can be an indication that sentiments have begun superseding reason, and the outcome could well be tragic now shift uneasily in his seat.
The time has come for him to also express his right to the religion of his fore-bears. He’ll put his hand into his pocket and rise to his feet. The time has indeed come!
This article was first published on Saturday, September 9, 2006
When the cause of a particular problem like sickness, disease, sudden illness, a social issue etc. are not known, it stands to reason that resolving it becomes a huge challenge.
Citizens would understand the government when public announcements are made to the effect that government is trying to find a solution to the issue, even though it is taking a while for it to be resolved because citizens are rational beings.
On the other hand, if the solution to a particular issue is known to everybody but the government for whatever reason, is dragging its feet in resolving it, citizens become frustrated and begin to lose trust in their leaders.
One such issue is the heavy traffic along a section of the Kasoa – Odokor road. A short stretch of bad road between the traffic light at the Weija Government Hospital and the entrance to the entrance of the overhead that leads to the N1, is the cause of the problem but nothing is being done about it, day after day, week after week, month after month. Thus is clearly unacceptable.
Another issue that requires urgent attention is the lack of pavements along a lot of streets in parts of the various Municipal Assemblies. Exercise is a prerequisite for long life and healthy living and for those of us who it has become a way of life, this issue of people putting up structures right to the edge of the drains beside the roads, are making life difficult for us.
We are compelled to walk along the roads, putting our lives at serious risk. Pedestrians should never be compelled to compete with vehicles on our streets and roads. Roads and streets are made for vehicles and pavements are made for pedestrians. That is the norm. Any attempt to normalise a situation where pedestrians are mingling with vehicles is insanity.
It is the road regulations that makes it so and therefore district or municipal assemblies are to take responsibility and ensure that spaces for pavements are not encroached upon. Citizens have rights that must be protected by their leaders and making pavements available to pedestrians, is one of them.
When we hear of teachers having sex with students, it appears it is something recent. It is not a new phenomenon. It has been there since Adam. Perhaps this issue is getting much attention due to the proliferation of social media. It was an open secret in times past when Teachers were in relationships with female students and some married them immediately after completion of school.
Some teachers were also known to be having unholy interactions with female pupils but due to the times that these acts occurred, human rights issues and the awareness around it, allowed such unscrupulous teachers to get away with their crimes.
Now we are in a different era and so a Headmaster is now in hot waters. He is alleged to have raped about 19 female students and as usual, some officials tried to cover it up and are also in hot waters and their actions or inactions in the matter are under investigation.
Why the man has been allowed to roam freely without being arrested is simply mind boggling. It appears that the law applies differently, depending on who you are. This issue came to public attention sometime in August this year, yet the police had not arrested or invited this man for question regarding the rape allegation.
It has come out that he is a Constituency Secretary of the ruling party and the question in the public domain is that, is it because he is a political figure that is why he is still walking around without questioning? I believe in the rule of law so let us hold our breadth and let the proper thing be done.
The police must however be seen to be active in this matter. God bless.
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