One Hadith (sayings and practices of Prophet Muhammad pbuh) from Sahih Muslim [1] refers to the famous event of Ghadir Khumm [2], delivered during the Prophet’s (pbuh) Farewell Pilgrimage, in which he clarified the two ‘weighty’ legacies he was leaving behind for the people of the world:
“One day Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) stood up to deliver sermon at a watering place known as Khumm situated between Mecca and Medina. He praised Allah, extolled Him and delivered the sermon: …’O people, I am a human being. I am about to receive a messenger (the angel of death) from my Lord and I, in response to Allah’s call, (would bid good-bye to you), but I am leaving among you two weighty things: the one being the Book of Allah in which there is right guidance and light, so hold fast to the Book of Allah and adhere to it… The second are the members of my household I remind you (of your duties) to the members of my family’. He (Husain) said to Zaid: ‘Who are the members of his household?’… ‘the members of his family are those for whom acceptance of Zakat is forbidden. Ali and the offspring of Ali, Aqil and the offspring of Aqil and the offspring of Jafar and the offspring of Abbas.[3]’”
There are several important lessons for welfare principles in Islam that can be derived from this Hadith. First, we learn that just and noble leaders nominated by the Prophet (pbuh) are needed to support the understanding of the Quran in certain instances, including the interpretation of its symbolic lessons and the derivation of Islamic law for contemporary social issues through Ijtihad [4]. The Prophet’s (pbuh) emphasis on remembrance, loyalty, and respect toward his household indicates that social wellbeing also depends upon recognition, affection, moral guidance, and the preservation of strong social bonds within the community.
Second, we learn that welfare is not just an individual responsibility, but a collective social responsibility that requires coordination, leadership, and accountability. Close connection to the family or Ahlalbait (as) of the Prophet (pbuh) creates clarity for the Muslim community in terms of who to turn to and whom to hold responsible for welfare ethics, welfare governance, and social justice in society. The Prophet’s (pbuh) declaration of intergenerational moral responsibility upon selected members of his family to protect the wellbeing, rights, and security of others was a momentous responsibility, and history testifies to the piety, sacrifice, and justice demonstrated by Ali, Aqil, Jafar and Abbas throughout their lives.
Third, this sermon delivered during the farewell period of the Prophet’s (pbuh) life, emphasized guidance and clarified responsibility at a moment when future divisions could emerge. Thus, this sermon, accepted across most sects of Islam, serves as an enduring source for unity in Muslim societies, reducing sectarian conflict to the workings of extremists or illegitimate religious authorities. The Prophet’s (pbuh) phrase “I remind you” confirms that welfare in Islam is tied irrevocably to remembrance, moral responsibility, and adherence to divine guidance and the just allocation of rights and responsibilities.
Last, the Hadith also demonstrates that welfare in Islam is inseparable from knowledge and ethical education. By pairing the Quran, the Book of Allah, with his household, the Prophet (pbuh) emphasized that communities require both divine revelation and morally upright teachers capable of embodying and transmitting its values in practice. Welfare therefore includes not only material support for people’s needs, but also intellectual, spiritual, and ethical development that protects communities from injustice, ignorance, and exploitation.
References
[1] Sahih Muslim, Book 031, Number 5920: https://d1.islamhouse.com/data/en/ih_books/single/en_Sahih_Muslim.pdf
[2] This location is famously known in Islamic history for the pivotal sermon delivered by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on 18 Dhu al-Hijjah (10AH / March 632 CE) on his return from the Farewell Pilgrimage.
[3] The four names Ali, Aqil, Jafar and Abbas, refer respectively to: (i) Ali ibn Abi Talib- the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, married to his daughter Hazrat Fatima (as); (ii) Aqil ibn Abi Talib- Ali’s older brother and also a cousin of the Prophet (pbuh). (iii) Jafar ibn Abi Talib-Another brother of Ali and Aqil, and cousin of the Prophet (pbuh); and (iv) Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib- The Prophet’s paternal uncle.
[4] Ijtihad the process of deriving, reconstructing, or elaborating Islamic laws on modern issues not directly addressed in the Quran or Hadith, through independent reasoning of qualified Islamic scholars.