Ali is to me as Harun is to Musa

Introduction

قَالَ ‏ “‏ أَلاَ تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ نَبِيٌّ بَعْدِي

Narrated Sa`d:

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) set out for Tabuk. appointing `Ali as his deputy (in Medina). `Ali said, “Do you want to leave me with the children and women?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Will you not be pleased that you will be to me like Aaron to Moses? But there will be no prophet after me.“

[Sahih al-Bukhari 4416]

This is another hadith that the non-Ahmadi Muslims bring to prove that no prophets can come after Muhammad (S.A.W). This not only goes against their own beliefs that Isa (A.S) will come after Muhammad (S.A.W) but it is also a wrong understanding of the hadith. There are multiple different explanations

Explanation #1 – No Prophet immediately after

The hadith very simply states that Ali (R.A) is not a prophet after Muhammad (S.A.W) as Muhammad (S.A.W) won’t be succeeded by a prophet but Caliphs and the prophet can only come after 30 dajjals have come. This is consistent with the explanation we just gave above.

1) Caliphs have to come right after Muhammad (S.A.W)

We know from the other ahadith that no prophet can come after Muhammad (S.A.W) because Caliphs have to succeed him (i.e come right after him) as seen from the Sahih al-Bukhari 3455 and the Musnad Ahmad, 4/273, #18596.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said,

“The Israelis used to be ruled and guided by prophets: Whenever a prophet died, another would take over his place. There will be no prophet after me, but there will be Caliphs who will increase in number.” The people asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! What do you order us (to do)?” He said, “Obey the one who will be given the pledge of allegiance first. Fulfil their (i.e. the Caliphs) rights, for Allah will ask them about (any shortcoming) in ruling those Allah has put under their guardianship.“

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3455]

Another hadith from Musnad Ahmad gives a prophecy that Khilafat will be established in the latter days after the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah is clearly referred to as a prophet as indicated by the words Khilafah ala Minhaji-Nabuwwah (Khilafat on the precepts of Prophethood). This nabuwwah is the nabuwwah of the latter-day Messiah. This is the view of all Sunnis and the scan of the hadith proves that.

“Prophethood would remain among you so long as Allah wills. Then Allah the Exalted would raise it up. Then Caliphate on the precepts of Prophethood would be established and remain among you for as long as Allah wills. Then Allah the Exalted would raise it up. Then despotic rule would remain among you for as long as Allah wills. Then Allah the Exalted would raise it up. Then a tyrannous rule would remain among you for as long as Allah wills. Then Allah the Exalted would raise it up. Then the Caliphate on the precepts of Prophethood would be established again (Khilafah ala Minhaji-Nabuwwah). Then, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) remained silent.”

[Musnad Ahmad, 4/273, #18596]

Thus, Umar (R.A) could not have been a prophet after Muhammad (S.A.W) as Caliphs have to come after Muhammad (S.A.W).

2) 30 dajjals have to arrive before a prophet

We also know that Umar (R.A) could not be a prophet until 30 dajjals have arrived as explained in Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2218.

لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَنْبَعِثَ دَجَّالُونَ كَذَّابُونَ قَرِيبٌ مِنْ ثَلاَثِينَ كُلُّهُمْ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ

“The Hour shall not be established until nearly thirty imposters, Dajjal(liars) appear, each of them claiming that he is the Messenger of Allah.”

[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2218]

3) Messiah comes AFTER caliphs and 30 dajjal

قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : ” ألا إن عيسى ابن مريم ليس بيني وبينه نبي ولا رسول ، ألا إنه خليفتي في أمتي بعدي ، ألا إنه يقتل الدجال ، ويكسر الصليب ، وتضع الحرب أوزارها ، ألا فمن أدركه منكم فليقرأ عليه السلام ” قال أبو هريرة : ” إني لأرجو أن أكون أول من أقرئه السلام من أبي القاسم صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وآكل من جفنته “

The Holy Prophet Mohammed SAW said: “Listen! There is no prophet and messenger between me and the coming Jesus. He will be the deputy (caliph) in my Ummah after me. Verily, He will kill the Dajjal and break the cross and abolish war. Anyone among you who sees him should tell him my salaam”

[Tabarani, Hadith #4895]

We also know that once 1 and 2 are completed, the Messiah will arrive who is a prophet. This is explained in Tabarani, Hadith #4895.

Explanation #2 – No prophet of the same status

The word ba’adi can also refer to terms of the status and rank of the prophets. So the phrase “No prophet after me” or “Laa Nabiyya Ba`di”, means that a prophet of similar status and influence cannot come after Muhammad (S.A.W) i.e law bearing prophet.

This interpretation is not something we just made up but it is proven from multiple ahadith and the explanation of the Muslim scholars of all times.

Hadith #1 – No Caesar after Caesar

إِذَا هَلَكَ كِسْرَى فَلاَ كِسْرَى بَعْدَهُ، وَإِذَا هَلَكَ قَيْصَرُ فَلاَ قَيْصَرَ بَعْدَهُ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَتُنْفِقُنَّ كُنُوزَهُمَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “When Khosrau perishes, there will be no (more) Khosrau after him, and when Caesar perishes, there will be no more Caesar after him. By Him in Whose Hands Muhammad’s life is, you will spend the treasures of both of them in Allah’s Cause.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3618]

In this hadith, Muhammad (S.A.W is prophecizing that there will be no more Khosrau and Caesar after the current one. For those who don’t know, Caesar is the title of the Byzantine Emperor while Khosrau is the title of the Persian Emperor. Thus if ba`di meant what non-Ahmadi Muslims are trying to prove (even though it goes against them since they believe Isa (A.S) is coming) then Muhammad (S.A.W) actually did a failed prophecy, God forbid. Both these empires continued to exist until years after the death of Muhammad (S.A.W), and many Khosrous and Caesars ruled after him.

The true meaning of this hadith is that no Khosrau or Caesar will have the same authority and power as the current one and their empires will be on the decline. So ba`di here means that the status of the next emperor would lessen. This is the view of all Sunni and Shia Muslims in refutation of the Islamophobes who bring this hadith is to prove that Muhammad (S.A.W) was wrong in his prediction, and thus is a false prophet.

In his commentary on the Sahih Bukhari hadith, Imam al-Khattabi (932-1010/310-388 AH) said:

“The meaning of ‘when Caesar is ruined, there will be no Caesar after him’ is that there shall not be any Caesar who would be as powerful and influential as the Caesar of that time. The Caesar then was living in Jerusalem, a city without visitation rights where Christians did not have complete religious rites. No one had ever gone to Rome without having visited the city either publicly or secretly. So, the Caesar of the time was expelled from the city and its treasures were rendered open, and no Caesar ever held control over the city afterwards.”

[‘A’alamul Hadith, 1447/2]

This is also the view of the scholars the like of Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani (1372- 1449 AD/750-870 AH) and Abu Hatim al-Razi (811–890 AD/189-268 AH).

So just like ba`di means that the Emperor of the same status cannot come in the future, similarly, ba`di also means that a prophet of the same status as Muhammad (S.A.W) cannot come i.e a prophet who brings a new law cannot come. But an ummati (a non-law bearing) prophet can come who has a lesser status than Muhammad (S.A.W). This is exactly what we already showed above when quoting the verses and ahadith in the section with the title “Continuity of prophethood”.

Hadith #2 – No Hijrah after Hijrah

كَانَ يَقُولُ لاَ هِجْرَةَ بَعْدَ الْفَتْحِ‏.‏

Narrated Mujahid bin Jabir Al-Makki:

`Abdullah bin `Umar used to say, “There is no more Hijrah (i.e. migration) after the Conquest of Mecca.“

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3899]

This hadith also expands on the previous hadith on Khosrau and Caesar by using the term ba’da. We know that Hijrah or migration continues to this day. People migrate from one place to another even now and taking the meaning that no hijrah can ever happen after the conquest of Mecca is actually proving that Muhammad (S.A.W) lied, God forbid. So if we take it into context just like the other hadith, it proves 2 things,

1. Hijrah of the same status as the Conquest of Mecca won’t happen just like emperors of the same status as Khosrau and Caesar cannot come after or no prophet of the same status like Muhammad (S.A.W) cannot come after him.
2. It also means that the Conquest of Mecca was the last migration in the time of Muhammad (S.A.W). Thus, when he says no prophet will come after him, it is also specific to his time period that no prophet will succeed him or come right after him. This is already explained above.

Ayesha (R.A) explains that no prophet of similar status will come after Muhammad (S.A.W)

Moreover, the explanation that non-law bearing prophets can come after Muhammad (S.A.W) is also given by Ayesha (R.A) herself and multiple scholars of Islam. She says,

قولوا انه خاتم النبیین ولا تقولوا لا نبی بعدہ

“Certainly, do say, he (the Holy Prophet) is the Seal of all Prophets (Khataman Nabiyyin), but do not say, there is no prophet after him.“

[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah; v.14, p.521]

In this narration, she clearly distinguishes that Khatam-an-Nabiyyin is not a term to prove the finality of the prophethood. She clarified so that people do not take the statement literally and deny the possibility of the descent of the Messiah, who is a non-law bearing prophet.

This narration is not only authentic and regarded as Sahih by the Salafi scholar Sa’d b. Nasir al-Shathri is also quoted and explained by many scholars.

Imam Hazrat Ibn-e-Qutaibah (died 267 A.H.):

“The interpretation, put forth by her (Hazrat Aishah (ra)), does not contradict the words of the Holy Prophet (sa). The Holy Prophet (sa) meant that there would be no Prophet after him who would abrogate his law.

[Ta’wilu Mukhtalifil-Ahadith, p. 127]

Shah Waliyyullah Muhaddith Dehlavi, Mujaddid (reformer) of the 12th century:

“From the words La Nabiyya ba’di used by the Holy Prophet (sa), we learn with certainty that there would be no Prophet after him who would bring a new Law or Shari’ah.”

[Qurratul-‘Ainain fi Tafdilish-Shaikhain, p. 319]

Hazrat Imam ‘Abdul-Wahhab Sha’rani (died 976 A.H.) writes:

“The Holy Prophet’s (sa) statements that there will be no Prophet or no Messenger after him only meant that there will be no law-bearing Prophet after him.”

[al-Yawaqit wal-Jawahir, vol. 2, p. 35]

Mulla Ali Qari writes:

“And this would not negate the Verse “Khaatam an Nabiyyeen” (33:40) which means: ‘No prophet can come who will abrogate his Millat or not be from his Ummah’”

[Asrar ul Marfu’ah, P. 285]

The above quotes prove that the statement of Ayesha (R.A) is authentic because none of the scholars, including tabieen (2nd generation Muslims) did reject it but did taweel (interpretation) of it. A scholar only does that when they consider the narration as authentic.

The quotes also prove that non-law bearing prophets can come after Muhammad (S.A.W) and thus the statement “There is no prophet after me” is not absolute but refers to a specific type of prophet.

Refuting Sunnis

We have already explained the true meaning of the hadith. Now we will explain how the interpretation of Sunnis and Shias is wrong regarding this hadith. They interpret this hadith to prove that no prophet of any kind can be BORN after Muhammad (S.A.W) as Isa (A.S) from their point of view will be born before. This might seem like a valid interpretation until we look at the context of the hadith, specifically the comparison of Ali (R.A) and Harun (A.S) to prove no prophet can come after Muhammad (S.A.W).

There are two things happening in the hadith. Firstly, Ali (R.A) is being compared to Harun (A.S) and second, Muhammad (S.A.W) says “There is no prophet after me”. If the hadith meant “No prophet can be born after me”, then the comparison does not make sense.

Unlike Ali (R.A), Harun (A.S) was actually born before Musa (A.S) which is mentioned by Imam Tabari in his seerah. Thus, it shows that their argument that La Nabiyya ba’di means “No prophet can be born after me” can be thrown out.

Another point to note is that Harun (A.S) also died before Musa (A.S), unlike Ali (R.A) in the case of Muhammad (S.A.W) and him. This indicates that Baadi meaning after me would not even make sense. Instead, it would make more sense ba’di to mean besides me here (ba’di is in ghairi form). This has been confirmed by many Muslim Ulemas, including Shah Waliulah Dehlvi (R.H).