Al Aqib?
The hadith which the non Ahmadi Muslims quote is:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ مُطْعِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ إِنَّ لِي أَسْمَاءً، أَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، وَأَنَا أَحْمَدُ، وَأَنَا الْمَاحِي الَّذِي يَمْحُو اللَّهُ بِيَ الْكُفْرَ، وَأَنَا الْحَاشِرُ الَّذِي يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ عَلَى قَدَمِي، وَأَنَا الْعَاقِبُ ”.
Narrated Jubair bin Mut`im:I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying, ‘I have several names: I am Muhammad and I am Ahmad, and I am Al- Mahi with whom Allah obliterates Kufr (disbelief), and I am Al-Hashir (gatherer) at whose feet (i.e. behind whom) the people will be gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), and I am Al-Aqib (i.e. who succeeds the other prophets in bringing about good). (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Hadith #419)
Firstly, the words of the Prophet Muhammad (sa) end at ‘I am al-Aqib’. The others words are the additional words of al-Zuhri, which are not an authority over anyone. In fact, it is narrated that the mursal reports of Zuhri are the worst of mursal reports. We respect him but he was not infallible and this was his own interpretation. Despite this interpretation, he believed in the latter-day Messiah to come as a Prophet. In Musnad Ahmad, we see that it was al-Zuhri who was asked what al-Aqib means:
Despite al-Zuhri saying this, he believed in the latter-day Messiah to come as a Prophet and the words ‘la nabiyya badi’ are interpreted by the Prophet Muhammad (sa) himself when he said ‘there is no prophet between me and Jesus’ meaning between me and that Messiah who descends in the end times with the title of Isa as we often explain through the Qur’an and other ahadith.
Many scholars have agreed that these words are from al-Zuhri. Imam Suyuti mentions this in Tanweer al-Hawalik:
As for the mursal statements from Zuhri, the scholars agree that they are not an authority and are in fact the worst of the disconnected reports. For example, Imam al-Dhahabi has explained this
With regards to al-Aqib, the actual meaning is the one who succeeds the other Prophets in bringing about good. Even the Sunni translations found on Sunnah.com are forced to accept this:
When we turn to Mullah Ali Qari’s al-Mirqaat, he quotes Ibn al-Arabi who said:
“It is obvious that the words “and Al-Aqib is he after whom there is no prophet” have been added as a commentary by a companion or someone afterwards. Ibn Arabi states that Al-Aqib refers to someone who succeeds another person in something good” (Mirqat Sharh Mishkat, Volume 5, Page 376)
Another version which is quoted by some non Ahmadi Muslims is :
حَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ مُطْعِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ إِنَّ لِي أَسْمَاءً أَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ وَأَنَا أَحْمَدُ وَأَنَا الْمَاحِي الَّذِي يَمْحُو اللَّهُ بِيَ الْكُفْرَ وَأَنَا الْحَاشِرُ الَّذِي يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ عَلَى قَدَمَىَّ وَأَنَا الْعَاقِبُ الَّذِي لَيْسَ بَعْدَهُ أَحَدٌ ” . وَقَدْ سَمَّاهُ اللَّهُ رَءُوفًا رَحِيمًا .
Jubair b. Mut’im reported on the authority of his father that he heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:I have many names: I am Muhammad, I am Ahmad, I am al-Mahi through whom Allah obliterates unbelief, and I am Hashir (the gatherer) at whose feet people will be gathered, and I am ‘Aqib (after whom there would be none), and Allah has named him as compassionate and merciful. (Sahih Muslim Book 43, Hadith #164)
In this version, it is said after whom would be none. However, we know many are born every single day. The true meaning of Al-Aqib refers to someone who succeeds another person in something good