Seal of the Prophets
Encyclopedia
Seal of the Prophets ( Khātim an-Nabiyīn) is a title given to the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
by a verse in the Qur'an
. Muslim
s traditionally agree upon that Muhammad received the final revelation in the form of the Qur'an for all mankind, for all time.
ic commentators agree that "messenger" (rasūl) refers to those who bring a divine revelation which includes a new doctrinal system, while a "prophet" (nabī) is one who explains ethical teachings on the basis of an existing religion. Every messenger is a prophet
, but not every prophet is a messenger.
states that the meaning of this term is not certain. Muslims also believe that a messenger is a prophet who received a book from god.
claim to quote the Hadith
of Umar
and prophecy
as proof of Muhammad being the last prophet
, while both Shi‘ī and Sunni Muslims quote the Hadith of position.
Some authentic traditions illustrated by both Shi‘ī and Sunni are below:
"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 caliph
s (literally, successors) will succeed me."
Muhammad 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."
"So I came and in me the line of Prophets has ended."
The very same tradition in similar words has been incorporated among other traditions reported by Jabir ibn Abd-Allah
; and its last sentence reads, "It is in me that line of Prophets came to its final end."
Musnad Ahmad
contains traditions reported by Ubay ibn Ka'b, Abu Sa`id al-Khudri and Abu Hurairah
on the same subject with a slight variation of words here and there.
Muhammad observed: "God has bestowed upon me six favors which the former Prophets did not enjoy:
Muhammad affirmed: "The chain of Messengers and Prophets has come to an end. There shall be no Messenger nor Prophet after me."
Muhammad 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."
Muhammad 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".
'Abdur Rahman bin Jubair reported: "I heard Abdullah bin 'Amr ibn-'As narrating that one day the Holy Prophet 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'."
Muhammad 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". (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."
Muhammad said: "If an Apostle were to succeed me, it would have been 'Umar bin Khattab."
Muhammad told Ali
, "You are related to me as Aaron
was related to Moses
. But no Apostle will come after me."
This tradition is recorded in Bukhari
and Muslim
in the account of the battle of Tabouk
also. Musnad
records two traditions narrated by Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas
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 report that on the eve of his departure for the battle of Tabouk, Muhammad had resolved to leave 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 Ali. Ali went to Muhammad and said: "'O Prophet of Allah, are you leaving me behind among women and children?'" On this occasion in order to set his mind at peace Muhammad 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 Aaron might later on give rise to heresies
, Muhammad immediately made it clear that "There will be no Prophet after me."
Thauban reports: "Muhammad 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 Dawood in Kitab-ul-Malahim has recorded another tradition reported by Abu Hurairah in the same subject. Tirmidhi has also recorded these two traditions as reported by Thauban and Abu Hurairah. 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."
Muhammad 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."
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.
Muhammad said: "No Prophet will come after me and there will, therefore, be no other community of followers of any new prophet."
Muhammad 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
)."
A large number of such traditions of Muhammad have been reported by the Sahabah
(companions) and a great many compilers have recorded them from authoritative sources. A study of these traditions shows that Muhammad 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 impostors and liars.
There can be no authentic, creditable and conclusive interpretation of the words of the Qur'an, Khatam-un-Nabiyyin, than that given by Muhammad for the credentials of Muhammad need no proof and the authority of his words is unassailable. His words are authentic and a proof in itself. When Muhammad is explaining a Nass
of the Qur'an, his explanation is the most authentic and a proof positive.
`Abd Allah ibn `Abbas
detailed in his commentary of Qur'an mentions
Abū Ḥanīfa, the founder of the Sunni Hanafi
school of fiqh
(Islamic jurisprudence
), comments on one of the incident of his life
The Shī‘ī Imām
Ja'far al-Sadiq
while discussing the Qur'anic verse, "For verily We granted the Book to the children of Abraham
", said that:
Fakhr al-Din al-Razi
also known as Fakhruddin Razi or Imam Razi, was a Persian
polymath
: a Sunni Islamic theologian of the Ash'ari
school, Islamic legal scholar of the Shafi`i school, Madrasah
professor, and expert in a wide variety of disciplines, including the traditional Islamic fields of Sharia
law, Fiqh jurisprudence, Islamic literature
, Tafsir
exegesis
, Kalam
theology
, Arabic grammar
and Muslim history
; the Islamic philosophies
of ethics
and metaphysics
; the formal sciences of logic and mathematics says in his Tafsir:
Ibn Kathir
in his commentary states:
The 12th century Islamic philosopher, Raghib Isfahani
, says in his Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran
: He further explainthis epithet in these words:
Ibn Hajar
, a medieval Shafi`ite Sunni scholar of Islam who represents the entire realm of the Sunni world in the field of Hadith commented
A majority of Salafi
and Sunni scholars have adhered to the view that khatam means last. Ibn Kathir
in his commentary states.
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."
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.
Khatam meaning honour, high status and not last
Aisha
, the wife of the Muhammad states;
Raghib Isfahani states;
Abdul-Qadir Gilani wrote;
Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi
, the founder of Deoband
seminary seems to conform to the Sufi
idea of Seal i.e. honour and not last. He writes,
Despite the more non-conformist stance taken by Nanotvi, most scholars have taken a more simplistic view of this concept and they support their belief by quoting Qasim Nanotvi himself where he declared:
Abdul Kareem Jilani, states;
Abdul Wahhab She'raani states;
Muhammad Tahir, who commented on Aisha's statement "say he is Khataman Nabiyyeen but do not say there is not prophet after him" said;
Ali al-Qari
, an Imam of the Hanafi school and a renowned interpreter of Hadith, wrote;
Shah Waliullah
who lived in India
during the Mughal Empire
and is sometimes known as a Mujaddid
held the following opinion;
Ahmad Farooqi states;
Mohiyyiud Din ibni Arabi states;
Abu Ja'far Sadiq states;
. The differences arose due to differences in the definition and usage of the terms "seal" and "prophet".
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
while accepting Muhammad as the 'seal of Prophets' and the last prophet to have brought a complete and comprehensive universal law for humanity, believe that prophethood subordinate to Muhammad is still open. Muhammad is believed to have brought prophethood to perfection and was the last law-bearing prophet, the apex of man's spiritual evolution. New prophets can come but they must be subordinate to Muhammad and cannot exceed him in excellence nor alter his teaching or bring any new law or religion. The Ahmadiyya community believes Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
to be the promised Messiah
and Mahdi
, who claimed a certain kind of prophethood but never claimed to have brought a new divine law or change the law of Muhammad, but to have been Divinely appointed to revive and universally establish the law/religion of Muhammad. The Ahmadiyya community draws upon various opinions of Islamic scholars throughout the history of Islam to show the possibility of non-law bearing prophethood within Islam.
Many orthodox Muslims argue that the Ahmadi position is essentially a misrepresentation of otherwise simple expressions which prove that Muhammad was the final prophet. However many orthodox have not yet recognised that some learned and respected scholars like Ibn Arabi
, Raghib Isfahani and the Deobandi
, Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi agree that the term khatam means superior instead of last. There seems to be confusion among the orthodox regarding the real meaning of word khatm. But still it should be noted that there are many other well known Islamic scholars who take the meaning of the word khatam as last. Besides a certain Arabic word can have many different meanings. An example is the word 'Alaq' in sura Al-Alaq
of the Qur'an. The word Alaq has different meanings like "that which clings", "clot of blood" and so on.
Ahmadis contend that the Qur'an itself clears up the meaning of the term "Khatamun Nabiyeen" in Chapter 4, verse 70:
"And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings, namely, the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. And excellent companions are these."
Ahmadis claim that this verse clearly lays down that Prophethood can be obtained still but only by becoming a perfect model of obedience to "Allah and this Messenger". As the word "min" meaning "one of" in Arabic occurs before the word "Nabiyeen", Ahmadis argue that this is a categorical statement in the Qur'an that there shall be at least one from among the followers of Muhammad who would attain this rank of subordinate prophethood-whose prophethood would be obtained only through becoming a mirror of obedience to Muhammad. As Ahmadis believe that Jesus is dead according to the Qur'an and believe that the prophesy of his second coming as a Muslim refers to the coming of one from among the followers of Muhammad in the power and spirit of Jesus, Ahmadis claim that this "second Jesus" has come in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya community in Islam. This is of course argued against by both Sunni and Shia sects.
to a messiah. Muslims also believe that Jesus (Isa) is the Christ
and the Messiah (a spiritual leader, prophet, and messenger who was the intended redeemer of the Hebrews
who was created from the spoken word of God, but not God or His son, nor is he divine despite his virgin birth) and will return to lead them and kill the anti-Christ (Dajjal) during the Last Days
. That Muhammad calls himself the Seal of the prophets deals with the fact that any true prophet who arose would know of Muhammad's mission and bring out his true status and identity. The case of Uwais al-Qarni
who was given Muhammed's mantle after his death in 632 was because this was given to him as his successor. It is because Elijah (Ilyas) is the Seal of the prophets that Muhammad called himself the "last prophet" and other things to illustrate that he wore the "Mantle of Prophecy": he was carrying out God's will as one having been "instructed" by the angel
Gabriel
(Jibral
) who also instructed Zechariah
(Zakariyya) and Mary
(Maryam). Distinct from these, Muhammad's mission dealt with the fact that the Qur'an is at the same time the Curse of God upon Israel, and the Blessing of God upon Ishmael
(ʼIsmāʻīl) as Bani-Israel (or the "New Israel", the Israelites). The arrival of the Messiah at the end can be better understood if one realizes that the Messiah will have his messenger who is "much more than a prophet", as Jesus called him. This was John the Baptist
's (Yahya ibn Zakariyya) status as the 'friend of the Bridegroom'. He was the Messenger of Jehovah
of hosts, as is written about in the Book of Malachi
:
In the Sufic philosophy
it is as Muhammad once said in comparing external and internal struggle; to wit, "The ink of the Learned is holier than the blood of the martyr".
Most commonly held view about the phrase Seal of Prophets is that "seal" means finality and end.
A small minority of scholars have translated and interpreted the word Seal in terms of honour and superiority. The vast majority of scholars from all sects of Islam accept that the only correct interpretation of the word 'khatam' is its literal meaning of 'final, last, seal', however those who disagree with this interpretation have not traditionally been considered outside the pale of Islam instead most of them are highly revered and are considered scholars of Islam.
Ghazali says
Rumi in his famous Masnavi
writes,
Ibn Arabi also followed the same line of reasoning in his Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya. He has argued that the possibility of a Wali is open according to the verse 33:40. Ibn Arabi also stated in the Futuhat:
Further he says
Ahmad Sirhindi
an Indian Islamic scholar from Punjab and a prominent member of the Naqshbandi
Sufi order says of this subject in one of his letters
Shah Waliullah subscribed to the opinion:
Further he explained his views regarding any one claim to be Muslim but also a messenger
Faranghi Mahal, an eminent scholar of the Ahl-e Sunnat also discussed the significance of the expression Khatam an-nubuwwah
and on behalf of the Sunni Scholars, he declared:
All those who claim that non law bearing prophet can come they believe in Return of Prophet Jesus
Over all there is a complete agreement that none of any scholars or sufis of Sunni or Shia sects (including the one who had differences of opinion on declinations of word Seal or Khatam) of Islam believed in any such person who claimed to be messenger or Prophet after Muhammad, although in history there are many instances where people came with such claims. In fact they objected and opposed such claims.
regards Muhammad as the seal of the prophets, but does not interpret this term as meaning that no further messengers from God are possible. In particular, Bahá'ís regard the end-times prophecies of Islam
(and other faiths) as being symbolic, and see the Báb
and Bahá'u'lláh
as symbolically fulfilling these prophetic expectations. The latter of these is the founder of the Bahá'í religion, which considers Islamic law to have been superseded by its own. Muhammad is seen as ending the Adamic cycle, also known as the Prophetic cycle, which is stated to have begun approximately 6,000 years ago, and the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh as starting the Bahá'í cycle, or Cycle of Fulfillment, which will last at least five hundred thousand years with numerous Manifestations of God
appearing throughout that time. Bahá'u'lláh gave the Title "King of the Messengers" (sultán al-rusul) to the Báb, and the "Sender of the Messengers" (mursil al-rusul) to himself. In the Kitáb-i-Íqán
, he uses the Islamic concept of the oneness of the prophets to show that the term "seal of the prophets" does not apply to Muhammad only, but to all the prophets. He also makes a direct link between Qur'an 33:40, about the seal of the prophets, and 33:44, about the promise of the "attainment of the divine Presence" on the day of resurrection, which he interprets as the meeting with the Manifestation of God. The day of resurrection is interpreted as the day of the advent of the Qa'im
or Mahdi
. These interpretive and legal differences have caused the Bahá'ís to be seen as heretics
and apostates
by many Muslims.
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
by a verse in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s traditionally agree upon that Muhammad received the final revelation in the form of the Qur'an for all mankind, for all time.
Classical lexicons and dictionaries
All classical lexicons say that the word خاتم, which roughly translates to Seal, is a synonym for آخر, . Classical lexicons presenting this are Lisān al-‘Arab, Tāj al-‘Arūs, Al-Mufridāt li-Gharīb al-Qur’ān, Aqrab al-Mawārid, Lane’s English-Arabic Lexicon, Al-Muĥīt, Muĥīt Al-Muĥīt, Al-Ghanī, Al-Wasīt and Al-Qāmūs Al-Muĥīt.Distinction between "messenger" and "prophet"
Most IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic commentators agree that "messenger" (rasūl) refers to those who bring a divine revelation which includes a new doctrinal system, while a "prophet" (nabī) is one who explains ethical teachings on the basis of an existing religion. Every messenger is a prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
, but not every prophet is a messenger.
Academic view
According to A.C. Welch, Muslim interpretation of khatim an-nabiyyin as the "last and greatest of the prophets" is most likely based on a later interpretation. Carl W. Ernst considers this phrase to mean that Muhammad's "imprint on history is as final as a wax seal on a letter". 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. Wilferd MadelungWilferd Madelung
Wilferd Ferdinand Madelung is a scholar of Islam. He was born in Stuttgart, Germany, where he completed his early education at Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium....
states that the meaning of this term is not certain. Muslims also believe that a messenger is a prophet who received a book from god.
Hadith and traditions of Muhammad
SunnisSunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
claim to quote the Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
of Umar
Umar
`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....
and prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
as proof of Muhammad being the last prophet
Last prophet
The term Last Prophet is used in religious contexts to refer to the last person through whom God speaks, after which there is to be no other.-Islam:...
, while both Shi‘ī and Sunni Muslims quote the Hadith of position.
Some authentic traditions illustrated by both Shi‘ī and Sunni are below:
"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 caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
s (literally, successors) will succeed me."
Muhammad 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."
"So I came and in me the line of Prophets has ended."
The very same tradition in similar words has been incorporated among other traditions reported by Jabir ibn Abd-Allah
Jabir ibn Abd-Allah
Jabir ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Haram al-Ansari was a prominent companion of Muhammad and his descendants, the Shi'a Imams.-Early life:Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari was born in Yathrib 15 years before the Hijra. He belonged to a poor family of Yathrib. He was from the tribe of Khazraj. His mother...
; and its last sentence reads, "It is in me that line of Prophets came to its final end."
Musnad Ahmad
Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal is a collection of Hadith collected by the famous Sunni scholar Ibn Hanbal to whom the Hanbali madhab of Sunnis is attributed.-Description:...
contains traditions reported by Ubay ibn Ka'b, Abu Sa`id al-Khudri and Abu Hurairah
Abu Hurairah
Abu Hurairah , was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the narrator of Hadith most quoted in the isnad by Sunnis.-Early life:...
on the same subject with a slight variation of words here and there.
Muhammad 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 AllahAllahAllah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
to carry His Divine message to the whole world. - The line of prophets has come to its final end in me.
Muhammad affirmed: "The chain of Messengers and Prophets has come to an end. There shall be no Messenger nor Prophet after me."
Muhammad observed: "I am Muhammad, I am Ahmad
Ahmad
Ahmad or Ahmed are the principal transliterations of the Arabic given name, . The name comes from the Arabic triconsonantal root of Ḥ-M-D, meaning "highly praised", implying "one who constantly thanks God".-Etymology:...
, 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."
Muhammad observed: "God
God in Islam
In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...
Almighty hath sent unto the world no apostle who did not warn his people about the appearance of Dajjal (Anti-Christ
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
, 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".
'Abdur Rahman bin Jubair reported: "I heard Abdullah bin 'Amr ibn-'As narrating that one day the Holy Prophet 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'."
Muhammad 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". (In other words there is no possibility of Divine revelation
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
in future. At the most if some one receives an inspiration from Allah he will receive it in the form of "pious dream."
Muhammad said: "If an Apostle were to succeed me, it would have been 'Umar bin Khattab."
Muhammad told Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
, "You are related to me as Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
was related to Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
. But no Apostle will come after me."
This tradition is recorded in Bukhari
Sahih al-Bukhari
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī , as it is commonly referred to, is one of the six canonical hadith collections of Islam. These prophetic traditions, or hadith, were collected by the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, after being transmitted orally for generations. Muslims view this as one of...
and Muslim
Sahih Muslim
Sahih Muslim is one of the Six major collections of the hadith in Sunni Islam, oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. It is the second most authentic hadith collection after Sahih Al-Bukhari, and is highly acclaimed by Sunni Muslims...
in the account of the battle of Tabouk
Battle of Tabouk
The Battle of Tabouk was a military expedition, which, according to Muslim biographies, was initiated by the Prophet Muhammad in October, AD 630. Muhammad led a force of as many as 30,000 north to Tabouk in present-day northwestern Saudi Arabia, with the intention of engaging the Byzantine army...
also. Musnad
Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal is a collection of Hadith collected by the famous Sunni scholar Ibn Hanbal to whom the Hanbali madhab of Sunnis is attributed.-Description:...
records two traditions narrated by Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas
Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas
Saad ibn Abī Waqqās was an early convert to Islam in 610-11 and one of the important companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Sa'd was the seventeenth person to embrace Islam at the age of seventeen...
on this subject. The last sentence in one of these traditions runs as follows: "Behold there is no prophethood
Prophethood
Prophethood is the word used to reference the institution by which God sends emissaries, or prophets, to guide mankind. Use of the word is almost always theological.-Islam:...
after me."
Detailed accounts of the traditions report that on the eve of his departure for the battle of Tabouk, Muhammad had resolved to leave Ali behind him in order to look after the defense and supervise the affairs of Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
. The hypocrites thereupon began to spread insinuations and rumours about Ali. Ali went to Muhammad and said: "'O Prophet of Allah, are you leaving me behind among women and children?'" On this occasion in order to set his mind at peace Muhammad observed: "You are related to me as was Aaron with Moses." In other words "as Hadrat
Hadrat
is an honourific Arabic title used to honour a person. The literal translation of Hadrah is "Presence". In usage it is comparable to traditional Western honorifics addressing high officials, such as "your honour", "your majesty" or "your holiness".The term was also loaned into Turkish and...
Moses on the Mount Tur
Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa meaning "Moses' Mountain", is a mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. A mountain called Mount Sinai is mentioned many times in the Book of Exodus in the Torah and the Bible as well as the Quran...
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 Aaron might later on give rise to heresies
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
, Muhammad immediately made it clear that "There will be no Prophet after me."
Thauban reports: "Muhammad observed: And there will arise Thirty imposters in my Ummah
Ummah
Ummah is an Arabic word meaning "community" or "nation." It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of states, or the whole Arab world...
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 Dawood in Kitab-ul-Malahim has recorded another tradition reported by Abu Hurairah in the same subject. Tirmidhi has also recorded these two traditions as reported by Thauban and Abu Hurairah. 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."
Muhammad 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."
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.
Muhammad said: "No Prophet will come after me and there will, therefore, be no other community of followers of any new prophet."
Muhammad observed: "I am the last in line of the prophets of God and my Masjid
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
is the last Masjid (referring the holy Masjid of the Prophet
Al-Masjid al-Nabawi
Al-Masjid al-Nabawi , often called the Prophet's Mosque, is a mosque situated in the city of Medina. As the final resting place of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, it is considered the second holiest site in Islam by Muslims and is one of the largest mosques in the world...
)."
A large number of such traditions of Muhammad have been reported by the Sahabah
Sahabah
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
(companions) and a great many compilers have recorded them from authoritative sources. A study of these traditions shows that Muhammad 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 impostors and liars.
There can be no authentic, creditable and conclusive interpretation of the words of the Qur'an, Khatam-un-Nabiyyin, than that given by Muhammad for the credentials of Muhammad need no proof and the authority of his words is unassailable. His words are authentic and a proof in itself. When Muhammad is explaining a Nass
Nass (Islam)
Nass is an arabic word meaning "a known, or clear, legal injunction". In Twelver Shi`ah Islam, nass is used to reference the nomination of an Imam by a previous Imam....
of the Qur'an, his explanation is the most authentic and a proof positive.
Various views
Views of various school of thoughts among majority of sects have slight difference on the basis of ayat and Hadith. However all are of the same view on the finality of Muhammad as Prophet.Classic interpretations by scholars of Islamic jurisprudence, Tafsir and Hadith
Khatam meaning last`Abd Allah ibn `Abbas
`Abd Allah ibn `Abbas
Abd Allah ibn Abbas was a paternal cousin of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He is revered by Muslims for his knowledge and was an expert in Tafsir , as well as an authority on the Islamic Sunnah.-Family:...
detailed in his commentary of Qur'an mentions
Abū Ḥanīfa, the founder of the Sunni Hanafi
Hanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
school of fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
(Islamic jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
), comments on one of the incident of his life
The Shī‘ī Imām
Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)
Imāmah is the Shia doctrine of religious, spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. The Shīa believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or rightful successors of Muḥammad, and further that Imams are possessed of divine knowledge and authority as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt,...
Ja'far al-Sadiq
Ja'far al-Sadiq
Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq was a descendant of Muhammad and a prominent Muslim jurist. He is revered as an Imam by the adherents of Shi'a Islam and as a renowned Islamic scholar and personality by Sunni Muslims. The Shi'a Muslims consider him to be the sixth Imam or leader and spiritual...
while discussing the Qur'anic verse, "For verily We granted the Book to the children of Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
", said that:
Fakhr al-Din al-Razi
Fakhr al-Din al-Razi
Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Umar ibn al-Husayn al-Taymi al-Bakri al-Tabaristani Fakhr al-Din al-Razi , most commonly known as Fakhruddin Razi was a well-known Persian Sunni Muslim theologian and philosopher....
also known as Fakhruddin Razi or Imam Razi, was a Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
polymath
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
: a Sunni Islamic theologian of the Ash'ari
Ash'ari
The Ashʿari theology is a school of early Muslim speculative theology founded by the theologian Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari...
school, Islamic legal scholar of the Shafi`i school, Madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
professor, and expert in a wide variety of disciplines, including the traditional Islamic fields of Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
law, Fiqh jurisprudence, Islamic literature
Islamic literature
Islamic literature is literature written with an Islamic perspective, in any language.The most well known fiction from the Islamic world was The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , which was a compilation of many earlier folk tales told by the Persian Queen Scheherazade...
, Tafsir
Tafsir
Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
exegesis
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
, Kalam
Kalam
ʿIlm al-Kalām is the Islamic philosophical discipline of seeking theological principles through dialectic. Kalām in Islamic practice relates to the discipline of seeking theological knowledge through debate and argument. A scholar of kalām is referred to as a mutakallim...
theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, Arabic grammar
Arabic grammar
Arabic grammar is the grammar of the Arabic language. Arabic is a Semitic language and its grammar has many similarities with the grammar of other Semitic languages....
and Muslim history
Muslim history
Muslim history is the history of Muslim people. In the history of Islam the followers of the religion of Islam have impacted political history, economic history, and military history...
; the Islamic philosophies
Islamic philosophy
Islamic philosophy is a branch of Islamic studies. It is the continuous search for Hekma in the light of Islamic view of life, universe, ethics, society, and so on...
of ethics
Islamic ethics
Islamic ethics , defined as "good character," historically took shape gradually from the 7th century and was finally established by the 11th century...
and metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
; the formal sciences of logic and mathematics says in his Tafsir:
Ibn Kathir
Ibn Kathir
Ismail ibn Kathir was a Muslim muhaddith, Faqih, historian, and commentator.-Biography:His full name was Abu Al-Fida, 'Imad Ad-Din, Isma'il bin 'Umar bin Kathir, Al-Qurashi, Al-Busrawi...
in his commentary states:
The 12th century Islamic philosopher, Raghib Isfahani
Raghib Isfahani
-Works:He worked in the lines of Philosophical and religious ethics*Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran*al-Maudhoorath*Muhadarat al Udaba kmnlkm-External links:*http://jis.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/6/1/51...
, says in his Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran
Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran
Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran is a dictionary by Islamic scholar Al-Raghib al-Isfahani....
: He further explainthis epithet in these words:
Ibn Hajar
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
Al-Haafidh Shihabuddin Abu'l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad, better known as Ibn Hajar due to the fame of his forefathers, al-Asqalani due to his family origin , was a medieval Shafiite Sunni scholar of Islam who represents the entire realm of the Sunni world in the field of Hadith...
, a medieval Shafi`ite Sunni scholar of Islam who represents the entire realm of the Sunni world in the field of Hadith commented
A majority of Salafi
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
and Sunni scholars have adhered to the view that khatam means last. Ibn Kathir
Ibn Kathir
Ismail ibn Kathir was a Muslim muhaddith, Faqih, historian, and commentator.-Biography:His full name was Abu Al-Fida, 'Imad Ad-Din, Isma'il bin 'Umar bin Kathir, Al-Qurashi, Al-Busrawi...
in his commentary states.
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."
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.
Khatam meaning honour, high status and not last
Aisha
Aisha
Aisha bint Abu Bakr also transcribed as was Muhammad's favorite wife...
, the wife of the Muhammad states;
Raghib Isfahani states;
Abdul-Qadir Gilani wrote;
Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi
Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi
Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi was a world famous Islamic Scholar and one of the main people responsible for establishing the Deobandi movement. Nanotvi was born in 1833 in Nanota, a village near Saharanpur, India. He completed his primary education in his hometown and then he was sent to Deoband, where he...
, the founder of Deoband
Darul Uloom Deoband
The Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic school in India where the Deobandi Islamic movement was started. It is located at Deoband, a town in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It was founded in 1866 by several prominent Islamic scholars , headed by Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi...
seminary seems to conform to the Sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
idea of Seal i.e. honour and not last. He writes,
Despite the more non-conformist stance taken by Nanotvi, most scholars have taken a more simplistic view of this concept and they support their belief by quoting Qasim Nanotvi himself where he declared:
Abdul Kareem Jilani, states;
Abdul Wahhab She'raani states;
Muhammad Tahir, who commented on Aisha's statement "say he is Khataman Nabiyyeen but do not say there is not prophet after him" said;
Ali al-Qari
Ali al-Qari
-Legacy:One of the great Hanafi masters of hadith and Imams of fiqh, Qur'anic commentary, language, history and tasawwuf, he authored several great commentaries such as al-Mirqat on Mishkat al-masabih in several volumes, a two-volume commentary on Qadi `Iyad's al-Shifa', and a two-volume commentary...
, an Imam of the Hanafi school and a renowned interpreter of Hadith, wrote;
Shah Waliullah
Shah Waliullah
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlvi was an Islamic scholar and reformer. He was born during the reign of Aurangzeb. He worked for the revival of Muslim rule and intellectual learning in South Asia, during a time of waning Muslim power...
who lived in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
during the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
and is sometimes known as a Mujaddid
Mujaddid
A Mujaddid , according to the popular Muslim tradition, refers to a person who appears at the turn of every century of the Islamic calendar to revive Islam, remove from it any extraneous elements and restore it to its pristine purity...
held the following opinion;
Ahmad Farooqi states;
Mohiyyiud Din ibni Arabi states;
Abu Ja'far Sadiq states;
Ahmadiyya view
In recent history, the interpretation of the term "seal of the prophets" has been a cause of much contention between traditional Islam and the Ahmadiyya movementAhmadiyya
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious revivalist movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as...
. The differences arose due to differences in the definition and usage of the terms "seal" and "prophet".
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the larger of two communities that arose from the Ahmadiyya movement founded in 1889 in India by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian . The original movement split into two factions soon after the death of the founder...
while accepting Muhammad as the 'seal of Prophets' and the last prophet to have brought a complete and comprehensive universal law for humanity, believe that prophethood subordinate to Muhammad is still open. Muhammad is believed to have brought prophethood to perfection and was the last law-bearing prophet, the apex of man's spiritual evolution. New prophets can come but they must be subordinate to Muhammad and cannot exceed him in excellence nor alter his teaching or bring any new law or religion. The Ahmadiyya community believes Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
Mīrzā Ghulām Aḥmad was a religious figure from India and the founder of the Ahmadiyya Community. He claimed to be the Mujaddid of the 14th Islamic century, the promised Messiah , and the Mahdi awaited by the Muslims in the end days...
to be the promised Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
and Mahdi
Mahdi
In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
, who claimed a certain kind of prophethood but never claimed to have brought a new divine law or change the law of Muhammad, but to have been Divinely appointed to revive and universally establish the law/religion of Muhammad. The Ahmadiyya community draws upon various opinions of Islamic scholars throughout the history of Islam to show the possibility of non-law bearing prophethood within Islam.
Many orthodox Muslims argue that the Ahmadi position is essentially a misrepresentation of otherwise simple expressions which prove that Muhammad was the final prophet. However many orthodox have not yet recognised that some learned and respected scholars like Ibn Arabi
Ibn Arabi
Ibn ʿArabī was an Andalusian Moorish Sufi mystic and philosopher. His full name was Abū 'Abdillāh Muḥammad ibn 'Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn `Arabī .-Biography:...
, Raghib Isfahani and the Deobandi
Deobandi
Deobandi is a movement of Sunni Islam. The movement began at Darul Uloom Deoband in Deoband, India, where its foundation was laid on 30 May 1866.-History:...
, Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi agree that the term khatam means superior instead of last. There seems to be confusion among the orthodox regarding the real meaning of word khatm. But still it should be noted that there are many other well known Islamic scholars who take the meaning of the word khatam as last. Besides a certain Arabic word can have many different meanings. An example is the word 'Alaq' in sura Al-Alaq
Al-Alaq
Sūrat al-ʿAlaq , is the 96th sura or chapter of the Qur'an. It is composed of 19 Ayat , and is traditionally believed to have been revealed at Mecca at cave Hira...
of the Qur'an. The word Alaq has different meanings like "that which clings", "clot of blood" and so on.
Ahmadis contend that the Qur'an itself clears up the meaning of the term "Khatamun Nabiyeen" in Chapter 4, verse 70:
"And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings, namely, the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. And excellent companions are these."
Ahmadis claim that this verse clearly lays down that Prophethood can be obtained still but only by becoming a perfect model of obedience to "Allah and this Messenger". As the word "min" meaning "one of" in Arabic occurs before the word "Nabiyeen", Ahmadis argue that this is a categorical statement in the Qur'an that there shall be at least one from among the followers of Muhammad who would attain this rank of subordinate prophethood-whose prophethood would be obtained only through becoming a mirror of obedience to Muhammad. As Ahmadis believe that Jesus is dead according to the Qur'an and believe that the prophesy of his second coming as a Muslim refers to the coming of one from among the followers of Muhammad in the power and spirit of Jesus, Ahmadis claim that this "second Jesus" has come in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya community in Islam. This is of course argued against by both Sunni and Shia sects.
Sufi Views
The end-times prophecies of Islam point to a mahdi and those of ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
to a messiah. Muslims also believe that Jesus (Isa) is the Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
and the Messiah (a spiritual leader, prophet, and messenger who was the intended redeemer of the Hebrews
Hebrews
Hebrews is an ethnonym used in the Hebrew Bible...
who was created from the spoken word of God, but not God or His son, nor is he divine despite his virgin birth) and will return to lead them and kill the anti-Christ (Dajjal) during the Last Days
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
. That Muhammad calls himself the Seal of the prophets deals with the fact that any true prophet who arose would know of Muhammad's mission and bring out his true status and identity. The case of Uwais al-Qarni
Uwais al-Qarni
Uwais Qarni, known also as Saint Uwais Qarni was a Muslim mystic, martyr and philosopher of Yemen who lived during the lifetime of Muhammad, but never met Muhammad personally. As reported by the renowned historical scholar Ibn Battuta, Uwais' tomb is found in Ar-Raqqah, Syria, where he was killed...
who was given Muhammed's mantle after his death in 632 was because this was given to him as his successor. It is because Elijah (Ilyas) is the Seal of the prophets that Muhammad called himself the "last prophet" and other things to illustrate that he wore the "Mantle of Prophecy": he was carrying out God's will as one having been "instructed" by the angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
Gabriel
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
(Jibral
Holy Spirit (Islam)
The Holy Spirit in Islam is mentioned several times in the Quran, and is interpreted by many muslims as referring to the angel Gabriel.-The Holy Spirit, al-Ruh al-Quds, in the Quran:...
) who also instructed Zechariah
Zechariah (priest)
In the Bible, Zechariah , is the father of John the Baptist, a priest of the sons of Aaron, a prophet in , and the husband of Elisabeth who is the cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus.In the Qur'an, Zechariah plays a similar role as the father of John the Baptist and ranks him as a prophet alongside...
(Zakariyya) and Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
(Maryam). Distinct from these, Muhammad's mission dealt with the fact that the Qur'an is at the same time the Curse of God upon Israel, and the Blessing of God upon Ishmael
Ishmael
Ishmael is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, and was Abraham's first born child according to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Ishmael was born of Abraham's marriage to Sarah's handmaiden Hagar...
(ʼIsmāʻīl) as Bani-Israel (or the "New Israel", the Israelites). The arrival of the Messiah at the end can be better understood if one realizes that the Messiah will have his messenger who is "much more than a prophet", as Jesus called him. This was John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
's (Yahya ibn Zakariyya) status as the 'friend of the Bridegroom'. He was the Messenger of Jehovah
Jehovah
Jehovah is an anglicized representation of Hebrew , a vocalization of the Tetragrammaton , the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible....
of hosts, as is written about in the Book of Malachi
Book of Malachi
Malachi is a book of the Hebrew Bible, the last of the twelve minor prophets and the final book of the Neviim...
:
In the Sufic philosophy
Sufi philosophy
Sufi philosophy includes the schools of thought unique to Sufism, a mystical branch within Islam. Sufism and its philosophical traditions may be associated with Sunni Islam or Shia Islam. It has been suggested that Sufi thought emerged from the Middle East in the eighth century, but adherents are...
it is as Muhammad once said in comparing external and internal struggle; to wit, "The ink of the Learned is holier than the blood of the martyr".
Most commonly held view about the phrase Seal of Prophets is that "seal" means finality and end.
A small minority of scholars have translated and interpreted the word Seal in terms of honour and superiority. The vast majority of scholars from all sects of Islam accept that the only correct interpretation of the word 'khatam' is its literal meaning of 'final, last, seal', however those who disagree with this interpretation have not traditionally been considered outside the pale of Islam instead most of them are highly revered and are considered scholars of Islam.
Ghazali says
Rumi in his famous Masnavi
Masnavi
The Masnavi, Masnavi-I Ma'navi or Mesnevi , also written Mathnawi, Ma'navi, or Mathnavi, is an extensive poem written in Persian by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, the celebrated Persian Sufi saint and poet. It is one of the best known and most influential works of both Sufism and Persian literature...
writes,
Ibn Arabi also followed the same line of reasoning in his Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya. He has argued that the possibility of a Wali is open according to the verse 33:40. Ibn Arabi also stated in the Futuhat:
Further he says
Ahmad Sirhindi
Ahmad Sirhindi
Imām Rabbānī Shaykh Ahmad al-Farūqī al-Sirhindī was an Indian Islamic scholar from Punjab, a Hanafi jurist, and a prominent member of the Naqshbandī Sufi order. He is described as Mujaddid Alf Thānī, meaning the "reviver of the second millennium", for his work in rejuvenating Islam and opposing...
an Indian Islamic scholar from Punjab and a prominent member of the Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
Sufi order says of this subject in one of his letters
Shah Waliullah subscribed to the opinion:
Further he explained his views regarding any one claim to be Muslim but also a messenger
Faranghi Mahal, an eminent scholar of the Ahl-e Sunnat also discussed the significance of the expression Khatam an-nubuwwah
Nubuwwah
In Islam, Nubuwwah means "Prophethood" and denotes that God has appointed perfect Prophets and Messengers to teach mankind Gods religion. Nubuwwah is among the five Shi'a Roots of Religion....
and on behalf of the Sunni Scholars, he declared:
All those who claim that non law bearing prophet can come they believe in Return of Prophet Jesus
Over all there is a complete agreement that none of any scholars or sufis of Sunni or Shia sects (including the one who had differences of opinion on declinations of word Seal or Khatam) of Islam believed in any such person who claimed to be messenger or Prophet after Muhammad, although in history there are many instances where people came with such claims. In fact they objected and opposed such claims.
Bahá'í view
The Bahá'í FaithBahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
regards Muhammad as the seal of the prophets, but does not interpret this term as meaning that no further messengers from God are possible. In particular, Bahá'ís regard the end-times prophecies of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(and other faiths) as being symbolic, and see the Báb
Báb
Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází was the founder of Bábism, and one of three central figures of the Bahá'í Faith. He was a merchant from Shíráz, Persia, who at the age of twenty-four claimed to be the promised Qá'im . After his declaration he took the title of Báb meaning "Gate"...
and Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
as symbolically fulfilling these prophetic expectations. The latter of these is the founder of the Bahá'í religion, which considers Islamic law to have been superseded by its own. Muhammad is seen as ending the Adamic cycle, also known as the Prophetic cycle, which is stated to have begun approximately 6,000 years ago, and the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh as starting the Bahá'í cycle, or Cycle of Fulfillment, which will last at least five hundred thousand years with numerous Manifestations of God
Manifestation of God
The Manifestation of God is a concept in the Bahá'í Faith that refers to what are commonly called prophets. The Manifestations of God are a series of personages who reflect the attributes of the divine into the human world for the progress and advancement of human morals and civilization...
appearing throughout that time. Bahá'u'lláh gave the Title "King of the Messengers" (sultán al-rusul) to the Báb, and the "Sender of the Messengers" (mursil al-rusul) to himself. In the Kitáb-i-Íqán
Kitáb-i-Íqán
The Kitáb-i-Íqán is one of many books held sacred by followers of the Bahá'í Faith; it is their primary theological work. One Bahá'í scholar states that it can be regarded as the "most influential Koran commentary in Persian outside the Muslim world," because of its international audience. It is...
, he uses the Islamic concept of the oneness of the prophets to show that the term "seal of the prophets" does not apply to Muhammad only, but to all the prophets. He also makes a direct link between Qur'an 33:40, about the seal of the prophets, and 33:44, about the promise of the "attainment of the divine Presence" on the day of resurrection, which he interprets as the meeting with the Manifestation of God. The day of resurrection is interpreted as the day of the advent of the Qa'im
Al-Qa'im (person)
Al-Qāʾim is a messiah-like figure in Shia Islam, sometimes referred to as the Mahdi, but distinctly of a Shiʿa tradition.-External links:* *...
or Mahdi
Mahdi
In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
. These interpretive and legal differences have caused the Bahá'ís to be seen as heretics
Heresy in Islam
Heresy in Islam concerns the relationship that larger Islamic bodies have with smaller or newer Muslim sects that dissent from a previous religious or social orthodoxy.-Sunni- Shi'a relations:...
and apostates
Apostasy in Islam
Apostasy in Islam is commonly defined in Islam as the rejection in word or deed of one's former religion by a person who was previously a follower of Islam...
by many Muslims.