View Of Scholars On Prophethood

View Of Scholars On Prophethood

This section will provide examples from scholars throughout the ummah who have had the same view of prophethood as Ahmadi Muslims. Something to keep in mind is that the Holy Prophet^saw himself told us about the coming of a Prophet, so scholars views should not be made a priority over the Qur’an and the Ahadith which both show that prophethood is open. Also all sahaba believed that a latter day Prophet would appear, so this clearly shows us that the Ahmadi interpretation is the one they followed. The Holy Prophet^saw understood the Qur’an the best, and if he truly believed that khataman nabiyeen meant the last of all prophets, never would he claim that a prophet was to come in the end times to help Islam. In fact, there are countless of ahadith where the latter day Messiah is called a nabi. Theres ijma in the entire ummah that despite the Prophet^saw being khataman nabiyeen, a prophet would come in the end times. The only difference is on the identity of this Prophet of the end times.

Hazrat Ayesha^ra also stated:

قولوا خاتم النبيين، ولا تقولوا لا نبي بعده

“Say he is the Seal of the Prophets, But do not say that there is no no prophet after him”(Durr-e-Manthoor, Under 33:40)

Hazrat Ayesha^ra did not go against the hadith of the Holy Prophet^saw. In reality, she showed the people the true meaning of the ayah of the Qur’an. She showed us that we should not misinterpret “There is no prophet after me” and knew that if this hadith is taken out of context it can ruin the ummah. She showed us that we should not interpret this hadith in a way where it goes against the Holy Qur’an and that this statement shouldn’t be repeated as it will misguide others on the true meaning of the hadith. This shows us that there is no prophet after me only refers to a law bearing prophet coming against the teachings of the Holy Prophet^saw as well. There is another incident of Hazrat Ali which is as follows:

وأخرج ابن الأنباري في المصاحف عن أبي عبد الرحمن السلمي قال: كنت اقرىء الحسن والحسين، فمر بي علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه وأنا اقرئهما فقال لي: اقرئهما وخاتم النبيين بفتح التاء

Abu Abdur Rahman narrates that he used to teach Hazrat Hasan and Hussain. Once Hazrat Ali bin Abu Talib passed nearby him while he was teaching them, so he said to him “Teach them Khataman Nabiyeen with a fatha on the ta” (Durr-e-Manthoor, Under 33:40)

Now firstly, we already have proof from the Holy Prophet^saw and his wife, the mother of the believers, that Prophethood is indeed open but only to a prophet from within the ummah. This is exactly the view of the Ahmadi Muslims. There are many ahadith that make it clear, that the latter day Messiah would be a prophet so the non Ahmadi Muslims are in reality arguing with their own beliefs, as they hold the view that a prophet would come in the end times. The only difference is they create a contradiction in the Qur”an, while we interpret it in a way where there is no contradiction.

Here are some statements of scholars:

Hazrat Abu Abdullah Muhammad Bin Ali Hussain Al Hakim Al Tirmidhi states:

يقول الصوفي المعروف محمد بن علي الحسن الحكيم الترمذي (المتوفى عام 308 هـ):

“فإن الذي عَمِيَ عن خبرِ هذا يظنّ أن خاتم النبيين تأويله أنه آخرهم مبعثا. فأي منقبة في هذا؟ وأي علم في هذا؟ هذا تأويل البُلْهِ الجَهَلة.”

(كتاب ختم الأولياء، ص341 المطبعة

“According to us, it means that prophethood manifested itself in its full and complete manner in the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him . His heart became a vessel for the complete perfection of prophethood an d then hisheart was sealed. How can the glory and superiority of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, be manifested if we claim that he was the last to appear in the world. This is, no doubt, an interpretation of the foolish and the ignorant.” (Kitab Khatamul Auliya, Page 341)

Al Imam Ibn Qutaybah ad-Dinwari who passed away in 267 After Hijri stated:

ويورد الإمام ابن قتيبة – رحمه الله – قول عائشة رضي الله عنها، ويعلق عليه ويقول:

“وليس هذا من قولها ناقضا لقول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: لا نبي بعدي، لأنه أراد لا نبي بعدي ينسخ ما جئت به.”

(كتاب تأويل مختلف الأحاديث ص127 دار الكتاب العربي بيروت)

“So far as it concerns the statement of ‘Ā’ishah^ra: ‘Call the Apostle of Allāh (saw): The Seal of the Prophets and do not say: There will be no prophet after him’; it is directed to the descent of ‘Īsā^asand this statement of her does not contradict the statement of the Prophet^saw ‘There will be no prophet after me’, because he meant: ‘There will be not prophet after me who will abrogate that with which I came.” (Dar al-Kitaab Al Arabi, Beirut)

Furthermore, a famous scholar named Shaykh Muhammad Tahir stated:

ويقول الإمام محمد طاهر (المتوفى عام 986 هـ) أحد الصلحاء المعروفين، في شرح قول السيدة عائشة رضي الله عنها:

“هذا ناظر إلى نـزول عيسى، وهذا أيضا لا ينافي حديث “لا نبي بعدي”، لأنه أراد لا نبي ينسخ شرعه.”

(تكملة مجمع بحار الأنوار، لمحمد طاهر الغجراتي، ص 502)

“And it is narrated from ‘Ā’ishah: ‘Say that he is the Seal of the Prophets and do not say: There will be no prophet after him’. This aims at the decent ‘Īsā, and this also does not contradict the ḥadīth‘There will be no prophet after me’, because he meant that no prophet will abrogate his sharī‘ah.” (Takmilah Majmaʻ biḥār al-anwār fī gharāʼib at-tanzīl wa-laṭāʼif al-akhbār)

Even in the Sharh of Mishkat al Masabih it is written:

وقال شارح “مشكاة المصابيح” محمد بن رسول الحسيني البرزنجي: “ورد “لا نبي بعدي” ومعناه عند العلماء أنه لا يحدث بعده نبي بشرع ينسخ شرعه.”

(الإشاعة لأشراط الساعة ص149 دار الكتب العلمية بيروت)

This is also telling us that La nabiyya badi refers to a prophet abrogating the shariah of the Holy Prophet^saw.

Hazrat Imam Mulla Ali Qari states:

ومع هذا لو عاش إبراهيم وصار نبيا، وكذا لو صار عمر نبيا لكانا من أتباعه عليه الصلاة والسلام كعيسى والخضر وإلياس عليهم السلام. فلا يناقض قولَه تعالى: (وخاتم النبيين) إذ المعنى أنه لا يأتي نبي بعده ينسخ ملته ولم يكن من أمته.” (الأسرار المرفوعة في الأخبار الموضوعة لملا علي القاري ص192 دار الكتب العلمية بيروت)

“Had Ibrahim lived and become a prophet, and likewise had Umar become a prophet they would be follower prophets of the Holy Prophet , peace and blesings of Allah be upon him, like Isa, Khizar and Ilyas upon whom all be peace. It does not contradict the divine word ‘KhatamunNabiyyeen’ which means that there shall not be a prophet abrogating his law nor one who was not of his followers. (Al Asrar al Marfuah fil Akhbr al Mauzuah Page 192)

Hazrat Imam Jalal-ud-Din Suyuti states referring to the Advent of the latter day Messiah and his Prophethood:

حقا كفر  ته نبو بسلب قال من

“Whoever says He Will not be a prophet, he has committed disbelief” (Hijajul Karamah Page 431)

He also states that despite the latter day messiah would be a khalifa of the Ummah of Muhammadsaw, he shall remain a Messenger and a respected Prophet (Hijajul Karamah Page 426)

Hazrat Shah Waliullah Muhaddith of Delhi who is known to be the mujadid of the 12th century states:

أما الشاه ولي الله الدهلوي فيقول:

“وخُتم به النبييون.. أي لا يوجد من يأمره الله سبحانه بالتشريع على الناس.”

(التفهيمات الإلهية، ج2 ص85 بتصحيح وتحشية الأستاذ غلام مصطفى القاسمي، أكادمية الشاه ولي الله الدهلوي حيدر آباد باكستان)

“The closing of prophethood with the Holy Prophet^saw means that there can be no divinely inspired reformer after him who would be commissioned with a new law by Allah”(Tafheemat-e-Ilahiyya Part 2 Pagee 85)

He further states:

“The meaning of the Holy Prophet being the Khataman Nabiyyin is that there shall not now appear a person whom God may appoint with a new Law for mankind, that is to say, there shall be no prophet who shall come with a new Law(Tafhimate Ilahiyya Volume II, page 53, 72-73)

The people generally believe that when he (Messiah) would descend on earth, he would only be an ‘Ummati.’ Certainly, it is not correct. He would be an embodiment of the spirit which enkindled the soul of the Holy Prophet (saw) would be his faithful replica”… “There cannot be an independent prophet after the Holy Prophet (saw)  who is not his follower and his adherent” … “The end of prophethood with the Holy Prophet (saw) only means that there can be no law bearing prophet or a prophet from outside the Ummah(Al Khairul Kathir, page 111)

Hazrat Mohyuddin Ibn Arabi states: ““The prophethood has terminated with the person of the Prophet of Allah(saw), and his blessings, was no other than the law-bearing prophethood not prophethood itself and this is the meaning of his “verily apostleship and prophethood ceased with me therefore there shall be after me neither an apostle nor a prophet i.e there shall not be after me a prophet with a law other than mine but that he shall be subject to my law”(Al Fatuhat ul Makiyya Volume 2 page 3)

He also states:

“From the study and contemplation of the Darud we have arrived at the definite conclusion that there shall, from among the Muslims, certainly be persons whose status, in the matter of prophethood, shall advance to the level of prophets, if Allah pleases. But they shall not be given any book of law”…“It is the height of excellence in the Holy Prophet (saw) that through the prayer in ‘Darud Sharif’ he placed his progeny at par with the prophets, and his surpassing eminence over Hazrat Ibrahim lies in the fact that his Sharia can never be repealed (Fatuhati Makiyyah Volume 1, Chapter 73, Page 545)

In fine, we have learnt for certain (from Darud Sharif) that this ‘Ummah’ is destined to have amongst it such personages as would be ranked with the prophets in the eyes of Allah, but they shall not be law-bearers(Fatuhati Makiyyah Volume 1, Chapter 73, Page 545)

“Jesus (as) shall descend amongst the Muslim Ummah as an arbitrator without a new law. Most surely, he will be a prophet. There is no doubt about it.”(Fatuhati Makiyyah Volume 1, Chapter 73, Page 570)

“It is known that ‘Ahle Ibrahim’ are the prophets and messengers, and they are the people who came after Abraham like Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and those prophets and messengers from their progeny manifest Laws. This signifies the fact that in the sight of God they had prophethood. The Holy Prophet (saw) intended that followers who are from among those who followed him should achieve the rank of prophethood, though they would not be law-bearing. But he kept for them a type of Sharia from his own Sharia. Therefore he said, ‘O Allah exalt Muhammad and his Ahl by bestowing mercy upon them as Thou conferred prophethood upon the Ahl of Ibrahim thus exalting Ibrahim. Consequently, they had prophethood with Shariah. And Thou has decreed that there would be no Shariah after me. Hence, shower Mercy upon me and upon my Ahl – i.e. confer upon them the rank of prophethood from Thyself, notwithstanding that they would not bring any Sharia. The height of Muhammad’s exaltedness is expressed by the fact that through invoking prayers for him he raised his own progeny to the level of prophets and he was granted the superiority over Hazrat Ibrahim through the fact that the Law he brought should never be abrogated.”(Fatuhati Makiyyah Volume 1, Chapter 73, Page 177-178)

He also states:

“In so far as the law-bearing prophethood is concerned, it verily ceased and terminated in Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and therefore has there is no law-giving prophet aBer him…. but Allah has in His graciousness to His servants, continued general prophethood without the law-bearing elements.” (Fusus ul Hikam, Page 134-135)

Hazrat Imam Abdul Wahab Sha’rani States:

يشرح الشيخ عبد الوهاب الشعراني (المتوفى 976 هـ) حديث “لا نبي بعدي” ويقول:

“فقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم “لا نبي بعدي ولا رسول بعدي”، أي ما ثمّ مَن يشرع بعدي شريعة خاصة.”

(اليواقيت والجواهر للشعراني ج 2 ص 35 دار المعرفة للطباعة والنشر بيروت 1900م)

“”Let it be known that the order of prophethood has not totaly ceased; it is the law – bearing prophethood which has discontinued.” Then while explaining the Hadith la nabiyya badi and La rasoola badi expounded that there shall be no law-bearing prophet after him.” (Al Yawaqit wal Jewahir, Volume 2, Page 39)

He also states in the same book:

“Surely, prophets and messengers have gone before and shall continue to appear in this world in future, but essentially they will be under the Sharia of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^saw. But most men are ignorant of this truth”(Page 27)

The Messiah of the Latter Days shall make his advent as a Wali with the qualities of a prophet, and the Sharia of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) shall be unfolded unto him through revelation from Allah and he shall have a complete grasp of its meaning”(Page 27)

“Remember that prophethood has not disappeared. Prophets can appear. The prophethood that has ceased to exist is only that which brings with it a new law”(Page 35)

Allama Abul Fadhl Shihabuddin Assayyad Mahmud states:

“The tradition, that there is no revelation after me is absurd. The notion that Gabrael will not descend to the earth after the demise of the Holy Prophet, peace and blesssings of Allah be upon him, has no foundation at all ….. Most probably what is meant by the negation of revelation regarding Isa, peace be on him, after his descent is the revelation of the Law, but what has been described, is the revelation without the Law.” (Rooh ulmaani Volume 21, Page 41)

Hazrat Maulana Rumi states:

“The Holy Prophet^saw was the Khatam because no one had ever been like him before, nor shall there be one after him. When an artist excels others in art, you do not say ‘The art has ended with you”(Miftah Ul Ulum Volume 15 Pages 56-57)

He also states: “Make such plans to perform righteousness in the way of God that you attain prophethood within the Ummah” (Masnawi, Daftar I, Page 53, Vol V page 42)

And: “The Holy Prophet (saw) was declared ‘Khatam’ because he excelled in munificence and in perpetuating the spiritual blessings to his followers. When a master excels all others in his art, don’t you use the word ‘Khatam’ to convey the idea that he has excelled all others in his domain?”(Page 18-19 1917 edition)

Lastly: “Stive hard in the path of virtue in a manner so that you may be blessed with prophethood while you are still a follower” (Miftah Ulum Volume 13, Page 98, 152)

Syed Nawab Noorul Hassan Khan, a leader of the Ahl-e-Hadith stated:

ويقول السيد نواب نور الحسن خان بن نواب صديق حسن خان

“الحديث “لا وحي بعد موتي” لا أصل له، غير أنه ورد “لا نبي بعدي”، ومعناه عند أهل العلم أنه لن يأتي بعدي نبي بشريعة تنسخ شريعتي.”

“The Hadith there is no revelation after my demise’ has no foundation, although LA NABIYYA BA’DEE is quite correct, which, according to the men of letters, means that there shall be no prophet after me who shall be raised with a new code of Law which abrogates my Law.” (Iqtrab ul Saat Page 162)

Hazrat Maulana Abul Hasanat Abdul Hayee states:

“”After the demise of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, or even during his own lifetime, it is not an impossibility for someone to be exalted to the position of a simple prophet. But a prophet with a new Law is, indeed, forbidden.” (Dafe al Wasawis Fi Athar ibn Abbas Page 16)

Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanotwi who is the founder of Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband stated:

“According to the layman the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings on him, being the KHATAM (seal), is supposed to have appeared after all the previous prophets. But men of understanding and the wise know it very well that being the first or the last, chronologically, does not carry any weight. How could, therefore, the words of the Holy Qura’n: ”But he is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the Prophets” (33:41) glorify him? But I know very well that none from among the Muslims would be prepared to agree with the common men.” (Tahzir ul Naas Page 4-5)

He also states: “If we accept this view it shall not at all contravene his finality, even though someone in the future does rise to the high status of prophethood” (Tahzir ul Naas Page 34)

Hazrat Sheikh Ahmad Farooqi states:

The rising of prophets after the Khatamar Rasul Hazrat Muhammad, the Chosen One^saw from among his own followers and as a heritage, does not in any way run counter to his status asthe Khatamar Rasul. Therefore, O reader, do not be among those who doubt” (Maktubat Imam Rabani Vol 1)

Hazrat Maulana Abul Hasanat Abdul Hayee Brehlvi states:

After the demise of the Holy Prophet ^saw or even during his own lifetime, it is not an impossibility for someone to be exalted to the position of a simple prophet. But a prophet with a new Law is, indeed, forbidden” (Dafail Waswas, Page 16)