Wada al-Rasul li-Ummatihi
- Author died
- 1440 AH
- Editions
- Maṭba'at Safīr
Wada al-Rasul li-Ummatihi (The Messenger’s Farewell to His Community) is a concise biographical and devotional treatise by the Saudi scholar Saeed bin Wahf al-Qahtani (d. 1440 AH / 2018 CE) focusing on the final period of the Prophet Muhammad's life, his farewell admonitions, and the lessons derived from them.
Composition and Purpose
The treatise was completed on the eve of Thursday, 21 Rabi‘ al-Awwal 1416 AH, and was published as number 95 within the author's collected series of works. Al-Qahtani authored the work to compile the prophetic counsels and farewell moments across several significant stages of the Prophet's final days, systematically concluding each thematic chapter (mabhath) with deduced lessons, practical benefits, and spiritual reflections.
Structure and Contents
The work examines key aspects of the Prophet's life, concluding with his final days and passing:
- Early Life and Mission: An overview of the Prophet's noble lineage, birth, core mission of calling to Islamic monotheism (tawhid), devotion in worship, moral character, and stages of struggle (jihad), leading twenty-seven military expeditions and dispatching fifty-six detachments (saraya).
- Farewell Addresses and Pilgrimage: The announcement of the Farewell Pilgrimage in the tenth year of the Hijrah, his departure from Medina, and his comprehensive sermons and farewell admonitions delivered to the believers at Arafat, Mina, and Medina, as well as his farewells to both the living and the dead.
- Final Illness and Death: The onset and progression of the Prophet's fatal illness, his instructions during his confinement, his choice of the "Highest Companion" (al-Rafiq al-A‘la), his martyrdom, the grief that befell the Muslim community upon his passing, and the nature of his legacy and estate.
- Obligations Toward the Prophet: An outline of the rights and duties owed to the Prophet by his community, alongside spiritual exhortations for following his guidance.
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