ʿAbdullāh Ibn Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه) said: “Whoever desires admonishment from the final directive and legacy of Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)—an injunction upon which his seal has been placed—should read the verses:

۞ قُلْ تَعَالَوْا أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ أَلَّا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا ۖ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ۖ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُم مِّنْ إِمْلَاقٍ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ ۖ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ‎﴿١٥١﴾‏ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ ۖ وَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۖ وَإِذَا قُلْتُمْ فَاعْدِلُوا وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَىٰ ۖ وَبِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ أَوْفُوا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ ‎﴿١٥٢﴾‏ وَأَنَّ هَٰذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ‎﴿١٥٣﴾‏

“Say (O Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)): “Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty – We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near to al-fawāḥish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) whether committed openly or secretly, and kill not anyone whom Allāh has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islamic law). This He has commanded you that you may understand. “And come not near to the orphan’s property, except to improve it, until he (or she) attains the age of full strength; and give full measure and full weight with justice. We burden not any person, but that which he can bear. And whenever you give your word (i.e. judge between men or give evidence, etc.), say the truth even if a near relative is concerned, and fulfill the Covenant of Allāh, This He commands you, that you may remember.” And verily, this (i.e. Allāh’s Commandments mentioned in the above two Verses 151 and 152) is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you that you may become al-muttaqān (the pious).”¹
(Al-Anʿām, 6:151-153)

Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Ibn Ḥasan Āl-al-Shaykh comments:

This was narrated by al-Tirmidhī, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, and al-Ṭabarānī
(رحمهم الله) all of whom graded it Ḥasan.

This statement may be interpreted, as some scholars have said, to mean: ‘Whoever seeks admonishment from his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) final testament or bequest—likening it to a written document, upon which his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) seal has been placed, such that it remains in its original, unaltered, uncorrupted, state—should read these verses’. That is, these verses may be read like his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) final directives which were compiled into a bound, sealed volume that is unaccepting of unwarranted additions or deletions.

For, indeed, the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) invited his ummah only to complete adherence to the Book of Allāh, as he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Indeed, I have left in your possession the Book of Allāh which shall never result in the misguidance of those who steadfastly adhere to it”.²

On the authority of ʿUbādah Ibn al-Ṣāmit (رضي الله عنه) who said: The Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Who among you shall pledge allegiance to me to adhere to the directives contained within these three verses?” He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) then recited the three verses and said: “As for those who adhere to these directives, his reward is incumbent upon Allāh. Regarding those who fall short of full compliance with them, Allāh may punish such people expeditiously in this worldly life. As for those who Allāh chooses to grant respite until the hereafter, their matter is entirely unto Him; He may seize them for their transgression or pardon them if He wills.”³

This is because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) left only the Qurʾān as his last testament and final admonishment to his Ummah, the adoption of which Allāh—the Most High—had already invited them towards. This is related in both the Sunnah and the Book of Allāh which was revealed as:

تِبْيَانًا لِّكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ

“An exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves (to Allāh as Muslims).”
(Al-Naḥl, 16:89)

Thus, these three verses are considered the final admonishment to this ummah from Allāh and from His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

Source: Fat‘h al Majīd: 25
Translated by: Riyāḍ al-Kanadī