The Prophet's Departure for the Farewell Hajj

On the 25th of Dhul-Qi'dah in the tenth year after the Hijrah, the Prophet departed from Medina for the Hajj pilgrimage. News spread throughout Arabia that the Prophet would perform Hajj, and people came from every direction to join him and learn the rituals from his direct example. By the time he reached Mecca, approximately 100,000 to 144,000 Muslims had gathered. The Prophet performed ghusl at Dhul-Hulayfah, entered ihram, and began the talbiyah: 'Labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk, innal-hamda wan-ni'mata laka wal-mulk, la sharika lak.' He arrived in Mecca on the 4th of Dhul-Hijjah. This pilgrimage would be his only Hajj after the migration and his last, earning it the name Hajjat al-Wada (the Farewell Pilgrimage). Every action the Prophet performed during this Hajj became the definitive guide for how Muslims perform the pilgrimage to this day.