Kafr- Elsheikh University

Faculty of Arts
English Department

Research on:
"Functional Analysis to Prophet Mohammed Farewell
Sermon"

By:

Gehad Ibrahim Mohammed Elrewainy

Submitted to:

Dr: Amir Salama

Introduction

The present study is an attempt to investigate the linguistic choices

made by prophet Mohammed in his famous Farewell Sermon. Language
is a tool to express views and notions. Most of the politicians and famous
characters use language to spread a specific ideology. It is valuable to
study political language as an occupation because it facilitates to make us
understand that how language is used by them to exercise power on the
people (Beard, 2000). The study suggests that the prophet Mohammed
is adroit in using persuasive discourse. Transitivity works at clause level
and interprets the ideational functions of language through participants,
process types and circumstances.

The purpose of this study is to give a systematic analysis based on

Halliday's functional grammar to the last sermon (khutbah) of Prophet
Muhammad (Farewell Sermon) to the Muslims who attend this day and
all of his followers in all ages and all countries.

Theoretical background
Halliday's Functional Grammar is a tool to explore the specific type
of linguistic choices that are used for some specific purposes. Systemic
Functional Grammar deals with three major functions i.e. Ideational,
interpersonal and textual.

A. Ideational Function
It is through this function that the speaker or writer embodies in
language his experience of the phenomena of the real world; and this
includes his experience of the internal world of his own consciousness:
his reactions, cognitions, and perceptions, and also his linguistic acts of
speaking and understanding (Halliday, 1971: 332)
In other words, this function is to convey new information, to
communicate a content that is unknown to the hearer. It reflects the
events and experience in both objective and subjective worlds.
The ideational function mainly consists of “transitivity” and “voice”. Hu
Zhuanglin, a Chinese linguist, point out: “This function not only specifies
the available options in meaning but also determines the nature of their
structural realizations” (Hu Zhuanglin, 1988: 312). For Example, Kitty flies
a kite can be analyzed as: the Actor is Kitty, the process is Material and
the Goal is a kite. The Actor, Process, Goal, and their subcategories
reflect our understanding of phenomena that come within our
experience.
The ideational function is mainly represented by the transitivity
system in grammar. In this system, the meaningful grammatical unit is
clause which expresses what's happening, what's being done, what's felt
and what the state is and so on (Cheng Yumin, 2007). The transitivity
system includes six processes: material process, mental process,
relational process, behavioral process, verbal process and existential
process.
Material processes are those in which something is done. These
processes are expressed by an action verb (e.g. eat, go, give), an Actor
(logical subject) and the Goal of the action (logical direct object, usually
a noun or a pronoun). (Hu Zhuanglin,1988) e.g. Marry is eating a banana.
Mental processes express such mental phenomena as “perception” (see,
look), “reaction” (like, please) and “cognition” (know, believe, convince).
A mental process involves two participants, Senser and Phenomenon.
(Hu Zhuanglin, 1988) e.g. Tom likes chocolate.
Relational processes can be classified into two types: Attributive and
Identifying. The former expresses what attributes a certain object has, or
what type it belongs to, for example, The temperature is high. The latter
expresses the identical properties of two entities. For example, Lily is a
girl; The girl is Lily. (Hu Zhuanglin, 1988)
Verbal processes are those of exchanging information. Commonly
used verbs are say, tell, talk, praise, boast, describe, etc. In these
processes the main participants are Sayer, Receiver and Verbiage.
Behavioral processes refer to physiological and psychological behavior
such as breathing, coughing, smiling, laughing, crying, staring, and
dreaming, etc. Generally there is only one participant—Behaver, which is
often a human. This kind of processes is much like the mental process.

Behavioral process may sometimes be hardly distinguished from a

material process that has only one participant. This depends on whether
the activity concerned is physiological or psychological. When Behavioral
process has two participants, we may take it as material process, for
example, His father beat the disobedient boy. (Hu Zhuanglin, 1988)
Existential processes represent that something exists or happens. In
every existential process, there is an Existent. For Example,
There is a girl in the garden.
Does ghost exist on earth?
Here comes a bus.

B. Interpersonal Function

In the second place, language serves as interpersonal function. As

Halliday observed that the speaker is using language as the means of his
own intrusion into the speech event: the expression of his comments,
attitudes and evaluations, and also of the relationship that he sets up
between himself and the listener—in particular, the communication role
that he adopts of informing, questioning, greeting, persuading, and the
like. (Halliday, 1971:333)
Hu Zhuanglin (1988:313) points out: “The interpersonal function
embodies all uses of language to express social and personal relations.
This includes the various ways the speaker enters a speech situation and
performs a speech act.”
Modality refers to the intermediate ranges between the extreme
positive and the extreme negative. It is one of the most important
systems in social communication. On the one hand, it can objectively
express the speaker‟s judgment toward the topic. On the other hand, it
can show the social role relationship, scale of formality and power
relationship. In English, except modal verbs, modal adverbs, adjectives,
there are also p

C. Textual Function

The third role of language is called textual function. Halliday

described, “Language makes links between itself and the situation; and
discourse becomes possible because the speaker or writer can produce a
text and the listener or reader can recognize one” (Halliday, 1971:334).
According to Hu Zhanglin, "the textual function refers to the fact that
language has mechanisms to make any stretch of spoken or written
discourse into a coherent and unified text and make a living passage
different from a random list of sentences. Although two sentences may
have exactly the same ideational and interpersonal functions, they may
be different in terms of textual coherence." (Hu Zhuanglin, 1988: 315)
The textual function fulfils the requirement that language should be
operationally relevant, having texture in a real context of situation that
distinguishes a living passage from a mere entry in a grammar book or a
dictionary. It provides the remaining strands of meaning potential to be
woven into the fabric of linguistic structure. Information can be clearly
expressed in a discourse. It can also be implicated between the lines.
Therefore, all discourses are unities of explicit and implicit message.
(Halliday, 1971)

Methodology

This is a descriptive type of research and is used to represent this

data. Systemic Functional Grammar's model composed by Martin,
Matthiessen and Painter (1997) “Working with Functional Grammar”
grounded on “Introduction to Functional Grammar” by M.A.K Halliday
(1994) has been taken for the analysis. Transitivity,mood, modality and
theme systems of Systemic Functional Grammar have been adopted for
analysis on clause level. This paper investigates and interprets the
ideational, interpersonal and textual functions of language.

Background of the text

The Farewell Sermon ( Khuṭbatu l-Wadāʿ), also known as

Muhammad's Final Sermon or The Last Sermon, was delivered by
the prophet, Muhammad on the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, 10 AH (9 March
632) in the Uranah valley of Mount Arafat.
Various versions of the sermon have been published, including
several English translations. The sermon consists of a series of general
exhortations for Muslims to follow the teachings that Muhammad had
set forth in the Quran and Sunnah.
The text: “O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether
after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to
what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those
who could not be present here today.
Beware of satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope
that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of
following him in small things.
O People, listen to me in earnest, worship aAllah, say your five daily
prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth
in Zakat. "
The analysis of the text

The first sentence: "O people, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not
whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again."

This sentence is divided into three clauses as the following:

The first clause: "O people, lend me an attentive ear"

(a)- Ideational function of the clause

-process: behavioral
-behavior: people
-phenomenon: speech of the prophet
-circumstances(manner): an attentive ear

The kind of process here is behavioral, as the meaning of the verb lend
me an attentive ear means listen carefully. Accordingly, they have to
hear by ears, and then perform these instructions carefully.

(b)- Interpersonal function of the clause

- speech function: command
-speech role: demanding goods and services
-mood: imperative mood

Through this clause, we know prophet Mohammed is a messenger

from God, he has the authority from God to command people and to
give them instructions.
The use of the vocative "O people" not Muslims nor my people gives
us an idea about the universality of his message, as Allah tells us in
Qur'an:" And We have not sent you except to all mankind"(Surat
Sabaa) .
So through this clause we have an idea about what's going on, as we
have an idea about the role relationship among the participants in the
speech.

(c)- Textual function of the clause

The topical theme of this clause is "lend" which means that the
speaker is interested in the idea of attracting the attention of his
listeners, as he is going to tell tem important information through the
rheme.

The second clause: "for I know not whether after this year "

(a)- Ideational function of the clause

-process: mental process(know)

-sensor: prophet Mohammed
-Phenomenon: I shall ever be amongst you again
-circumstances(time): after this year

Through this clause, prophet Mohammed gives his listeners his reason
for speaking. As a prophet, he "Nor does he speak from [his own]
inclination"(An- Najm) .
it is the order of Allah to him. So the cognitive mental process "know" is
suitable for doing this as the source of knowledge is Allah.

(b)- Interpersonal function of the clause

-the speech function: statement
-the speech role: giving information
mood: declarative mood

Through this clause, after having the knowledge from Allah, the
prophet has to tell his followers about it. So, the declarative mood is the
suitable mood for doing this.
The use of the negative polar mood with the verb "know" is very
appropriate, as the speaker is sure of his information because the source
of it is Allah.

(c)- Textual function of the clause

The use of the adjunct "for" gives us the purpose of the previous
command of the prophet's order "lending me an ear", creates a
reasonable tie between the two clauses.
The topical theme here is the pronoun "I", as the prophet here is
speaking from his identity as a messenger and is interested to emphasize
this point through the thematization of his pronoun. It is also old
information, as he is the speaker, and the new information about him
will e discussed in the rheme.
The third clause: " I shall be ever amongst you again."

(a)- Ideational function of the clause

-process: existential (be)

-existent: (I) prophet Mohammed
-circumstances (place): amongst you

Through this clause the prophet gives us here an idea about the
reason of speaking at this moment, as he shall die. He also doesn't use
the verb 'die' directly, as he knows very well how they love him, and so
this word my hurt them. So the use of the process of not being existent
among them expresses this idea very well.

(b)-Interpersonal function of the clause

-speech function: statement

-speech role: giving information
-mood: declarative mood

The use of the declarative mood is suitable for giving his listeners the
knowledge he knows from God. Here, the use of the modal verb "shall"
is very important, as the prophet expresses the probability of his
information. He can't use the polar verb in this clause, and can't give any
specific time to his death, as nobody knows about it even the prophet
himself. It is Allah only who know this.

(c)- Textual function of the clause

The theme here is the pronoun "I'' as the prophet is speaking from his
identity as a messenger from God, and is interested in emphasizing this
point through the thematization of himself. It is also an old information
as a speaker, and the new information will be discussed in the rheme. It
is noticed that these clauses have a common theme to create an
emphatic continuity to the prophet, and to attract his listeners' attention
about what he is going to say about himself.

The second sentence: " Therefore, listen to what I'm saying to you very
carefully and take these words to those who couldn't be present here
today."
It is divided into three clauses as the following:

The first clause: "Therefore, listen to what I'm saying to you very
carefully."

(a)- Ideational function of the clause

-process: Behavioral (listen)

-behavior: people
-phenomenon (facts): what I'm saying
-circumstances (manner): very carefully

Here the prophet after giving his reason for the importance of his
speech, he has to make his listeners give him their attention. So, again
they have to hear his words by ears to be able to perform these
instructions. The phenomenon here is factual one, as the words of the
prophet have to be treated as facts.

"what I'm saying to you" is a minor clause, and can be analyzed as the
following:
-process: verbal (saying)
-sayor: I (prophet Mohammed)
-receiver: people

(b)- Interpersonal function of the clause

-speech function: command

-speech role: demanding goods and services
mood: imperative mood

By using the process "listen", so there is something worth listening.

Accordingly, the use of the imperative mood is suitable for attracting the
attention to what is being said. As a prophet he has the authority to give
orders to his followers.
The use of the progressive tense suggests that any one read this text
feels that the prophet speaking to him at this moment, and this
contributes to the universality of the speech.

(c)- Textual function of the clause

 The use of the conjunction "therefore" is very important for creating
a cohesion between this sentence and the previous one.
The topical theme here is the verb "listen", signifies the speaker's
interest in the importance of listening, which will be followed by nem
information expressed in the rheme.
Accordingly, we notice that the three components of the functional
grammar work in harmony; we have the behavioral process which
means listen carefully, the imperative mood which signifies that you
have to act like this, and finally the thematic order of the clause to
support both previous functions.

The second clause: "take these words to those"

(a)- Ideational function of the clause

-process: verbal (take)

-verbiage: words
-listeners: those
-sayer: you

The verb here "take these words" means tell those of what I'm saying.
So it is a verbal process. That is because what the prophet is going to say
isn't directed to the present listeners only, but it is directed to all
peoples in all ages and all countries.

(b)- Interpersonal function of the clause

-speech function: command

-speech role: demanding goods and services
-mood: imperative mood

As a prophet he has the authority from God to order the people, and
he orders them for the benefits of themselves. So, it is expected from
them to obey his orders.

(c)- Textual function of the clause

The topical theme of this clause is the verb "take", which sheds light
on the speakers interest in the idea of taking his words to the whole
world as this is illustrated as a new information in the rheme.
Third clause: " those who couldn't be present here today"

(a)- Ideational function of the clause

-process: existential (be present)

-existent: who
-circumstances(time): here
(place): today

Actually, not all people can attend in this occasion, so he has to

maintain their right of knowing what he has told the others to do. This
idea is supported through the use of the circumstances of time and place
which supports the idea of the universality of this speech.

(b)- Interpersonal function of the clause

-speech function: statement

-speech role: giving information
-mood: declarative mood

The prophet as the last messenger from God is responsible for all
people. This gives us an idea about the over whole view of the prophet,
and this signifies his vision about the future, and about his followers in
the future.
The use of the negative modal verb "couldn't" gives us a probability
of the information as it isn't possible for all people to attend.

(c)- Textual function of the clause

The use of the relative adjunction "who" creates a cohesive tie

between this clause and the previous one. Accordingly "who" is the
topical theme as it is now old information, and also shows the prophet's
interest in his followers.

The third sentence: "Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. "

This sentence contains one clause as following:

 (a)- Ideational function of the clause

-process: behavioral (beware)

-behavior: people
- phenomenon(fact): Satan
-circumstances (cause): for the safety of your religion

The process here is a behavioral process, as you have to keep in

mind that the Satan is already exists as Allah tells us of his presence and
so the factual phenomenon expresses this very well.

(b)- Interpersonal analysis

-speech function: command

-speech role: demanding goods and services
-mood: imperative

The prophet uses his authority to command the people not to obey
their eternal enemy "Satan", and this for the benefit of them. He is
messenger from God and his major jop is to lead his followers and all
people to the correct way of God's worship.

(c)- Textual function of the clause

The topical theme of the clause is "beware", as this is the main

interest of the speaker, and what follows is a new information given to
the listener. The use of the imperative mood as a topical theme attracts
the attention of the listener to what follows, as they want to know what
to beware of. Also the use of the conjunction "for" creates some sort of
cohesion between the two phrases.

The forth sentence: " He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to
lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things."

This sentence is divided into three clauses as follows:

The first clause: "He has lost all hope that"

(a)- Ideational function of the clause

- process: behavioral(lost)
-behavior: Satan
-phenomenon: all hope

The process here is behavioral one. The Satan realizes that he lost
hope, and accordingly he takes actions to harm people or especially
those real believers in God.

(b)- Interpersonal function of the clause

-speech function: statement

-speech role: giving information
-mood: declarative mood

The prophet here gives us an information about the Satan in that

declarative mood by using the polar verb "has lost" ,which means that
he state a fact which is unchangeable, as we said before that the
prophet " Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination". , so all of his words
must be stated as facts.

(c)- Textual function of the clause

The topical theme here is the pronoun "he" which refers in an

anaphoric reference to the Satan as an old information which already
has been mentioned in the previous sentence, and this creates cohesion
between the two sentences.

The second clause: "that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big
things"

(a)- Ideational function of the clause

-process: causative (lead)
: behavioral(astray)
-agent: he
-behavior: you
-circumstances(matter): in a big things

Through this clause, the use of the causative process is prominent. So

it the Satan that make men astray. And astray here is a behavioral
process, as one astray even by his mind, his bad intention and not only
by committing forbidden actions.
(b)- Interpersonal function of the clause

-speech function: statement

-speech role: giving information
-mood: declarative

Here the prophet gives his people an idea about the deeds of the
Satan through the declarative mood. He is very specific and this is clear
through the use of the modal verb "be able to" which signifies
probability of the information. That is because the Satan won't be able
to make all the believers obey him, as there will be those who will stick
to the instructions of their religion and will refuse to obey the Satan's
orders.

(c)- Textual function of the clause

The use of the relative conjunction "that" refers in an anaphoric

reference to the word "hope" which this clause will explain, which
creates a semantic tie between the two clauses.
The topical theme here is the pronoun "he" which refers in an
anaphoric reference to the Satan mentioned in the first clause within the
same sentence.

The third clause: "so beware of following him in small things"

(a)-Ideational function of the clause

_process: behavioral( beware)

-behavior: people
-circumstances (matter): following him in small things

In this clause, the behavioral process is used to warn the people not
follow the Satan in the small things, as this lead to committing big ones
which is successfully expressed through the use of circumstances of
matter.

(b)- Interpersonal function of the clause

 Through this clause, as a prophet, he has to advice his followers and
demonstrate to them even the small faults they may commit. He also
knows very well how Satan play upon their minds. So by using
imperative mood, he attracts their attention to this point.

(c)- Textual function of the clause

The use of the conjunction "so" gives us a cohesive tie between the
clauses. The topical theme here is "beware" which is the same theme of
the previous sentence, which creates an emphatic continuity to the
same theme in the two sentences.

Fifth sentence: "O people, listen to me in earnest; Worship Allah, say

your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your
wealth in Zakat."

It is divided into five clauses a the following:

First clause: " O people, listen to me in earnest"

(a)- Ideational function of the clause

-process: behavioral(listen)
-behavior: people
-phenomenon (fact): my words "to me"
-circumstances (manner): in earnest

The prophet again attract the people's attention by using the

behavioral process. So, they have to hear his words by ears and these
words are expected to be turned into actions. The factual phenomenon
here is reasonable, as the prophet's words are considered to be facts.

(b)- Interpersonal function of the clause

-speech function: command

-speech role: demanding goods and services
-mood: imperative mood

Here, through using his, the prophet again and again gives
instructions to his followers through the imperative mood, to
demonstrate the importance of hid words, as we know that any word by
the prophet is considered to be Sunnah , which we have to follow.

(c)- Textual function of the clause

The topical theme here is the verb "listen" which gives an impression
about the speaker's interest in the behavioral process of listening, and
announces that the new information in the rheme deserves listening.
The use of the vocative "O people" which is used before contributes
to the cohesion of the whole speech.

The following four clause: "worship Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast
during the month of Ramadan and give your wealth in Zakah." Have the
same ideational and interpersonal function.

(a)-Ideational function of the clauses

-process: behavioral (worship, say, fast, give)

-behavior: people
-phenomenon: (wealth, prayers)
-circumstances (time): daily, during Ramadan
(manner):Zakah

These processes are considered to be behavioral. Because in Islam,

the true faith is what you believe in mind, and do by action. So, when
you perform Salah, this means that means that you believe by heart and
mind that you are in the presence Allah although you can't see Him. At
the same time you perform Salah by standing, kneeling and kowtowing.
The same can be applied to fasting and giving Zahah as you perform
these actions as a result of your faith.

(b)- Interpersonal function of the clauses

Again, the prophet uses his authority to give his followers the
instructions they have to do. So, he speaks out his identity as a prophet,
whose listeners have to obey.

(c)- Textual function of the clauses

 All these clauses have the same topical theme as all of these
behavioral process represent the main pillars of Islam. This contributes
to the emphatic continuity among the clauses within the same sentence.

Conclusion

The functional analysis of the prophet's farewell speech to his

followers and the whole people in all ages and all countries comes up
with the following results showing that, we notice how the prophet
assures the idea of the universality of his message through the use of his
authority as a prophet and as the last messenger of Allah. The use of
transitivity system also contributes to the successful presentation of his
ideas. In addition, the ideas of his speech is closely related through the
cohesive ties and the development of the thematic elements.