Finality Of The Prophet
Foreword
Of all the conspiracies hatched against Islam in
modern times, the most dangerous is a false
claim to Prophethood made in the beginning of
this century. This claim has been the main cause
of wide spread mental chaos amongst the Ummah
(Muslim Nation) for the last sixty years. Like
all other schisms, the root cause of this
mischief is that the Muslims are generally
ignorant of their religion. Had they been truly
imbued with its knowledge and developed a clear
understanding of the article of faith relating
to the finality of Prophethood, it would have
been well-nigh impossible for any false claimant
to Prophethood to take root and thrive among the
people of Islam after the last ministry of
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him). At this juncture the most perfect
and effective remedy for eradicating this evil
is to educate the maximum number of people in
the best possible manner about true faith in the
finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) and
stressing the importance and value of this
article of faith in the religion of Islam. It is
also imperative that all doubts and skeptical
notions about the final ministry of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) should be dispelled
through reason and logic. This article has been
prepared to serve this very purpose. Readers who
find it useful should take a step further and
extend their full co-operation in the
propagation of its contents. This article ought
to reach all literate people and they having
studied it themselves should read it out to the
non-literate. It is hoped that a study of this
article will not only immunize people who have
not been contaminated with this malady but would
also make the truth manifest to the right-minded
persons among those who have received some of
its germs. However, those who have fallen victim
to falsehood and are impervious to all
reason--for them, hope and salvation lies only
with Allah.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and
the Most Beneficent
«"O people ! Muhammad has no
sons among ye men, but verily, he is the Apostle
of God and the last in the line of Prophets. And
God is Aware of everything." »(Surah Al
Ahzab: 40). This verse has been revealed in the
fifth Ruku' (para or passage) of Surah al-Ahzab.
In this Ruku' Allah (Glorified be He) has
provided answers to all those objections raised
by the hypocrites, which had given rise to a
storm of calumnies, slander and mischief in
respect to the marriage of Holy Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) with Hadrat Zainab (may
Allah be pleased with her).
These hypocrites argued that Zainab was the wife
of an adopted son of the Holy Prophet and by
this connection she stood in the position of the
Prophet's daughter in-law. Hence, after her
divorce from Zaid, the Prophet had taken his own
daughter-in-law as wife.
In order to refute this allegation Allah told
clearly in verse 37 that this marriage had
Divine sanction behind it and was made to serve
as a lawful precedent for Muslim men to marry
the wives of their adopted sons after they had
been divorced by their husbands. Later in verses
38 and 39, Allah affirmed that no power could
hinder the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him)from discharging a Divine
obligation. The Prophets are ordained to fear
God, not the people. It has been an invariable
practice of the Apostles to transmit the Divine
message without any extraneous care and to
perform the duties enjoined upon them by Allah
without fear or hesitation. Afterwards a verse
was revealed which extinguished the basis of all
objections. In the first place, they had charged
"You have taken your daughter-in-law as wife, in
contravention of your own law that the wife of a
son is forbidden to his father."
In refutation of this charge it was affirmed by
the Almighty:
«"Muhammad had no sons among
ye men..." » thereby making absolutely
clear that the man whose divorced wife was taken
into wedlock by the Prophet being not his real
son; the act, therefore did not imply violation
of it.
The argument of their second charge ran thus:
"Admitted that the adopted son is not the real
one, and on that basis a father might lawfully
marry the divorced spouse of his adopted son,
but where was the compulsion for the Prophet to
do so?" Allah affirmed in answer to this charge:
«"But, verily, he is the
Apostle of Allah"».
The implication is that it was Allah's mandate
to the Holy Prophet to wipe out all prejudices
and declare all taboos that pagan custom had
unnecessarily imposed upon the people, as
lawful. In this respect the Prophet's action was
unequivocal and left no room for doubt. (see
footnote 1, below.)
In order to lay particular emphasis upon this
point Allah observes: (Khatim Al-Nabbiyeen)«
"And he is the last in the line of Prophets,"»
which means that no messenger nor even a Prophet
charged with the mission of carrying out reforms
in the sphere of Law or society which might have
been omitted (God forbid) during the lifetime of
Muhammad (PBUH) will ever succeed him. Since
Allah ordained the ministry of Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) to be final, it was, therefore,
imperative that he should accomplish the task of
uprooting this pagan custom.
Later, the point has been further emphasized in
the revelation (Wa Kan ul-Allahi Be-kulle
Shai-in 'Aleema): «"God
is Aware of everything."» The true import
of this revelation is that Allah deemed it best
to remove this pagan custom through the agency
of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) and that Allah could only
take cognisance of the harm that the
perpetuation of this infidel custom would have
entailed. Allah (Glorified be He) was well aware
that the line of Prophethood ended in Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) whose
precedent the whole ummah would follow, and had
he not done away with this custom, there would
arise no man comparable in status to Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) who could accomplish the task. And suppose
a reformer had arisen in later times who would
break this custom, his act would not have
constituted a universal or permanent precedent
for Muslims of all ages and all countries to
follow. No other person that follows will embody
the Divine sanctity which attaches to the person
of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him). Hence the precedent of no
man but Muhammad has the potential of wiping out
the idea of all pagan customs from the souls of
men for all times to come.
________________
Footnote 1.
At this point those who deny the finality of
Muhammad's Prophethood (PBUH) demand to know the
tradition in which this allegation has been
reported. This query in fact lays bare their
ignorance. The Holy Qur'an furnishes answers to
the charges of the mischief-mongers at several
points without actually mentioning the charge.
In each case, however, the relevant text bears
unmistakable evidence as to which allegation is
being answered. In the present case also, the
answer contains the substance of the question.
The use of the conjunctive word "but" at the end
of the first sentence presupposes that part of
the question had yet to be dealt with. The
second sentence, therefore, furnishes answer to
the remaining part of the question. The first
sentence had revealed to the objectors the
answer to their charge that 'Muhammad had
married his daughter- in-law.' However, the
second point of the question "where was the
compulsion for the Prophet to do so" still
called for an answer. This answer was provided
by the next sentence in the text.
«"But verily, Muhammad is
the Apostle of God and last in the line of
Prophets of God."» The point may be
further explained by taking an illustration from
ordinary conversation. Someone says "Zaid had
not risen, but that Bakr has stood up." Now this
conveys the sense that Zaid has not risen, but
the matter does not end there, as it gives rise
to the query, "If Zaid has not risen, who has
stood up then?" The subordinate clause of the
above sentence "but Bakr has stood up" supplies
an answer to this query. It is the same in the
above case.
The Verdict of the Text of the Qur'an
A group who has raised the heresy of a new
prophethood in modern times explains the meaning
of the idea of the "Finality of Prophethood" as
the 'Stamp of Prophethood' thereby implying that
all prophets who would succeed Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) will bear
his stamp and will attain to prophethood by his
seal alone. No one, in other words, who does not
bear the seal of Muhammad (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) will attain the status of
Prophethood. But the context in which the term
"the last in the line of Prophets" has been
revealed in the Holy Qur'an leaves no scope for
such speculation. If indeed the term "last in
the line of Prophets" does bear the meaning
intended by this group, then this term is surely
out of place in the context in which it has been
revealed. Furthermore, when the term is charged
with this meaning it distorts the whole purpose
of the revealed verse.
In this verse God refutes the charge and dispels
doubts created by the mischievous people about
the marriage of Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) with Zainab (may
Allah be pleased with her), the divorced wife of
the Prophet's adopted son, Zaid. Does it stand
to reason to make a sudden interpolation in this
context of the point that Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) was the 'seal of
Prophets' and that Allah had delegated to him
the authority of attesting the bonafides of
succeeding prophets ?
This interpretation bears no connection with the
context-not the least even and is contrary to
the purpose of Divine argument against the
heretics. If this interpretation were true the
non-believers might well have argued: "There is
no hurry in doing away with this custom now. You
might safely leave this task for your successor
prophets who will bear your stamp."
According to a second interpretation of the idea
of the finality of Prophethood advanced by this
group it is said that the term
"Last in the line of Prophets" means the
"exalted Prophet." They further explain that the
line of Apostles will continue, though the
excellence of Prophethood has been culminated in
the person of Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him). This interpretation is no
less defective and harmful than the other one.
It hardly bears any relation to the context and,
in fact, conveys a contradictory sense of the
verse. Taking this thread of argument, the
infidels and hypocrites would have plausibly
pointed out, "Sir, there will be other prophets
after you, howsoever inferior in status compared
to you, to fulfil the Divine mission, why must
you take it upon yourself to remove this custom
also?"
The Dictionary Meaning of the Word 'Khatam-al-Nabiyyin'
It is evident that the text can bear one meaning
and it is that Khatam-al-Nabiyyin stands
for the Finality of Prophethood with a clear
implication that the prophethood has been
culminated and finalized in Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him). It is not only
the context that supports this interpretation
but also the lexicography.
According to Arabic lexicon and the linguistic
usage Khatam means to affix seal; to
close, to come to an end; and to carry something
to its ultimate end.
Khatama al-'Amala is equivalent to 'Faragha
min al-'Almali' which means 'to get over
with the task.' 'Khatama al-Ina' bears
the meaning 'The vessel has been closed and
sealed so that nothing can go into it, nor can
its contents spill out.'
'Khatam-al-kitab' conveys the meaning
'The letter has been enclosed and sealed so that
it is finally secured.'
'Khatama-'Ala-al-Qalb' means 'The heart
has been sealed so that it cannot perceive
anything new nor can it forswear what it has
already imbibed.'
'Khitamu-Kulli-Mashrubin' implies 'the
final taste that is left in the mouth when the
drink is over.'
Katimatu Kulli Shaiinn 'Aqibatuhu wa
Akhiratuhu means "The end in the case of
everything denotes its doom and ultimate
finish."
Khatm-ul-Shaii Balagha Akhirahu conveys
the sense, "To end a thing means to carry it to
its ultimate limit."
The term Khatam-i-Qur'an is used in the
similar sense and the closing verses of Qur'anic
Surahs are referred to as Khawatim.
Khatim-ul-Qaum Akhirhuum means "The last man
in the tribe." (Refer to Lisan-ul-'Arab; Qamus
and Aqrab-ul- Muwarid) (See footnote 2 below).
For this reason all linguists and commentators
agree that Khatam-ul-Nabiyyin means 'The
Last in the line of Prophets.' The word
Khatam in its dictionary meaning and
linguistic usage does not refer to the post
office stamp which is affixed on the outgoing
mail. Its literal meaning is the 'seal' which is
but on the envelope to secure its contents.
________________
Footnote 2.
We have referred to three lexicons here, yet the
elucidation of this point is not confined to
these works alone. All authoritative
dictionaries of the Arabic language interpret
the word Khatam in the sense that we have
given to it. But the deniers of the Finality of
Prophethood in their endeavor to make a sneaky
assault on the religion of God argue that if we
refer to someone as 'Last of the Poets' or 'Last
of the Legists' or 'Last of the Commentators',
we do not necessarily mean that no poet, legist
or commentator will come after them; rather we
only mean to say that all excellence of their
act has been concentrated in such men. The
actual position, however, is that when we do use
these exaggerated epithets for someone we do not
thereby replace or remove the original meaning
of the word 'Last'. It is preposterous to assume
that by its metaphorical use to refer to the
excellence or perfection of a man, the word
'Last' loses its original or real significance
which is 'Final'. Such an assumption can only be
accepted by a person who lacks elementary
knowledge of the rules of grammar. There is no
grammatical principle in any language by which
the metaphorical meaning of a word may be taken
as its real or original meaning. Besides, the
metaphorical meaning in no case replaces or
obliterates the real and basic meaning of the
word.
When you tell an Arab 'Ja Khatam ul-Qaum',
he will certainly not take it to mean that 'the
perfect or the most excellent man of the tribe
has come.' He will, on the other hand, take it
to mean that 'the whole tribe, even to the last
man, has come.'
There is another point to be considered. Such
terms as the 'Last Poet', the Last Legist' or
the 'Last Narrator of hadith' are eulogies used
by men for other human beings whom they deem to
be perfect and excellent. Those who use these
hyperboles for other men certainly can not say,
nor do they know, that people of such excellence
will come in later times or not. So in human
language these appellations are hyperboles, but
when God uses for a person that such and such
quality has been culminated in him, there is no
reason to take it in the metaphorical sense in
the strain of human expression. If Allah
(Glorified be He) had pronounced someone as
'Last Poet', he would have been last poet in the
literal sense of the word. If Allah (Glorified
be He) appoints someone as His 'Last Prophet',
there is absolutely no possibility of any other
person attaining to that dignity after that.
God is Omniscient. Man has but limited
knowledge. This being so, how can one construe
the human praise of a person as 'Last Poet' or
the last of the jurists in the same sense as
God's pronouncement of a person as the 'Last
Prophet'?
The Observations of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)
About the Finality of Prophethood
The meaning of the word Khatam that
emerges out of the context of the Holy Qur'an
and which is the same as given in all lexicons
of the Arabic language is also affirmed by the
observations of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him). We quote some
authentic traditions to illustrate the case in
point:
. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) observed:
“"The tribe of Israel was
guided by prophets. When a prophet passed away,
another prophet succeeded him. But no prophet
will come after me; only caliphs will succeed
me."” (Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Manaqib).
· The Prophet of God (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) affirmed:
“"My position in relation
to the prophets who came before me can be
explained by the following example:
A man erected a building and adorned this
edifice with great beauty, but he left an empty
niche, in the corner where just one brick was
missing. People looked around the building and
marvelled at its beauty, but wondered why a
brick was missing from that niche? I am like
unto that one missing brick and I am the last in
the line of the Prophets."” (Bukhari,
Kitab-ul-Manaqib). (In other words, with the
advent of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) the edifice of
Prophethood has been completed and there is no
empty niche in this edifice to provide room for
another prophet.)
Four traditions relating to this subject are
recorded, in Muslim, Kitab-ul-Fada'il, Babu
Khatimin-Nabiyyin. The latter tradition
contains the following additional sentence.
“"So I came and in me the
line of Prophets has ended."”. The very
same tradition in similar words has been
reported in Tirmidhi, Kitab-ul-Manaqib,
Bab-Fadlin Nabi and Kitab-Adab, Bab-ul-Amthal.
In Musnad Abu Dawud Tayalisi this
tradition has been incorporated among other
traditions reported by Jabir bin Abdullah; and
its last sentence reads,
“"It is in me that line of Prophets came to its
final end."”
Musnad Ahmad contains traditions reported
by Hadrat Ubayyi bin Ka'b, Hadrat Abu Sa'id
Khudri and Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be
pleased with them) on the same subject with a
slight variation of words here and there.
· The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) observed:
“"God has bestowed upon me
six favors which the former Prophets did not
enjoy:
- I have been endowed with the gift of pithy and
perfect speech.
- I was granted victory owing to my awe.
- The spoils of war were made lawful unto me.
- The whole earth has been made the place of
worship for me and it has become the means of
purification for me also. In other words in my
religion, offering of prayers is not confined to
certain specified places of worship. Prayers can
be offered at any place over the earth. And in
case water is not available it is lawful for my
people to perform ablutions with earth (Tayammum)
and to cleanse themselves with the soil if water
for bathing is scarce.
- I have been sent by Allah to carry His Divine
message to the whole world.
- And the line of prophets has come to its final
end in me."” (Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn
Majah)
· The Prophet of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) affirmed:
“"The chain of Messengers
and Prophets has come to an end. There shall be
no Messenger nor Prophet after me."” (Tirmidhi,
Kitab-ur-Rouya Babu Zahab-un- Nubuwwa, Musnad
Ahmad, Marwiyat-Anas bin Malik)
· The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) observed:
“"I am Muhammad, I am
Ahmad, I am the effacer and infidelity shall be
erased through me; I am the assembler. People
shall be assembled on Doomsday after my time.
(In other words Doom is my only successor.) And
I am the last in the sense that no prophet shall
succeed me."” (Bukhari and Muslim,
Kitab-ul-Fada'il, Bab: Asmaun-Nabi; Tirmidhi,
Kitab-ul- Adab, Bab: Asma-un-Nabi; Muatta',
Kitab-u-Asma in-Nabi, Al- Mustadrak Hakim,
Kitab-ut-Tarikh, Bab: Asma-un-Nabi).
· The Prophet of God (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) observed:
“"God Almighty hath sent
unto the world no apostle who did not warn his
people about the appearance of Dajjal(
Anti-Christ, but Dajjal did not appear in their
time). I am the last in the line of Prophets and
ye are the last community of believers. Without
doubt, then, Dajjal shall appear from amongst
ye."” (Ibn Majah, Kitabul-fitan,
bab:Dajjal).
· 'Abdur Rahman bin Jubair reported:
“"I heard Abdullah bin 'Amr
ibn-'As narrating that one day the Holy Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came
out of his house and joined our company. His
manner gave us the impression as if he were
leaving us.' He said, 'I am Muhammad, the
unlettered prophet of Allah' and repeated this
statement three times. Then he affirmed: "There
will be no prophet after me'."”(Musnad
Ahmad, Marwiyat'Abdullah bin Amr ibn'-As.)
· The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said:
“"Allah will send no Apostle after me, but only
Mubashshirat. It was said: what is meant
by al-Mubashshirat. He said : Good vision
or pious vision"”. (Musnad Ahmad,
Marwiyat Abu Tufail, Nasa'i, Abu Dawud) (In
other words there is no possibility of Divine
revelation in future. At the most if some one
receives an inspiration from Allah he will
receive it in the form of "pious dream."
· The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said:
“"If an Apostle were to succeed me, it would
have been 'Umar bin Khattab." ”(Tirmidhi,Kitab-ul-
Manaqib)
· The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) told Hadrat 'Ali,
“"You are related to me as
Aaron was related to Moses (peace be upon him).
But no Apostle will come after me."” (Bukhari
and Muslim, Kitab Fada'il as-Sahaba)
This tradition is recorded in Bukhari and Muslim
in the account of the Battle of Tabuk also.
Musnad records two traditions narrated by
Hadrat Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas ( may Allah be
pleased with him) on this subject. The last
sentence in one of these traditions runs as
follows : “"Behold there is
no prophethood after me."”
Detailed accounts of the traditions incorporated
in Abu Dawud Tayalisi, Imam Ahmad and
Muhammad bin Ishaque report that on the eve
of his departure for the battle of Tabuk, the
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) had resolved to leave Hadrat 'Ali
behind him in order to look after the defense
and supervise the affairs of Medina. The
hypocrites thereupon began to spread
insinuations and rumours about Hadrat 'Ali.
Hadrat 'Ali went to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) and submitted :
“'O Prophet of Allah, are
you leaving me behind among women and
children?'” On this occasion in order to
set his mind at peace the Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed:
“"You are related to me as
was Aaron with Moses." In other words "as Hadrat
Moses on the Mount Tur had left Hadrat Aaron
behind to look after the tribe of Israel, so I
(Muhammad) leave you behind to look after the
defense of Medina."” At the same time
apprehending that this comparative allusion to
Hadrat Aaron might later on give rise to
heresies, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) immediately made it clear
that “"There will be no
Prophet after me." ”
· Thauban reports:
“"The Holy Prophet (PBUH) observed: And there
will arise Thirty imposters in my Ummah and each
one of them will pronounce to the world that he
is a prophet, but I am the last in the line of
the Prophets of God and no Apostle will come
after me." ”(Abu Dawud, Kitab-ul-Fitan)
Abu Dawud in 'Kitab-ul-Malahim' has
recorded another tradition reported by Abu
Huraira in the same subject. Tirmidhi has also
recorded these two traditions as reported by
Hadrat Thauban and Hadrat Abu Huraira. The text
of the second tradition runs thus:
“"It will come to this that
thirty imposters will arise and each one of them
will put forth his claim to be the Apostle of
God."”
· The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) observed:
“"Among the tribe of Israel
who went before you there indeed were such
people who held communion with God, even though
they were not his Prophets. If ever there arose
a person from among my people who would hold
communion with God, it would be none else but 'Umar
(May Allah be pleased with him).”" (Bukhari,
Kitab-ul-Manaqib)
A version of this same tradition in 'Muslim'
contains Muhaddithuna instead of
Yukallimuna. But then Mukalima and
Muhaddith bear identical meaning i.e., a man
enjoys the privilege of holding direct communion
with God or a person who is addressed by the
Almighty from the unseen. Thus we conclude that
if there had been any person among the followers
of Muhammad who could hold communion with God
without being raised to the dignity of
prophethood, it would have been `Umar (May Allah
be pleased with him).
· The Prophet of God (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said:
“"No Prophet will come after me and there will,
therefore, be no other community of followers of
any new prophet."” (Baihaqi,Kitab-ul
Rouya; Tabarani)
· The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) observed:
“"I am the last in line of
the prophets of God and my Masjid is the last
Masjid (referring the holy Masjid of the
Prophet)." ”(See footnote 3) (Muslim,
Kitab-ul-Hajj; Bab:Fadl-us-Salat bi Masjidi
Mecca wal Medina)
A large number of such traditions of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) have been reported by the companions and a
great many compilers have recorded them from
authoritative sources. A study of these
traditions shows that the Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) on several
occasions, and in various ways and in different
words made it explicitly clear that he was the
last Prophet of God; that no prophet would
follow him and that the line of prophets had
ended in him. Furthermore, those who would claim
to be Prophets and Messengers of God after his
time would be imposters and liars. (see footnote
4).
There can be no authentic, creditable and
conclusive interpretation of the words of the
Holy Qur'an, Khatam-un- Nabiyyin, than
that given by the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) for the
credentials of the Holy prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) need no proof
and the authority of his words is unassailable.
His words are authentic and a proof in itself.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him)is explaining a Nass of the
Holy Quran, his explanation is the most
authentic and a proof positive.
The question is who else besides the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him), to whom the Qur'an was revealed, is better
qualified to comprehend its meaning and to
explain its contents to us? And he who advances
an alternative explanation, shall we regard his
claims as worthy of our consideration let alone
our acquiescence?
________________
Footnote 3.
Referring to this tradition, disbelievers in the
Finality of Prophethood argue that the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) called his mosque (Masjid) `the last
mosque' despite the fact that it is not the last
mosque, as countless other mosques have been
built after it all over the world. Similarly
when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) observed: `I am the last
Prophet,' it did not mean that the line of
prophets had ended, but that Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) was the last as
regards his excellence amongst the Prophets of
God and Mosque was the last one in the same
sense. Such foolish reasoning is an irrefutable
proof of the fact that these people have lost
the faculty of perceiving the true meaning of
the words of God and those of His Prophet(peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him). Even a
cursory glance through the whole chain of
traditions in the context of which this
particular tradition has been recorded makes
true import of the words of the Holy prophet
clear to any man. In this context the various
traditions which Imam Muslim has recorded on the
authority of Hadrat Abu Huraira, Hadrat
`Abdullah bin `Umar and the mother of the
Faithful Hadrat Maimuna narrate that there are
only three mosques in the world to which the
greatest sanctity is attached, and these are
sacred above all other mosques. Worship in these
mosques is rewarded with thousandfold blessings
in comparisons to offering prayers in other
mosques. It is because of this reason that it
has been declared lawful to undertake a journey
to these mosques to offer prayers therein. No
other mosque, save these three, can claim such
sanctity that a person should make a journey to
offer worship there leaving all other mosques.
Among the three mosques which bear the greatest
sanctity in Islam, the first one is 'Masjid
Al-Haram' which was built by Hadrat
Abraham(peace be upon him); the second one is
the'Masjid al-Aqsa' which was erected by
Hadrat Sulaiman (peace be upon him); and the
third mosque is `Masjid-i-Nabawi' in the
Holy city of Medina which was founded by the
Holy Prophet(PBUH). The observation of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) in regard to `the last mosque' should be
viewed in this context. The words of the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) meant that no Prophet would come after him,
hence there would be no fourth mosque after the
last Masjid-i-Nabawi (a mosque of the
last Prophet). It follows, therefore, that no
other mosque should bear such sanctity, that
worship in it should be rewarded with more
blessings in comparison with worship in other
mosques and further there shall be no fourth
mosque towards which it is lawful or even
desirable for people to make a journey in order
to offer prayers.
________________
Footnote 4.
In contrast to the observations of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) the deniers of the Finality of Prophethood
quote the following words scribed to Hadrat `Aisha:
"Say, indeed, that the Holy Prophet is the Final
Apostle of God; but say not that no prophet will
come after him." In the first place it is an
audacity to quote the words of Hadrat `Aisha for
contradicting the explicit command of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him). Moreover the very words attributed to
Hadrat `Aisha are not authentic. No
authoritative work on Hadith contains this
observation of Hadrat `Aisha nor any notable
compiler of traditions has recorded or referred
to it. This tradition is derived from a
commentary entitled Durr-i- Manthur and a
compilation of Hadith Known as Takmilah
Majma-ul- Bihar, but its source and
credentials are unknown. It is the height of
audacity to put forward a statement of a lady
companion in order to contradict the explicit
observations of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him)which the eminent
traditionists have transmitted on the most
authentic chains of transmission.
The Consensus of the Companions
After the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah (tradition of
the Prophet), the consensus of the companions of
the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) holds the third position. All
authentic historical traditions reveal that the
companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) had unanimously waged a
war on the claimants to the prophethood and
their adherents after the demise of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him).
In this connection the case of Musailama is
particularly significant. This man did not deny
that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) was the Prophet of God; he claimed
that God had appointed him as a co-prophet with
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) to share his task. The letter which was
addressed to the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) just before the
Mussailama's death reads:
"From Musailma the prophet of God to Muhammad
the Prophet of God (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him). I wish to inform you that I have
been appointed as your partner to share in the
burden of prophethood." The historian Tabari has
recorded a tradition which says that the 'call
to prayers'(Adhan) which Musailama had devised
for his followers included the words, "I testify
that Muhammad is the Prophet of God." Despite
Musailama's clear affirmation of the Prophethood
of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him), he was declared an apostate and
ostracised from the society of Islam. Not only
this but a war was waged on Musailama. History
also bears witness to the fact that the tribe of
Hunaifa (Banu Hunaif) had accepted Musailama's
claim to prophethood in good faith. They had
been genuinely led to believe that Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had
of his own accord declared Musailama as his
partner in prophethood. A man who had learnt
Qur'an in the Holy City of Medina went to the
tribe of Banu Hunaifa and falsely represented
the verses of the Qur'an as having been revealed
to Musailama.
Though Banu Hunaifa had been deliberately
misinformed, nevertheless the companions of the
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) did not recognize them as muslims and
sent an army against them. There is no scope
here for taking the view that the companions had
fought against them as rebels and not as
apostates. Islamic Law lays down that in the
event of a war against the rebel Muslims, the
prisoners taken in battle shall not be taken
into slavery. The law further requires that even
the rebellious Dhimmis, when taken as
prisoners in battle, shall not go into slavery.
But when military action was taken against
Musailama and his followers, Hadrat Abu Bakr
declared that the women and children of the
enemy would be taken as slaves; and when they
were taken prisoner in battle, they were
enslaved. From among these a girl was given as a
slave to Hadrat `Ali. She bore him a son named
Muhammad bin Hanfiya, who is a renowned figure
in the history of Islam. (Al- Badaya wan-Nihaya,
Vol. VI, pp. 316 & 325)
This event is a clear proof of the fact that
when companions fought against Musailama, they
did not charge him with rebellion. The charge
against him was that he had preferred a claim to
prophethood after the line of Prophets had ended
in Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) and he had thus misled other people to
affirm faith in his claim of prophethood. The
action against Musailama was taken immediately
after the death of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) under the
leadership of Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddique (may God
be pleased with him), and it had the unanimous
support of the entire body of the companions.
There can be found no better and explicit
example of the consensus of the companions than
this.
The Consensus of all the Ulema (scholars) of
the Ummah
Next in line of authority after the consensus of
the Companions stands the consensus, in matters
of religion, of those ulema of the Muslims who
came after the time of Companions (may God be
pleased with them). A glance through the history
of Islam from the first century up to the modern
times reveals to us the fact that the ulema of
all periods in every Islamic country of the
world are unanimous in their conviction that no
new prophet can be raised after Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him). They all
agree in the belief that anyone who lays a claim
to Prophethood after Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) and anyone who
puts faith in such a claim is an apostate and an
outcast from the community of Islam.
The following facts are appended as an
illustration of this:
· A man in the time of Imam Abu Hanifa
(80 A.H.-150 A.H.) laid claim to Prophethood and
said "Let me show you the proofs of my
prophethood." The great Imam thereupon warned
the people: "Anyone who asks of this man the
credentials of prophethood, shall become an
apostate, for the Prophet of God (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) has explicitly
declared: "No prophet will come after me." (Manaqib
al-Imam-i-Azam Abi Hanifa, Ibn Ahmad al-Makki,
Vol. I, p.161, published in Hyderabad, India,
1321 A.H.)
· 'Allama Ibn Jarir Tabari (224 A.H.-310
A.H.) in his renowned commentary of the Holy
Qur'an gives the following interpretation of the
verse, 'walakin Rasul Allahi wa Khatam-ul
Nabiyyin': "He has closed and sealed the
prophethood and the door (of prophethood) shall
not open for anyone till the end of the world."
(Vide Commentary of Ibn-i-Jarir, Vol. 22,
p.12)
· In his book 'Aqida-i-Salfia,
while explaining the beliefs of the pious
forbearers and particularly those of Imam Abu
Hanifa, Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad, Imam
Tahavi (239 A.H.-321 A.H.) writes that Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is a
highly venerable servant of God. He is the
chosen Prophet and the favorite Messenger of
Allah. He is the last of the Prophets, Leader of
the pious, chief of the Messengers of Allah and
the beloved one of the Lord. After him every
claim to Prophethood is an error manifest and
worship of one's evil-self." (Sharah al-Tahawiya
Fil-'Aqidat-ul-Salfia, Dar-ul-Ma'arif, Egypt,
pp. 15, 87, 96, 97, 100, 102)
· 'Allama Ibn Hazm Andulasi (384 A.H.-456
A.H.) writes: "It is certain that the chain of
Divine revelations has come to an end after the
death of the Holy Prophet(PBUH). The proof of
this lies in the fact that none but a prophet
can be the recipient of Divine revelations and
God has affirmed that Muhammad has no sons among
ye men and he is the Messenger of God and that
He has sealed the office of Prophethood." (Al-Mohallah,
Vol. 1, p.26)
· Imam Ghazali (450 A.H-505 A.H.) says
'If the right of denying the authority of
consensus be admitted, it will give rise to many
absurdities. For example, if someone says that
it is possible for a person to attain the office
of Prophethood after our Apostle Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him), we shall
not hestitate to pronounce him as an infidel,
but in the course of a controversy the man who
wishes to prove that any reluctance in
pronoucing such a person as an apostate is a sin
shall have to seek the aid of consensus in
support of his arguments, because reason is no
arbiter against the possibilty of the existance
of a 'new prophet.' As regards the followers of
the 'new prophets' they will not be utterly
incapable of making various interpretations of
La Nabiya Ba'di, "There will be no
Prophet after me" and Khatam-ul-Nabiyyin,
'Last of the Prophets.' A follower of the `new
prophets' might say that Khatam-ul-Naibiyyin,
'Last of the Prophets' bears the meaning "last
of the prominent Messengers." If you argue that
"prophets" is a common word, he would very
easily give this term a particular significance
with regard to his own 'prophethood.' In respect
of 'No Prophet will come after him', such a man
would contend that this expression does not say
that 'No Messengers will follow him.' There is a
difference betwen a Prophet and a Messenger. The
status of a Prophet is higher than that of the
Messenger. The fact is that such absurdities can
be indulged in ad infinitum. It is not
difficult, in our view, to make different
interpretations of a word. Besides, there is no
ample scope for people to commit blunders ever
and beyond these points in the exposition of
these clear words. We cannot even say that those
who make such interpretations are guilty of the
denial of clear injunctions. But to refute those
who have but their faith in the false
expositions we shall say that the entire Ummah
by a consensus of opinion recognizes that the
words 'No Prophet shall come after him' and the
context of the traditions suggests that the Holy
Prophet meant that 'No Prophet, nor Messenger
shall follow him.' Furthermore, the Ummah is
agreed on the point that above words of the Holy
Prophet leave no scope for a different
interpretation than given to it by the consensus
of the Ummah and he who would not join the
consensus is no more than a dissident. (Al-Iqtisad
Fil Aiteqad, p.114, Egypt) [We have quoted
here the original Arabic text (in the Urdu
Edition) of the opinion of Imam Ghazali because
the deniers of the idea of the Finality of
Prophethood have vehemently challenged the
authenticity of this reference.)
· Mohy-us-Sunnah Baghawi ( died 510 A.H.)
writes in his commentary Ma`lam-al-Tanzil:
"God brought the line of Prophets to an end with
him. Hence he is the final Prophet.......Ibn
`Abbas affirms that God(in this verse) has given
His verdict that no Prophet will come after the
Prophet Muhammad(PBUH)." (Vol. 3, p. 158)
· 'Allama Zamakhshri (467 A.H.-538 A.H)
writes in his commentary entitled Kashshaaf,
"If you ask how Muhammad can be the last of the
Prophets when Hadrat `Isa (Jesus Christ) will
appear towards the end of the world? I shall
reply that the finality of Prophethood of
Muhammad (PBUH) means that no one will be
endowed with prophethood after him. Hadrat 'Isa
is among those upon whom prophethood was endowed
before Muhammad(PBUH). Moreover, Hadrat 'Isa
will appear as a follower of Muhammad and he
will offer prayers with his face towards the
Qiblah of Islam, as a member of the community of
the Muslims." (Vol. 2, p. 215)
· Qazi 'Iyad (died 544 A.H.) writes: " He
who lays a claim to prophethood, affirms that a
man can attain the office of prophethood or can
acquire the dignity of a prophet through
purification of soul, as is alleged by some
philosophers and sufis; similarly a person who
does not claim to be a prophet, but declares
that he is the recipient of Divine revelation,
all such persons are apostates and deniers of
the prophethood of Muhammad(PBUH), for Muhammad
(PBUH) has conveyed the message of God to us
that he is the final Prophet and no Prophet will
come after him. He had also conveyed to us the
Divine message that he has finally sealed the
office of Prophethood and that he has been sent
as a Prophet and a Messenger to the whole of
mankind. It is the consensus of the entire Ummah
that these words of the Holy Prophet are clear
enough and eloquently speak of the fact that
they can admit of no other interpretation or
amendment in their meaning. Hence there is no
doubt that all these sects are outside the pale
of Islam not only from the view-point of the
consensus of the Ummah but also on the ground of
these words having been transmitted with utmost
authenticity." (Shifa, Vol. 2, pp. 270- 271)
· `Allama Shahrastani (died A.H. 548), in
his renowned book, Almilal wan Nahal,
writes: "And similarly who says that a prophet
shall come after Muhammad (PBUH), there are no
two opinions that such a man is an infidel."
(Vol. 3, p. 249)
· Imam Razi (543 A.H.-606 A.H.), in his
work Tafsir Kabir while explaining the
meaning of the verse Khatam-un-Nabiyyin
states: "In this context the term Khatam-un
Nabiyyin has been used in the sense that a
Prophet whose ministry is not final may leave
some injunctions or commandments incomplete or
unexplained thus providing scope for a
succeeding prophet to complete the task. But the
Prophet who will have no successor is more
considerate and provides clear guidlines for his
followers, for he is like a father who knows
that after him there will be no guardian or
patron to look after his son."(Vol. 6, p. 581)
· Allama Baidawi(died A.H. 685), in his
commentary, Anwar-ul-Tanzil, writes: "In
other words he, Muhammed (PBUH), is the last of
all Prophets. He is the one in whom the line of
Prophets ends or the one whose advent has sealed
the office of Prophethood. The appearance of
Hadrat 'Isa (peace be upon him) after Prophet
Muhammed (PBUH) is not a contradiction of the
finality of Muhammed's Prophethood, because
Hadrat Isa will appear as a follower of the
Shariah (Islamic Law) of Muhammed." (Vol.
4, p. 164)
· 'Allama Hafiz-ud-Din Al-Nasafi (died
A.H.710), in his commentary, Madark-ut-Tanzil,
writes: "And he Muhammad(PBUH) is the one who
has brought the line of prophets to an end...in
other words he is the last of all prophets. God
shall not appoint another prophet after him. In
respect of Hadrat `Isa(peace be upon him) it may
be stated that he is among those who were
appointed Prophets before the time of
Muhammad(PBUH). And when Hadrat `Isa appears
again, he will be a follower of the Shar'iah of
Muhammad, and one among faithful." (p. 471)
· 'Allama 'Alau-din Baghdadi (died A.H.
725) in his commentary, Khazin, writes: "Wa
Khatam-un-Nabiyyin, in other words, God has
ended prophethood in him, Muhammad(PBUH).
Henceforth there is no prophethood after him,
nor is there any partner with him in
prophethood...Wa Kan Allahu Bikulle Shaiin
'Alima, God is aware that no prophet will
come after him." (pp. 471-472)
· Allama Ibn Kathir (died A.H. 774)
writes in his well-known commentary, "Hence this
verse is a clear proof of the fact that no
prophet will come after Muhammad(PBUH) and when
it is said that no prophet will come after him
it is a foregone conclusion that no messenger
will succeed him either, for the office of a
messenger holds prominence over the office of a
prophet. Every messenger is a prophet, but all
prophets are not messengers. Any one who lays a
claim to prophethood after Muhammad(PBUH) is a
liar, a disruptionist, an imposter, depraved and
a seducer despite his wonderous jugglery and
magical feats. Any one who would make this claim
in future till the end of the world belongs to
this class. (Vol. 3, pp. 493-494)
· Allama Jalal-Ud-Din Suyuti (died A.H.
911) writes in his commentary entitled
Jalalain, "God is aware of the fact that no
prophet will succeed Muhammad (PBUH) and when
Isa (PBUH) will reappear in the world he will
act according to the Shariah(Islamic Law)
of Muhammad (PBUH)." (p. 768)
· Allama Ibn Nujaim (died A.H. 970) in
his renowned work of the canons of Fiqh
entitled, 'Al-Ashbah wan-Nazair', Kitab-
us-Siyyar:Bab: al-Raddah, writes: "A person
who does not regard Muhammad (PBUH) as the last
Prophet of God is not a Muslim, for the finality
of Muhammad's prophethood is one of those
fundamental articles of faith which a Muslim
must understand and believe." (p. 179)
· Mulla Ali Qari (died A.H. 1016) in his
commentary Fiqh Akbar, writes: "To lay a
claim to Prophethood after the ministry of our
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is a sheer infidelity by
the consensus of Ummah." (p. 202)
· Shaikh Isma'il Haqqi (died 1137 A.H.)
while elucidating this verse in his commentary
Ruh-ul-Bayan, writes: "Asim reads the
word Khatam with a vowel stress on the
letter ta which means the instrument of stamping
and sealing, just as 'Printer' is the machine
which imprints. The connotation of the word is
that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was the last of all
prophets and God has sealed the office of
prophethood through his agency. In Persian the
same meaning will be expressed by the term
'Mohar Paighambran'. The seal of Prophets
i.e., his (Muhammad's) advent sealed the door of
prophethood and the line of prophets ended in
him. Other reciters pronounce the word Khatim
with the vowel point under the letter ta which
means to say that Muhammad (PBUH) was the one
who sealed the doors of prophethood. In Persian
the same meaning will be expressed by the term
'Mohar Konindai Paighambran,' 'Sealer of
the prophets,' so both ways the word Khatam
bears one and the same meaning.Henceforth the
Ulema (scholars) of the Ummah of Muhammad(PBUH)
will inherit only spiritual eminence from him.
The inheritance of Prophethood is extinct, for
Muhammad(PBUH) has sealed the office of
Prophethood for all time to come. The appearance
of Hadrat Isa (PBUH) after Muhammad(PBUH) is not
a contradiction of the finality of Muhammad's
prophethood. The term Khatam-un-Nabiyyin
makes it clear that no one will be appointed a
prophet after Muhammad(PBUH).
Hadrat Isa (PBUH) was appointed Prophet before
Muhammad(PBUH) and Isa(PBUH) will appear as a
follower of the Shari'ah of Muhammad(PBUH). He
(Isa)(PBUH) will offer prayers with his face
turned towards the Qiblah designated by
Muhammad(PBUH). Hadrat Isa (PBUH) will be one
among the faithful of Islam. He will neither
receive any Divine revelation nor will issue new
injunctions; he will act as a follower of
Muhammad(PBUH). 'Ahl-Sunnat wal Jam'at
(the Sunni sect) believe that no prophet will
come after our holy Prophet Muhammad(PBUH)
because God has affirmed: "wa-lakin Rasul
Allahi wa Khatam-un-Nabiyyin", and the
Prophet has said: La Nabiya Ba'di (There
will be no Prophet after me.) Henceforth anyone
who says that a prophet will succeed
Muhammad(PBUH) will become an apostate, because
he has denied a basic article of faith.
Similarly anyone who casts doubt about the
finality of Muhammad's prophethood, will also be
declared an infidel, because the foregoing
discussion has distinguished right from wrong.
And any claim to prophethood after
Muhammad(PBUH) is absolutely false."
· In Fatawa-i-Alamgiri which was
compiled by the eminent scholars of the Indian
sub-continent at the command of Aurangzeb
Alamgir, in the 12th century Hijri, it is
recorded: "A man who does not regard Muhammed
(PBUH) as the final Prophet of God, is not a
Muslim, and if such a man claims to be a
messenger or prophet of God, he shall be
proclaimed an apostate." (Vol. 2, p. 263)
· Allama Shoukani (died 1255 A.H.) in his
commentary, Fath-ul-Qadeer, writes: "A
majority of people have read the word Khatam
with the vowel point under the letter ta but
'Asim reads the same word with vowel stress on
ta. The first reading means that Muhammed (PBUH)
ended the line of Prophets (peace of Allah be
upon them) i.e., in other words the Holy Prophet
came last of all the Prophets. The second
reading means that the Holy Prophet was the seal
by which the office of Prophethood was finally
closed; and that his advent lent grace to the
group of Allah's Prophets."
· Allama Alusi (died 1270 A.H.) in his
commentary, Ruh-ul-Ma'ani, writes: "The
word 'Prophet' is common, but the word
'Messenger' has a particular significance. Hence
when the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is called the 'Seal
of Prophets,' it necessarily follows that he is
also the 'Seal of Messengers.' The implication
of the Holy Prophet's position as 'the Last of
all Prophets and Messengers of God' is that by
his(PBUH) elevation to the dignity of
Prophethood in this world, the same dignity has
henceforth been abolished and no man can attain
that dignity now." (Vol. 22, p. 32)
"Anyone who claims to be the recipient of Divine
revelations as a prophet after the advent of
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), shall be declared an
infidel. There is no difference of opinion among
Muslims on this point." (ibid., vol.22, p.38)
"The affirmation in the Book of God of Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) as 'the Last of the Prophets' is
unequivocal. The Sunnah has clearly explained
this and the Ummah has reached a consensus on
it. Hence anyone who lays a contradictory claim
against this position shall be declared an
apostate (ibid., vol.22, p. 39)
These are the expositions of the leading
savants, jurists, scholars of Hadith and
commentators of every realm of Islam, from the
sub-continent of India to Morocco and Spain
(Andulus) and from Turkey to Yemen. We have
indicated their years of birth and death in each
case so that the reader may realise at first
glance that this list includes eminent
authorities of every century of the Islamic
History falling between the first and thirteenth
century. We might even have added expositions by
the learned doctors of Islam belonging to the
fourteenth century; but we omitted the Ulema of
the 14th century purposely because someone might
state that these scholars had explained the
meanings of Khatam-i-Nabuwat as 'the Seal
of all Prophets' to refute the claim of the 'new
prophets' of the modern age.
It cannot, however, be said that the ulema of
the past centuries entertained feelings of
animosity against a later day personality
claiming to be a prophet. These writings also
make it clear beyond doubt that from the first
century up to the present-day the entire Muslim
world has unanimously taken the expression
Khatam-un-Nabiyyin to mean 'the Last of all
Prophets.' Muslims of all periods have been
unanimous in the belief that the office of
prophethood has been sealed after the advent of
the holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him). There has never been any
difference of opinion among muslims that any
person who prefers a claim to prophethood and
those who believe in such a claim to prophethood
are outside the pale of Islam. It is now up to
all reasonable persons to judge that in the face
of all this massive evidence-the plain
dictionary meaning of the phrase
'Khatam-un-Nabiyyin' the interpretation of
the Quranic verse in its true perspective, the
exposition of the Holy Prophet himself and the
consensus on the finality of prophethood of
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) of the entire body of muslims all over the
world from the time of the companions of the
Holy prophet to the present day followers of
Islam-what scope is left for an alternative
interpretation and what justification can they
give for opening the door of prophethood for a
new claimant. Furthermore, how can those people
be recognized as Muslims who have not only
expressed their opinion in favour of opening the
door to prophethood, but they have, in fact,
catapulted a man into the mansion of the
Prophets of God and have become the followers of
this trespasser? In this connection three more
points are noteworthy.
Is GOD the Enemy of our Faith?
In the first place, Prophethood is a delicate
matter. According to the Holy Qur'an the idea of
Prophethood is such a fundamental article of
faith that one who believes in this idea is a
believer and he who disbelieves is an infidel.
If a man does not put his faith in a prophet, he
is an apostate; similarly if he believes in the
claim of an imposter to be a prophet, he becomes
an infidel. In such a delicate and important
matter Omniscient God certainly cannot be
expected to have made a slip. If there were to
be a Prophet after the time of Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him), God would
have made this possibility clear in the Holy
Qur'an or He would have commanded His Apostle
Muhammad to make a clear declaration of it. The
Apostle of God would never have passed away
without having forewarned his people that other
Apostles would succeed him and that his
followers must put their faith in the succeeding
prophets.
Had God and His Messenger (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) any intention of
undermining our faith by hiding from us the
possibility of opening the door of Prophethood
after the advent of Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) and the coming
of a new prophet, thus leaving us in a quandary
that if we did not believe in the ministry of a
new prophet we would apostate from Islam?
Further than this, not only were we kept in the
dark by God and His Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) about all this,
but, on the contrary, they made observations and
affirmations which the Ummah for the last
thirteen [now fourteen] hundred years has taken
to mean and even today holds the view that no
prophet will come after Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him). Could God and
His Messenger really temper with our faith?
Supposing for a moment that admittance to the
office of Prophethood is open and a new Prophet
does appear, we shall refuse him without fear.
For this refutation, God might call us to
account on the Day of Judgement; but we shall
place the whole record of His own affirmations
and injunctions before Him and this evidence
will prove that (God-forbid) Allah's Book and
the Sunnah of His Messenger had led us to
disbelieve the new prophet and had thus
condemned us to be infidels. We have no fear
that after considering this record God Almighty
will consider it fit to punish us for blasphemy
against the new Prophet. But if the door of
Prophethood is in fact closed and no Prophet
will arise after Muhammad (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him)(peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him), and despite this fact a
person puts his faith in the claim of a new
prophet, that person should think well indeed as
to what record can be presented before God in
his defense to avoid the punishment for
blasphemy and to achieve salvation? Such a man
should look through the material of his defense
before he is produced in the August Court of the
Almighty. He should compare this material with
the record that we have presented and then judge
for himself if the material upon which he is
relying for his defense is worth the trust of a
reasonable man and can he court the risk of
facing the charge of blasphemy and be punished
for it with the kind of defense that he has at
his disposal?
Do We Need a Prophet Now?
The second point which requires consideration is
that Prophethood is not a quality to be acquired
by any person who proves himself worthy of it by
devoting himself to prayers and righteous deeds.
Nor is it anything like a reward given in
recognition of good service. Prophethood is an
office and Allah appoints some person to this
office to fulfill a special need. When such a
need arises, God appoints a Prophet to fulfill
it. Allah does not send prophets in rapid
succession when there is no need or when the
need has been fulfilled. When we refer to the
Quran in order to find out conditions when the
Prophets were appointed by Allah, we come to
know that there are only four conditions under
which the Prophets have been sent unto the
world.
- Firstly there was need for a prophet to be
sent unto a certain nation to which no prophet
had been sent before and the message brought by
the Prophet of another nation could not have
reached these people.
- Secondly, there was need for appointing a
prophet because the message of an earlier
Prophet had been forgotten by the people, or the
teachings of the former prophets had been
adulterated and hence it had become impossible
to follow the message brought by that Prophet.
- Thirdly, the people had not received complete
mandate of Allah through a former prophet. Hence
succeeding prophets were sent to fulfill the
task of completing the religion of Allah.
- Fourthly, there was need for a second prophet
to share the responsibility of office with the
first prophet.
It is obvious that none of the above needs
remains to be fulfilled after the advent of
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him).
The Holy Quran says that Prophet Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) has been
sent as a bearer of instructions for the whole
mankind. The cultural history of the world bears
testimony to the fact that since the advent of
the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) up to the present time such
conditions have always prevailed in the world
which were conducive to transmitting his message
to all nations at all times. It follows,
therefore, that different nations no longer need
different prophets after the time of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him). The Holy Quran and the records of Hadith
and the biographical details of the life of
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) stand witness to the fact that the Divine
message brought into this world by the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) is extant in its original and pure form.
The Prophet's message has suffered no process of
distortion or falsification. Not a single word
has been added to or expunged from the Holy Book
which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) brought unto the world from
Almighty Allah, nor can anyone make additions to
or delete anything from it till the Day of
Resurrection. The message which the Holy Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
conveyed by word and action has been transmitted
to us in such comprehensive, pure and original
form that we feel as if we were living in the
environment and period of the Holy Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
In this way the second condition under which
prophets are sent unto the world has also been
fulfilled.
Thirdly the Holy Qur'an clearly affirms that God
has finally completed His Divine Mission through
the agency of Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him). Hence there is
no room for a new prophet to carry the divine
mission to completion.
As regards the fourth condition, if a partner
were really needed he would have been appointed
in the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) to share the
burden of his ministry. Since no co-prophet was
appointed, this condition also stands fulfilled.
We should, therefore, look around for a fifth
condition under which a new prophet might be
needed after Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him). If a man argues that people
have fallen into depravity, hence there is need
for a new prophet to reform the degenerate
people, we shall ask him: when did a prophet
ever come to introduce reforms only that we
should need one now to carry out the work of
reformation? A prophet is appointed so that he
may be the recipient of Divine revelation and
Divine revelations are made with express purpose
of transmitting a new message or to correct the
wrongs that have crept into an earlier religion.
When the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) have been preserved in their original and
comprehensive form and when the Divine mission
has been completed by Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him), all possible
need for the transmission of Divine revelations
have now been fulfilled and there is further
need only of reformers to cleanse the evils of
mankind, but there is no room for the prophets.
A New Prophethood is a Curse Rather than a
Blessing for the Ummah
The third point which needs consideration is
that whenever a prophet is sent unto a certain
people the question of faith and infidelity
invariably arises among these people. The
faithful form one Ummah and the disbelievers
automatically form different community. The
difference that keeps these two communities
apart is not peripheral or superficial but a
basic and fundamental difference of belief or
disbelief in a prophet; and those two
communities can never merge with each other
unless people of one side decide to surrender
their faith.
In addition, these two Ummahs obtain guidance
and derive their law from two different sources.
One sect follows the law emanating from the
Divine message and Sunnah of the Prophet they
believe in; the other community is fundamentally
opposed to the idea of this Prophet being the
law-giver. On this basis, it becomes an
impossibility for these two sections to join in
a unified and cohesive society. It will be
perfectly clear to a man who keeps the above
facts in view that the Finality of Prophethood
is a great blessing from Allah for the people of
Islam. It is due to this that the Ummah has been
able to form a permanent universal brotherhood.
The belief in the finality of Prophethood has
secured Muslim society from the danger of any
fundamental dissension which might result in
permanent division in its ranks. Now every man
who accepts Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) as a divinely appointed Guide
and Leader and also is not inclined to seek
instruction from any other source except the
Divine message of the Holy Prophet (peace and
Author : M.I. Zahid
Source : Islamic Publications Limited
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