The hajj – the pilgrimage season which is attended by almost three million Muslims every year – is around the corner. With people from around 180 countries, this sacred ritual of Islam remains the largest gathering of humanity to this day. It is appropriate to call it the first ancient United Nations Assembly- a place where people from every corner of the world stand together in humility, equality, and devotion.   

During pilgrimage season, I therefore pause and reflect back on the last sermon on the Mount delivered by Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE in the plains of Arafat near Mecca. He is believed by Muslims to be the final messenger of God to humankind. His farewell speech at the end of the hajj has still universal validity for our times and was a radical message in the social context of the seventh century. While humankind has made great progress, many aspects of his address still remain unfulfilled and point to so many of our social diseases like racism, sexism and exploitative capitalism. They invite humanity to actively work towards alleviating injustice, suffering and wrongdoing in so many areas of life.  

Racism

“All humankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a White has no superiority over a Black nor a Black has any superiority over a White except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly.”

In a deeply tribal and ethnically hierarchical society, this was a radical proclamation. The sermon dismantled the racial and ethnic hierarchies prevalent in pre-Islamic Arabia by rooting human worth in ethical conduct rather than lineage, ethnicity, or skin color.

Today, the persistence of racism—in its systemic, institutional, and cultural forms—makes this call even more urgent. The Prophet’s words challenge modern societies to move beyond performative equality and confront the structures and legacies of racial injustice, such as colonialism, slavery, apartheid, and modern-day racial profiling.

Sexism

“O People it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women but they also have rights over you.”

In a society where women had few to no rights, the Prophet’s acknowledgment of women as partners with reciprocal rights was groundbreaking. He urged men to treat women with kindness and recognized their moral and spiritual equality.

Modern societies, despite significant progress in women’s rights, still contend with patriarchy, gender-based violence, wage inequality, and cultural misogyny. The sermon’s emphasis on mutual dignity, fairness, and moral accountability challenges both traditional and modern systems that commodify or marginalize women.

Capitalism

“God has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived… Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.”

This statement was a direct hit on exploitative financial systems, particularly usury, which entrenched cycles of poverty and injustice. By eliminating it, he struck at the heart of unjust economic relationships.

In today’s context, unregulated capitalism often mirrors the same exploitative dynamics through wage theft, predatory lending, corporate monopolies, forced labor and deepening wealth inequality. The sermon calls for economic systems that prioritize ethical stewardship, justice, and social welfare over profit maximization.

The Prophet’s final sermon is not merely a historical artifact; it is a moral compass. It invites people of all backgrounds—Muslim or not—to reflect on justice, dignity, and the shared humanity we often forget amid divisiveness and greed. The Farewell Sermon reads like a human rights charter centuries before modern declarations. It touches on the sanctity of life and property. No one’s life, property, or honor is to be violated. It speaks about universal equality and unity – all humans are part of one family. It reminds of moral accountability and that every individual is responsible for their own actions. It calls for justice and moderation: No excess and no harm should be done whether in wealth, gender, or power.

While humanity has advanced in many ways, the sermon’s message highlights how far we still must go. It is a timeless call to dismantle racism and colorism, end patriarchal oppression, reform exploitative economic systems and build societies rooted in compassion, justice, and shared responsibility. If taken seriously, the Farewell Sermon remains a revolutionary manifesto for our fractured world.

The German version was published on Kohero-Magazin and Islamische Zeitung