Just five days before death during his last illness with a greasy bandage on his head and a wrapper on his shoulder, inclining to the shoulders of ‘Alī and Fadl, the Prophet (sws) came out from ‘Aishah’s room to the mosque, sat on the first step of the pulpit and delivered his last oration. It was Thursday, the 8th of Rabiu’l Awwal, 11. A.H. according to Shiblī Nu‘mānī, (Sīratu’l Nabī)
He praised Allāh, thanked Him, sought forgiveness for the martyrs of the battle of Uhad and prayed for them. Then he said:
O people! [draw near] to me.
So they gathered round him. Then he said:
Well! A man has been given the option by his Lord between living in this world as long as he wishes to live and eating from this world as much as he likes to eat, and between meeting his Lord.
([Hearing it) Abū Bakr wept and said: Nay! may our fathers, mothers and properties be your ransom...
Then the Apostle of Allāh -- may Allāh send him bliss and peace! -- said:
There is none more bountiful to us for his company and wealth than the son of Abū Quhāfa (Abū Bakr). Had I taken any intimate friend except my Lord, I would have taken the son of Abū Quhāfah as my intimate friend. But there is love and brotherhood of Faith – (He said it twice or thrice). The fact is that your companion is the intimate friend of Allāh. There should not remain in the mosque any door [open] except the door of Abū Bakr.
O people! it has reached me that you are afraid of your Prophet’s death. Has any previous prophet lived for ever among those to whom he was sent so that I would live for ever among you?
Behold! I am going to my Lord and you will be going to Him. I recommend you to do good to the First Emigrants [the Muhājirīn] and I recommend the Emigrants to do good among themselves.
Lo Allāh! the Exalted, says: ‘Time bears witness, Man is in loss’ – (to the end of the Sūrah (ciii)).
Verily, the things run with the permission of Allāh, the Exalted, and verily delay in a matter should not urge you on its hastening in demand. Allāh, -- the Mighty and the Great -- does not hasten for the hastiness of anybody. He who contends with Allāh, He overcomes him. He who tries to deceive Allāh, He outwits him. Then if you turn [from Islam] then nothing is expected from you but to do mischief in the land and to cut off your blood relations.
I recommend you to do good to the Helpers [the Ansār]. They are those who took residence [in Madinah] and strengthened their faith before you. So you should treat them well. Did they not divide with you their fruits equally? Did they not make space for you in their houses? Did they not prefer you to themselves while poverty was with them? Lo! men will increase in number, but the Helpers will decrease to the extent that they will be among men as salt in food. They are my family with whom I took my shelter; they are my sandals; and they are my paunch in which I eat. So protect me in them. By Him! in Whose hand is my life, verily I love you; verily the Helpers have done what was on them and there remains what is on you.
So he who from among you who gets power in any matter
and becomes able to do harm to people therein or to do good to others therein,
then he should appreciate one of them who does well and should overlook one of
them who does bad. Lo! do not be selfish about them.
Behold! I shall precede you; I will be your witness and the meeting place is the Fountain [of Kawthar]. By Allah! Just now I see my Fountain from here. Beware, he who likes to come to it along with me tomorrow, should hold back his hand and tongue except from necessary matters.
Lo! I have, indeed, been given the keys of the treasures of the earth. By Allāh! I do not fear for you that you will turn polytheists after me. But I fear for you that you will show rivalry in them, then you will fight one another and will perish like those who perished before you.
O people! verily sins spoil the blessings and change the lots. When the people are good, their rulers do good to them and when the people are bad, they oppress them.
Then he said:
There may be some rights which I owe to you and I am nothing but a human being. So if there be any man whose honour I have injured a bit, here is my honour; he may take revenge. Whosoever he may be if I have wounded a bit of his skin, here is my skin ; he may take revenge. Whosoever he may be, if I have taken anything from his property, here is my property; so he may take. Know that he, among you is more loyal to me who has got such a thing and takes it or absolves me; then I meet my Lord while I am absolved. Nobody should say, I fear enmity and grudge of the Apostle of Allāh. Verily these things are not in my nature and character. He whose passion has overcome him in aught, should seek help from me so that I may pray for him.1
1. Bukhārī, pp. 127, 179, 508, 512, 516, 951; Mishkāt, (ed. Delhi), pp. 547, 548; Tirmidhī (ed. Cawnpore), Vol. II, p. 212; Ibn Sa‘d, Vol. II. Pt. 2, pp. 42, 43, 45; Muslim (ed. Nawal Kishore). Vol. II p. 272; Mawāhib, Vol. II, p. 484.