The final khutbah delivered by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during the Farewell Pilgrimage gathered together the essence of his message to the Ummah.
Among the greatest matters emphasised was our relationship with Allah. The Shari‘ah governs our relationship with our Creator. Tawhid belongs to Allah alone, and worship is for Allah alone.
Alongside this, Islam also governs how human beings deal with one another. Allah says in the Qur’an:
﴿إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ﴾
“Indeed, the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the one with the most taqwa.” (Surat al-Hujurat 49:13)
There is no superiority of one person over another except through taqwa. The only thing that truly elevates a person is sincerity, righteousness, worship, and devotion to Allah.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned the Ummah against wrongdoing and oppression. He made clear that riba is haram — consuming the wealth of others unjustly is haram, taking the wealth of others unlawfully is haram, and oppression in all its forms is haram.
He taught that our dealings must be built upon justice, rights, and goodness. We must be kind and merciful even when we have power over others.
We should be truthful people with noble character. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also reminded us that we must prepare for the akhirah rather than become consumed by the dunya.
These themes formed the foundations of the Prophetic message. Whoever reflects on the Farewell Khutbah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) will see how it gathers together the core principles of Islam.
Allah says:
﴿وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاعِمَةٌ لِّسَعْيِهَا رَاضِيَةٌ﴾
“Faces, that Day, will be radiant and joyful, pleased with their efforts.” (Surat al-Ghashiyah 88:8–9)
Allah tells us that some faces on the Day of Judgement will be full of joy because of what they sent forward through their deeds and actions.
This is one of the reasons Surah al-A‘la and Surah al-Ghashiyah are recited during the Eid prayer — to remind us about our deeds and our preparation for the akhirah.
If we fill our lives with righteous deeds, then in sha’ Allah our faces will be bright and joyful on the Day of Judgement, pleased with what we prepared for the akhirah.
But the opening of the surah also warns us that there will be faces humbled and exhausted because of what they earned for themselves.
Although the Ummah today faces many hardships and many matters are not going in the right direction, we should still show the joy of Eid — especially to our children. We should teach them the importance of worshipping Allah, being truthful people, and following the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) spread happiness, joy, and peace among the community during Eid. This should also be our approach: spreading joy and positivity according to whatever ability Allah has given us.
Eid should be a renewal for the Ummah — giving us fresh energy to renew our thinking, our concern, and our actions. When we fall, we rise again and continue moving forward with the help of Allah.
We ask Allah to make this blessed Eid an Eid filled with worship, happiness, and joy for the entire Ummah. Amin.
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Allah belongs all praise. All praise is for Allah.
Eid al-Adha is the Eid of sacrifice. We always remember Ibrahim (peace be upon him) when he was commanded to sacrifice his son Isma‘il (peace be upon him). But Allah saved Isma‘il at the final moment. This became the Sunnah of our father Ibrahim (peace be upon him), and also the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): offering the udhiyah on the day of Eid.
This sacrifice is to be performed during the days of Eid by those who are able to afford it and have the means to offer it. Whoever is capable should strive to fulfil this Sunnah.
One may eat from the meat, distribute it, or send it elsewhere. Whether it is done locally or in another country depends on the circumstances and what is most beneficial.
This is from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and we should strive to preserve this Sunnah.
But the greatest lesson from the story of Isma‘il (peace be upon him) is this: when you place Allah first, Allah will elevate you and honour you.
So on this Eid, we ask Allah to help us become people of truth, righteousness, and Jannah.
اللهم يا رب يا رحمن يا مدبر السماوات والأرض يا ذا الجلال والإكرام، اللهم فرّج عن أمة سيدنا محمد ﷺ، فرّج عن إخواننا في فلسطين، وفي لبنان، وفي سوريا، وفي السودان، وفي كل مكان يا رب العالمين.
“O Allah, our Lord, O Most Merciful, O Controller of the heavens and the earth, O Possessor of Majesty and Honour, relieve the hardships of the Ummah of our master Muhammad ﷺ. Relieve our brothers and sisters in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, and everywhere, O Lord of the worlds.”
اللهم اغفر لنا وارحمنا وسامحنا وعافنا واعف عنا، اغفر لنا ولوالدينا ولأزواجنا ولأصحاب الحقوق علينا، واشف مرضانا ومرضى المسلمين، وارحم موتانا وموتى المسلمين.
“O Allah, forgive us, have mercy upon us, pardon us, grant us wellbeing, and overlook our shortcomings. Forgive us, our parents, our spouses, and all those who have rights over us. Cure our sick and the sick among the Muslims, and have mercy upon our deceased and the deceased among the Muslims.”
وصلى الله وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين، وآخر دعوانا أن الحمد لله رب العالمين.
May the peace, blessings, and favour of Allah be upon our master Muhammad, his family, and all his companions. And the end of our supplication is: all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.