No individual in human history has influenced the socio-political and spiritual course of humanity more profoundly than the Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). His poignant and universal message of love, compassion, and unity, first echoed in the barren deserts of Arabia, remains critically relevant in our contemporary world, reeling under wars, displacement, and human misery.
Born an orphan in Makkah on 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal, 570 AD, and bereft of his mother’s shadow at six, he faced immense privations and hardships with unwavering character and conviction. Unshaken by pressure or temptations, he grew resolute, challenging the pervasive darkness of his time and earning the pre-prophetic titles of ‘Sadiq’ (the Truthful) and ‘Ameen’ (the Trustworthy).
He emerged in an area drowning in moral ruin—a realm where “might was right,” morality was at its lowest ebb, and the vulnerable were crushed under the wheels of exploitation. It was a society plagued by idolatry, female infanticide, rampant slavery, usury, and absolute male chauvinism. At 40, in the Cave of Hira, he received the divine call. His message of monotheism, social justice, and the worship of the One Creator threatened the Makkans status quo, turning its powerful elites against him.
A lone man with a small band of faithful followers undertook the daunting task of reforming a society fractured by tribalism and racial prejudices. Offered lavish comforts to abandon his mission, he remained steadfast and undaunted. He defeated a deeply entrenched system of oppression, monopoly, and atheism, crumbling arrogant powers and elevating people from the nadir of degradation to the zenith of culture and civilization.
This journey, starting from the most humble beginnings, swelled into a universal caravan that transcended geographical and temporal boundaries.
This caravan continues today, with billions of followers across every corner of the globe, a living testament to his enduring legacy.
The culmination of his mission, the Last Sermon delivered at Mount Arafat, is a timeless charter for humanity. It proclaims the unity of mankind, the sanctity of life, honour, property, and the abolition of social hierarchies based on race and wealth. It is a testament to justice, accountability, and the rights of women and the vulnerable.
This sermon is not a historical relic; it is a mirror held up to our unjust world order. The present international system, born from the ashes of World War II, is engineered to favour the militarily and economically powerful nations. The weak are threatened and denied their rights, while the United Nations, envisioned as a platform for global justice, has been reduced to a debating club for the powerful, its majority voice hijacked by the undemocratic and draconian veto of the P-5.
The Final Sermon provides the answer. It is the spiritual and ethical foundation for a new world order based not on power, but on justice, equality, and fairness. The principles that inspired the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Constitutions of World Countries and the struggles of figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela are vividly enshrined within it. A world order drawing its spirit from this sermon would be just, egalitarian, and free from exploitation—offering universal harmony and salvation for a world torn apart by conflicts and extravagant militarism.
The Farewell Sermon provides a moral architecture for a new world order that places human dignity above military power, upholds equality of nations, not hegemony of the few, channels wealth into human welfare, not endless militarism and grounds governance in accountability, not in privileges or dynasties.
Such a world would echo the prophet’s call to global fraternity and justice.
Tragically, the very custodians of this message, particularly many Muslim rulers, have deviated from its lofty ideals. This betrayal is the root of our current decay and decadence. Instead of the Prophet’s (PBUH) legacy of piety, justice, and trust, they have preferred self-aggrandizement, pomp, and pageantry. They indulge in building castles and offshore fortunes with public wealth, abandoning the welfare of their people, education, innovation, research, and science and technology.
A glance across the Muslim world paints an alarming picture: internal strife, sectarian divisions, political instability, economic collapse, crippling poverty, and rampant corruption. From the civil war in Yemen and Saudi-Iranian rivalries to war-scarred Syria, Afghanistan, and sanctions-crippled Iran; from Pakistan’s staggering debt, killing inflation and menace of terrorism to the lawlessness in Libya, Sudan, and Somalia—the Muslim Ummah is in disarray.
This sobering reality is largely not the result of foreign influence alone. It stems largely from self-inflicted wounds: failures of governance, corruption, and a chronic unwillingness to address pressing issues. The ruling cliques are often content to let crises fester, as crises serve their interests, leaving the rightful owners of the land and resources—the ordinary people—to languish in poverty and oppression. This decline is not divine fate; it is the direct result of human failings: greed, bad governance, and inaction.
Allah reminds us: “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” The Muslim world’s redemption hinges on heeding this warning and returning to the progressive message it has abandoned.
Europe’s prosperity was not a miracle; it was built on decades of sacrifices, resilience, and an unwavering investment in science, technology, and education for the public good. The Muslim world can achieve the same, but only by setting its own house in order.
This requires a fundamental shift:
Unity over division: Muslim-majority nations must abandon petty sectarian, ethnic, and political rivalries in favour of a shared vision of peace and prosperity. United we progress; divided we remain vulnerable. The blood of Muslims is spilled too cheaply in Gaza, Kashmir, Myanmar, and beyond—a tragedy that unity could prevent.
Governance for welfare, not wealth: Rulers must channel immense natural resources and manpower into development, not luxury. Investment must be directed towards education, healthcare, research, technology, and infrastructure—tangible progress that uplifts the masses from poverty and illiteracy.
Embrace progress and accountability: The future belongs to nations that embrace technology, innovation, and adaptability. Leaders must be accountable to their people, prioritizing collective well-being over personal gains.
The Muslim world stands at a critical crossroads. The solution to its ignominy lies in the very path it has neglected: the practical teachings of the benefactor of humanity, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), and the Quran, which offers guidance for all times.
Today, about two billion Muslims bear his name, yet many Muslims societies wallow in ignominy, humiliation and decline. Why? Because we have abandoned the progressive message of Islam— education, innovation, research, science and technology, justice and human dignity. We focus more on rituals less on actions, slogans without sacrifice, and palaces without people. We prefer elites and privileged to multitudes. We consume imported knowledge instead of producing or promoting indigenous research. We glorify divisions over unity, and rhetoric over reforms.
The Qur’an and prophet’s sunnah demand the opposite: unity, scholarship, innovation, science and technology as the foundation of strength. If Muslims recover and rediscover these abandoned priorities, they will regain their dignity in the comity of nations-not through borrowed prestige but through genuine contribution.
The Prophet began as one man with a handful of faithful by his side. He did not inherit privilege, yet his moral authority conquered hearts and built civilizations. His caravan is still open for those who will walk in its spirit.
The world today desperately needs a new order founded not on arrogance and power but on justice, not on nuclear stockpiles but on human dignity. The Muslim world, in particular, must remember that its honour will not return through palaces or pageantry but through knowledge, innovation, science and technology, inclusion, and justice—the very tools given by the Qur’an and lived by the Prophet.
This is the evergreen message that crossed deserts and centuries unchanged: Stand with the poor, honour every life, do justice to all, keep the trust, seek knowledge, and be adaptive to modern changes. If we live it with conviction, the caravan will grow again—and the garden of humanity will bloom.
The bells toll for us, the Muslims, to wake up from deep slumber of negligence. This moment demands critical self-examination and practical action, not just rhetoric. By closing ranks, addressing internal failings, and prioritizing the welfare of the people, the Muslim world can emerge stronger and reclaim its rightful place on the global stage.
The path forward is clear. It is the path of unity, responsibility, and progress—the very path illuminated by the Prophet (PBUH) from the Cave of Hira to the plains of Arafat. It is a path that leads from the quagmire of disgrace to a brighter, more prosperous future, offering hope, stability, and justice for all.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
The writer is a Shikarpur-based retired civil servant. The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the newspaper