Ibrahim Would Have Been a Prophet – Authentic Hadith Explained
Introduction
Many anti-Ahmadis today boldly claim that the door to prophethood has been completely closed and that no prophet can ever come again under any circumstances. However, a Hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) directly proves otherwise:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْقُدُّوسِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ شَبِيبٍ الْبَاهِلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَكَمُ بْنُ عُتَيْبَةَ، عَنْ مِقْسَمٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ لَمَّا مَاتَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ ابْنُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ وَقَالَ “ إِنَّ لَهُ مُرْضِعًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَلَوْ عَاشَ لَكَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَبِيًّا . وَلَوْ عَاشَ لَعَتَقَتْ أَخْوَالُهُ الْقِبْطُ وَمَا اسْتُرِقَّ قِبْطِيٌّ ” .
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “Then Ibrahim the son of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed and said: ‘He has a wet-nurse in Paradise, and if he had lived he would have been a Siddiq and a Prophet. If he had lived his maternal uncles, the Egyptians, would have been set free and no Egyptian would ever have been enslaved.”
Hadith Explained – Prophethood is Open
This Hadith is yet another clear sigh that prophethood remains open, and that if the Holy Prophet’s (SAW) son, Ibrahim (AS), had lived, he would have been raised as a truthful prophet. The Hadith is also in line with the Qur’an, which itself speaks of the possibility for believers to be raised among the truthful, the martyrs, the righteous, and the prophets (An-Nisa 4:69). If someone denies this promise of Allah, they are denying his Word. Are we to believe that Allah would offer a spiritual rank He never intends to bestow again?
Furthermore, some non-Ahmadis argue that Allah caused Ibrahim (AS) to pass away specifically because the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was the last prophet. But such a claim is not only illogical, it borders on irreverent. Would a sincere believer suggest that Allah the All-Knowing and Almighty, God forbid, forgot that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was Khatamun Nabiyyin and accidentally sent a son who would become a prophet, only to then end his life prematurely? This reasoning is deeply flawed and is clear blasphemy against Allah.
Furthermore, if finality of prophethood in the absolute sense was meant here, the Holy Prophet (SAW) could have simply said, “Even if my son lived, he would not have been a prophet because I am the last.” But he said no such thing even though he could have because why wouldn’t Prophet (SAW) mention it explicitly if he was the last prophet in the literal sense. Instead, he affirmed that Ibrahim would have indeed been a prophet, proving that the Holy Prophet’s (SAW) own understanding of Khatamun Nabiyyin aligns exactly with the Ahmadiyya interpretation: that a prophet can come, provided he remains completely subordinate to the teachings of Holy Prophet (SAW).
This is vey different from the rigid interpretation presented by the Anti-Ahmadis. On one hand, they claim that no prophet, even the Prophet (SAW) son cannot be a Prophet, yet at the same time they believe that Isa Ibn Maryam (AS), a prophet of Bani Israel over 2,000 years ago will physically descend in the latter days. If prophethood is truly closed for everyone, including the Prophet (SAW) son, how can an old prophet return? If the door is truly closed, you can’t bring someone from inside the room back out through it!
Anti-Ahmadi Allegation
Hadith is weak.
Views of Hadith Scholars
Ibn Hajar Asqalani (ra) is regarded as one of the foremost Hadith scholars by non-Ahmadis. If he has declared a Hadith to be authentic (sahih), how can anyone dismiss it without presenting any valid evidence?
Mullah Ali Qari, another famous muhaddith denies the claims that this hadith is weak. He furthermore, proves the prophethood views of Ahmadi Muslims:
“There are some who claim that this hadith is maudu or weak. However, this hadith is not weak, because it is narrated from three different chains, each of which strengthen each other”
“[….] This Hadith does not contradict the word of Allah on khatamun nabiyyin. For the meaning of khatamun nabiyyin is that no prophet can come after the Holy Prophet(saw) who abrogates the law of the Holy Prophet(saw) and is from outside his ummah”(Maudu-at-e-Kabir, page 58-59)
Further Ibn Hajar Haythami(ra) states:
Hadrat Imam Suyuti (rh) has mentioned that the narration as it has reached us through Hadrat Anas is authentic, that someone inquired of him that did the Holy Prophet (sa) make the statement ‘Had Ibrahim (as) remained alive, he would have been a truthful prophet,’ in response to a question posed by someone? Hadrat Anas (ra) responded, I am unaware as to whether the Holy Prophet (sa) made this statement in response to a question, but may the mercy of Allah be upon Ibrahim, for if he had remained alive, he would have been a truthful prophet.”
(Al Fatawa Al Hadithiyya page 150)
Indeed it is clear that this hadith is sahih and shows that a prophet can indeed come as the Prophet himself prophesied in countless of ahadith.