“Time has completed a cycle to the form of the day when God created the heavens and the earth. The year contains twelve months of which four are sacred, three of them consecutive, viz. Dhul Qa'da, Dhul Hijja. and Muharram, and also Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumada and Sha'ban.”( The month Rajab is here connected with the North Arabian tribe of Mudar because they are said to have honoured it greatly and never to have broken its sacred nature. The precise reference to its place among the months is said’to be for the purpose of removing any doubt about it owing to the earlier practice of periodically intercalating a month) He asked, “What month is this?" and when the people replied that God and His messenger knew best, he remained silent so that they thought he would give it a new name, but he said, “Is it not Dhul Hijja?" and they replied that it was. He asked, “What town is this?" and when the people replied that God and His apostle knew best, he remained silent so that they thought he would give it a new name, but he said, “Is it not al-Balda?”( This word occurs a number of times in the Qur’an in the general sense of a district, but in 27, 91 it is used particularly of Mecca which is there called “this district (balda)". In the tradition the word seems to be used as if it were a proper name) and they replied that it was. He asked, “What day is this?” and when the people replied that God and His messenger knew best, he remained silent so that they thought he would give it a new name, but he said, “Is it not the day of sacrifice?" and they replied that it was. He said, “Your lives, property and honour must be regarded by you with a sacredness like that of this day of yours in this town of yours in this month of yours. You will meet your Lord, and He will ask you about your deeds. O, do not revert after my death to being people who are astray, beheading one another. Have I delivered the message ?" When they replied that he had he said, “O God, testify ; and let him who is present convey it to him who is absent, for many a one to whom a message is conveyed has a more retentive memory than the one who hears.” Bukhari and Muslim.
The Rites of Pilgrimage - Mishkat al-Masabih 2659
This profound sermon delivered during the Farewell Pilgrimage establishes the sacred foundations of Islamic time, space, and human sanctity. The Prophet ﷺ masterfully employs the rhetorical device of questioning to emphasize the eternal nature of divine ordinances.
Sacred Time and Its Preservation
The declaration that time has completed its cycle signifies the abolition of the pre-Islamic practice of intercalation (nasi'), which distorted the sacred months. By affirming the twelve-month lunar cycle established at creation, the Prophet ﷺ restored the primordial divine order.
The four sacred months—Dhul Qa'da, Dhul Hijja, Muharram (consecutive), and Rajab (singular)—maintain their sanctity as divinely ordained periods where warfare is prohibited and spiritual devotion is emphasized. The specific mention of "Rajab of Mudar" confirms its fixed position, eliminating any confusion from earlier pagan manipulations.
Sacred Geography and Human Sanctity
The triple questioning about month, city, and day establishes a hierarchy of sanctity that culminates in the protection of human life. Mecca's designation as "al-Balda" (the District) echoes its Qur'anic title, confirming its eternal sacred status.
The ultimate wisdom emerges in the declaration that human life, property, and honor share the same inviolability as the sacred day in the sacred month in the sacred city. This establishes the foundation of Islamic human rights—that sanctity is inherent in the human condition itself.
Eschatological Responsibility
The reminder of meeting Allah and being accountable for deeds connects temporal actions to eternal consequences. The warning against reverting to pre-Islamic ignorance, particularly inter-tribal warfare, serves as a perpetual caution against moral regression.
The final call for testimony and transmission establishes the chain of knowledge (isnad) that would preserve Islamic teachings for generations. The insight that "many a one to whom a message is conveyed has a more retentive memory than the one who hears" acknowledges the divine wisdom in oral transmission and the responsibility of both teacher and student.