The Prophet had performed Hajj towards the end of his life. On this occasion, all of the Prophet’s Companions gathered in the plain of Arafat, which is 20 kilometres east of Makkah. Here the Prophet delivered a sermon while being mounted on his camel. This sermon is famously known as Khutbah Hajjatul Wida, or ‘The Sermon of the Farewell Pilgrimage’. At this juncture, the Prophet addressed his contemporary believers thus: “God has sent me for all mankind, so convey [my message] on my behalf.” When the Prophet issued this call, the Companions went forward in whichever directions their horses were facing, so that they could reach out to those people who were still unaware of the message of God brought by the Prophet. The efforts of the Companions helped in conveying the teachings of Islam to the inhabited world of that time.
The Spirit of Hajj