The
Finality of Prophethood
by
S. Abul A'la Maududi
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 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 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 booklet 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 booklet 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 booklet 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.
Abul A'la
Maududi
Lahore:
February 12, 1962.
In the Name
of Allah, the Most Merciful and the Most Beneficent
Finality of
Prophethood by S. Abul A'la Maududi
"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 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 of 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 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 (PBUH) and that Allah only could
take cognisance of the harm that the perpetuation of
this infidel custom would have entailed. Allah was
well aware that the line of Prophethood ended in
Muhammad (PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH). 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH). 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 (PBUH). 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 had
pronounced someone as 'Last Poet', he would have
been last poet in the literal sense of the word. If
Allah 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 be upon him). We quote some authentic
traditions to illustrate the case in point:
- The Holy Prophet
(PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH)
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
(PBUH) observed: "God
has bestowed upon me six favors which the former
Prophets did not enjoy:
(Muslim,
Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
- The Prophet of
Allah (PBUH) 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
(PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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
(PBUH) said: "If an Apostle were to
succeed me, it would have been 'Umar bin Khattab."
(Tirmidhi,Kitab-ul- Manaqib)
- The Holy Prophet
(PBUH) 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 (PBUH)
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 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 (PBUH) 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
(PBUH) 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
(PBUH) 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.
- The Prophet of
God (PBUH) 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
(PBUH) 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 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 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 (PBUH) for the credentials of the Holy
prophet (PBUH) need no proof and the authority
of his words is unassailable. His words are
authentic and a proof in itself. When the
Prophet 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 (PBUH), 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 (PBUH)
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 (PBUH)
observed: `I am the last Prophet,' it did not mean
that the line of prophets had ended, but that
Muhammad (PBUH) 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(PBUH). 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 in regard to `the last mosque' should be
viewed in this context. The words of the
Prophet(PBUH) 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 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(PBUH).
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 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, the consensus of the companions of the
holy Prophet (PBUH) holds the third position. All
authentic historical traditions reveal that the
companions of the prophet (PBUH) had unanimously
waged a war on the claimants to the prophethood and
their adherents after the demise of the Holy Prophet
(PBUH).
In this connection
the case of Musailama is particularly significant.
This man did not deny that Muhammad (PBUH) was the
Prophet of God; he claimed that God had appointed
him as a co- prophet with Muhammad to share his
task. The letter which had addressed to the Holy
Prophet just before the Mussailama's death reads:
"From Musailma
the prophet of God to Muhammad the Prophet of
God(PBUH). 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 (PBUH),
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 (PBUH)
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 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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 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 (PBUH). They all agree in the belief that
anyone who lays a claim to Prophethood after
Muhammad (PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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
(PBUH) 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(PBUH), 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 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 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 pf
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 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(PBUH). 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(PBUH) 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 (PBUH), 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 (PBUH) any intention of undermining our
faith by hiding from us the possibility of opening
the door of Prophethood after the advent of Muhammad
(PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH). 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 (PBUH),
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 (PBUH).
The Holy Quran says
that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) 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 (PBUH)
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 (PBUH). The Holy Quran and the
records of Hadith and the biographical details of
the life of Muhammad (PBUH) stand witness to the
fact that the Divine message brought into this world
by the Holy Prophet 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH).
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 (PBUH). 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH).
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 (PBUH)
have been preserved in their original and
comprehensive form and when the Divine mission has
been completed by Muhammad (PBUH), 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH) is a
member of the brotherhood of Islam and on this
basis, can join this brotherhood at any time.
If the office of
Prophethood had not been sealed once and for all
after Muhammad (PBUH), the people of Islam could
never have forged a cohesive society; for every new
prophet would have shattered the unity of the Ummah.
A reasonable man
after a little deliberation will come to the
conclusion that when a prophet has been sent to the
whole mankind (not just to a certain group or
nation), and when the Divine message has been
completely transmitted through this Prophet and
further when the teachings of the Prophet have been
fully preserved, the office of prophethood should be
sealed after him in order that the whole world may
unite in allegiance to this Prophet and form one
brotherhood of the faithful. Only in this way can
universal brotherhood of Islam be secured against
needless dissensions which might have repeatedly
erupted on the appearance of every successive
prophet.
A prophet may be a
shadow or a buruzi prophet; or "a prophet who
is law-giver and the bearer of a Divine book."
The appearance of anyone of the above God-appointed
prophets will invariably have the social consequence
of his followers forming one Ummah and his
detractors being condemned as infidels and hence
outside the pale of Islam. This division of mankind
is unavoidable when the need for a prophet is
inevitable. But in the absence of such a need, it is
utterly impossible to expect that Allah in His
Wisdom and Beneficence will needlessly cause strife
among His creatures on the question of faith and
disbelief, thus for ever preventing His creatures to
form one Ummah. Hence what is confirmed by the
Qur'an and what is clearly affirmed to be true by
the Sunnah and the consensus of the Ummah, is also
corroborated by reason. Reason demands that the
office of prophethood should remain sealed hereafter
for all time to come.
The Reality of `Masih'
i.e. "The Incarnation of Jesus Christ"
The propagandists of
the new prophethood usually tell the Muslim laity
that the traditions have foretold the arrival of a
`Christ incarnate'. They argue that Christ was a
prophet, hence his re-emergence is not contrary to
the concept of the finality of prophethood. The
concept of the finality of prophethood is valid,
but, nevertheless the idea of the arrival of `Christ
incarnate' is also tenable.
Further on, they
explain that `Christ incarnate' does not refer to
the Christ, son of Mary(PBUH). Christ(PBUH) is dead.
The person whose arrival has been foretold in the
tradition is a `man like Christ',`An incarnation of
Jesus. And he is such and such a person who has
already arrived. To follow him is not contrariwise
to belief in the Finality of prophethood.'
To expose the
fallacy of this case we record here authentic
traditions on this subject with full references to
the authoritative works on Hadith. After going
through this collection of Ahadith, the reader can
judge for himself as to how the observations of the
Holy Prophet(PBUH) are being presented today in a
form which bears no relation to their original shape
and content.
Traditions
Relating to the Descent of Christ, Son of Mary
- Hadrat Abu
Huraira reports that the Prophet (PBUH) of God
said: "I swear by Him Who hath power
over my life, the son of Mary shall descend
among ye as a Just ruler. He will break the
cross and kill the swine;[see footnote
5] and he will put an end to
war." (Bukhari, Kitab Ahadith al-Anbiya;
Bab: Nuzul 'Isa Ibn Maryam; Muslim, Bab: Bayan
Nuzul 'Isa; Tirmidhi, Abwab-al-Fitan; Bab Fi
Nuzul 'Isa; Musnad Ahmad, Marwiyat Abu Huraira)
In another
tradition the word jizya has been
substituted for harb, "war",
i.e., he will abolish the jizya on
non-believers. [see footnote 6]
- Another
tradition reported by Hadrat Abu Huraira says, "The
Doomsday shall not be established before the
descent of Jesus, son of Mary," and
these words are followed by the text as given in
the tradition above. (Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Muzalim:
Bab: Kasr-ul- Salib Ibn Majah, Kitab-ul-Fitan
al-Dajjal.)
- Hadrat Abu
Huraira reports that the Apsotle (PBUH) of Allah
observed: "What will you be like when
the son of Mary shall descend among ye and a
person among ye will discharge the office of
Imam (leader in Prayers)."[see footnote
7] (Bukhari, Kitab Ahadith Anbiya, Bab:
Nuzul Isa; Muslim, Nuzul Isa; Musnad Ahmad,
Marwiyat Abu Huraira)
- Hadrat Abu
Huraira reports the Apsotle (PBUH) of Allah
having said: "Christ, son of Mary,
will then kill the swine and remove the Cross. A
congregation for prayer will be held for him. He
will distribute such an enormous quantity of
goods that none will be left in need of
anything. He will abolish taxes. He will encamp
at Rauha (a place situated at a distance of 35
miles from Medina) and from there, set out to
perform Hajj or Umrah or both." (The
reporter is in doubt as to which of these two
had been mentioned by the Holy Prophet (PBUH). (Musnad
Ahmad, Silsila Marwiyat Abi Huraira; Muslim,
Kitab-ul-Hajj; Bab Jawaz-ul- Tamatttu fil-Hajj
wa-al-Qir'an)
- Hadrat Abu
Huraira relates that the Prophet (PBUH) of God
after mentioning the exile of Dajjal said: "The
Muslims will be preparing for war with Dajjal
and they will be falling in line in preparation
for offering Prayers and the Takbir will have
been said for Prayers when in the meantime
Christ (PBUH), son of Mary, will descend and
lead Muslims in Prayer. The enemy of God, Dajjal,
on seeing him will start melting like salt in
water. If Christ (PBUH) would leave Dajjal
alone, he would melt and die anyway, but God
will cause Dajjal to be slain at the hand of
Christ (PBUH) and Christ will display his spear
strained with the blood of Dajjal to the
Muslims." (Mishkat, Kitab-ul-Fitan,
Bab: al-Malahim, quoted by Muslim)
________________
footnote5
The
implication of "breaking the Cross"
and "killing of the swine" is that
Christianity will become defunct as a religion.
The whole edifice of the Christian religion is
based on the belief that God crucified His only
son (i.e. Hadrat Isa (PBUH) on the Cross and
caused him to suffer this 'accursed' death so
that he might thus expiate for the sins of man.
Among the followers of God's Prophets, the
Christians are unique in having rejected the
entire Shariah of God and retaining this belief
only.
The swine has
been declared unlawful by all the Prophets, but
the Christians have gone as far as to make it
lawful. Hence when Jesus(PBUH) will proclaim on
his appearance, "I am not the son of God; I
did not die on the Cross, nor did I expiate for
the sins of anyone," the whole basis of
Christian belief will be demolished. Similarly,
the second distinctive charactertistic of
Christianity will vanish when Jesus(PBUH) will
say: "I never declared the swine lawful for
