The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 212
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 212 Islāmic governments and Islāmic societies to engage in abolishing this cruel practice of slavery, with full concentration and effort. They must once again, bring the world back to that blessed nucleus, which the Holy Prophet sa and his Companions wished to gather it in, and the purpose of which was to eradicate slavery and its spirit from the world; and thus, establish true freedom and true equality. A Final Testament of the Holy Prophet sa Regarding Slaves I end this discussion with those immensely beautiful words, which were the last words uttered by the Holy Founder of Islām in a world of materialism. Ḥaḍrat ‘Alī bin Abī Ṭālib ra and Anas bin Mālik ra relate: ُ کَان َ عَامَّة ُ وَصِیَّة ِ رَسُوْل ِ اللّٰه ِ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ وَسَلَّم َ حِیْن َ حَضَرَتْه ُ الْوَفَاة ُ وَھُو َ یُغَرْغِر ْ بِنَفْسِه ٖ الصَّلوٰة َ وَمَا مَلَكَت ْ اَیْمَانُكُم Meaning, “The last words which were heard upon the blessed tongue of the Holy Prophet sa in a state when death was about to overtake him were ْ اَلصَّلوٰة ُ وَم َا مَلَكَت ْ اَیْمَانُكُم , meaning, ‘O ye Muslims! My last testament to you is that you must never forget my teaching relevant to the obligatory prayers and slaves. ’” 1 At the time when the Holy Prophet sa uttered these words, his wives who stood by his side in every difficulty and hardship as his life partners were also present. His beloved daughter and her children, as well as other friends and relatives of the Holy Prophet sa were also before him. The loyal Muhājirīn , in whose sincere companionship the life of the Holy Prophet sa had passed were present as well. The devoted Anṣār , who irrigated the plant of Islām by the water of their blood were also nearby. Moreover, this was a time when the Holy Prophet sa would not have had any further opportunity to advise anyone else. The Holy Prophet sa also knew and felt that an admonition made at such a time would outweigh all other exhortations. Yet, the eyes of the Holy Prophet sa did not settle upon any one of the people mentioned just now. If there was a single person in the world who the Holy Prophet sa remembered and this 1 * Sunanu Ibni Mājah, Kitābul-Waṣāyā, Bābu Hal Auṣā Rasūlullāh sa , Ḥadīth No. 2697 * Al-Jāmi‘uṣ-Ṣaghīru Fī Aḥādīthil-Bashīrin-Nadhīr, By Al-Imām Jalāluddīn bin Abī Bakr As-Suyūṭī, Volume 1-2, p. 319, Ḥadīth No. 5172, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon (2004)