The Fairwell Pilgrimage

The Hajj of The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) The Fairwell Pilgrimage In the following year, 10 AH, the Prophet Muhammad announced his intention to perform Hajj, sending messages to all tribes to encourage as many people as possible to join him. Although the rituals of Hajj had continued since the time of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and Prophet Isma’il (Ishmael), many pre-Islamic practices had been incorporated into it. Therefore, it was essential for a large number of people to observe the Prophet performing the Hajj rituals so that they could follow his example in the future. Such rituals are better understood through observation rather than mere verbal instruction. Jabir bin Abdullah reported that he saw the Prophet Muhammad on his mount performing the ritual of stoning the Jamarat. The Prophet addressed the people, saying, “Learn your Hajj rituals from me, for perhaps I will not be able to perform Hajj again after this year.” (Al-Sunan alKubra by Al-Nasai, Hadith No. 4002) When the news of the Prophet’s Hajj journey spread throughout the surrounding regions, people began to gather. Eventually, nearly one hundred thousand people assembled in Madinah. He departed from Madinah on the 25th of Dhu al-Qi’dah in the 10th year of Hijrah. As the Prophet journeyed towards Makkah, more people joined along the way. Jabir bin Abdullah remarked that as far as his eye could see, there were people everywhere. By the time they reached Makkah, the gathering had swelled to over 120,000. The Prophet Muhammad was riding his camel named al-Qaswa, an extraordinary fast camel. Despite its