The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) – Volume III — Page 38
Seal of the Prophets - Volume III 38 “In the sermon which the Holy Prophet sa delivered at the occasion of Ḥajjatul- Wadā’ in the middle day of the Ḥajj, at the place of Minā, the Holy Prophet sa said to the people, ‘O Ye People! your Lord is one, and your father is one. Listen closely, no Arab possesses superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non- Arab possess superiority over an Arab. Similarly, the red and white coloured possess no superiority over the black, nor do the black coloured possess superiority over the red and white coloured. Of course, one who surpasses others in personal goodness it is they who are most superior. O Ye People! have I conveyed the message? Everyone responded, ‘Undoubtedly, the Messenger of God has conveyed his message. ’” 1 Then he states: ُ و َّ فَاجِر ٌ شَقِی ٌّ وَّالنَّاس ٌّ بَاءِ. مُؤْمِن ٌ تَقِی آ ْ قَد ْ اَذْھَب َ اللّٰه ُ عَنْكُم ْ عُبِّیَّة َ الْجَاھِلِیَّة ِ وَفَخْرَھَا بِال ٍ بَنُو ْ اٰدَم َ وَاٰدَم ُ مِن ْ تُرَاب “O Ye Muslims! God the Exalted has alleviated the disease of unbefitting arrogance and haughtiness, and unseemly pride on account of one’s forefathers from the era of the Jāhiliyyah by means of faith. The Islāmic measure is merely that one individual believes in God and performs good deeds, while the other performs evil deeds and is deprived of good attributes. Remember that all people are from the children of Adam and Adam was created of clay. ” 2 Then He states: اَلنَّاس ُ مَعَادِنُ. خِیَارُھُم ْ فِی الْجَاھِلِیَّة ِ خِیَارُھُم ْ فِی الْاِسْلَام ِ اِذَا فَقِھُوْا “People of the world are like minerals, which despite being composed of similar elements and being buried under a similar type of soil, gradually, take on different colours and different characteristics. However, listen hither! The known characteristics of success and greatness which were recognised prior to Islām (i. e. , wisdom and knowledge, generosity and bravery, power and influence, etc. ) stand even today. Those people who were considered great on account of these qualities in the era of the Jāhiliyyah shall now be considered 1 Musnad, By Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal, Volume 7, p. 760, Ḥadīthu Rajulim-Min Aṣḥābin-Nabiyyi sa , Ḥadīth No. 23885, ‘Ālimul-Kutub, Beirut (1998) 2 Sunanut-Tirmidhī, Kitābul-Manāqib, Bābu Fī Faḍlish-Shāmi Wal-Yaman, Ḥadīth No 3956