When all the people had gathered...

When all the people had gathered, the holy Prophet ascended the pulpit prepared for him for the occasion and delivered a long lecture during the course of which he said: "All praise is due to Allah who is the Creator and Lord of the entire Universe. It is duty of everyone to offer Him thanks in comfort, as well as, distress, in ease as well as hardship. I acknowledge being His servant and creature and declaring that He is my Master and Lord.

I convey to the people all that He reveals to me for their guidance. I do fear that if I do not do so and fail to carry out His behest, I shall have to face chastisement which no one shall be able to avert from me by any device whatsoever." "O' people, what has been revealed to me by Allah just now is so important that if I do not convey it to you it would mean as if I have not carried out His Mission at all.

While Allah has guaranteed to me that he would protect me against the evil of the people. Allah has commanded that whatever has been revealed to me in respect of Ali should be conveyed to you.

Therefore, 0' people bear in mind that Imam Ali is hereby appointed Imam over you, so that obedience to him is obligatory on the Migrants (the Muhajireen) and the Helpers (the Ansars), the countrymen and the citizens, the Arabs and the non- Arabs, the freemen and the slaves, the young and the old, the whites and the blacks.

In short his authority is to be effective on everyone who believes in the Unity and Oneness of Allah." "0' people, this is the last occasion and the last place that I proclaim Ali as my successor. Listen and obey the Command of Allah. Allah is your Creator, - your Sustainer, and your Guardian. After Allah, His Prophet Mohammad is your Guardian and he is standing before you and addressing you. After me, by Allah's behest this Ali is your Guardian and your Imam.

Therefore, till the Day of Judgment, when you will be made to present yourselves before Allah and His Prophet, this Guardianship and Imamate would remain in my progeny born through Imam Ali (a.s.). O' people, there is no issue of knowledge which Allah did not entrust to me and which was not entrusted by me to Imam Ali. I have given him all the knowledge.

He is the Imam-e-Mubeen, the Manifest Guide." "O' people do not abandon him for following others, and do not dislike making him your ruler for he alone would strengthen Truth and act on Truth. No reproach of any person can keep him away from Truth. O' people, ponder over the Holy Qur'an.