Hadith – Is Prophethood terminated?

Introduction

إِنَّ الرِّسَالَةَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ قَدِ انْقَطَعَتْ فَلاَ رَسُولَ بَعْدِي وَلاَ نَبِيَّ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَشَقَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ لَكِنِ الْمُبَشِّرَاتُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا الْمُبَشِّرَاتُ قَالَ ‏”‏ رُؤْيَا الْمُسْلِمِ وَهِيَ جُزْءٌ مِنْ أَجْزَاءِ النُّبُوَّةِ

Anas bin Malik narrated:

“The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: ‘Indeed Messenger-ship and Prophethood have been terminated, so there shall be no Messenger after me, nor a Prophet.‘” He(Anas) said:”The people were concerned about that, so he (s.a.w) said: ‘But there will be Mubash-shirat.’ So they said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! What is Mubash-shirat?’ He said: ‘The Muslim’s dreams, for it is a portion of the portions of Prophethood.'”

[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2272]

This narration is used by non-Ahmadi Muslims to prove that since both Prophethood and Messengership have been terminated, no one after the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) will be made a prophet.

Explanation

Firstly, this interpretation is not only against the Quran and ahadith but also against the understanding of the Sahaba and Muslim scholars. Ibn Abbas (R.A) explains that Muhammad (S.A.W) said these words during his illness after which he eventually passed away and that this was referring specifically in relation to his own prophethood i.e there are no more prophetic revelations for him. No more Quran will be revealed after this. It does not include future prophethoods.

This is detailed in the commentary of the same hadith in Bukhari 6990 by Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani (RH):

وَاللَّامُ فِي النُّبُوَّةِ لِلْعَهْدِ وَالْمُرَادُ نُبُوَّتُهُ وَالْمَعْنَى لَمْ يَبْقَ بَعْدَ النُّبُوَّةِ الْمُخْتَصَّةِ بِي إِلَّا الْمُبَشِّرَاتُ

“The prophethood under reference here is his i.e. the Holy Prophet’s particular prophethood and it means that nothing will remain of his particular prophethood except mubashirat (true visions)… It was also reported in the Hadith of Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that during his terminal illness.“

[Fath al-Bari, vol 12, pg 321]

Secondly, even Imam Tirmidhi (R.H) grades this hadith as Sahih Ghareeb i.e. authentic but unique. This is because the same hadith is found in many books, even Bukhari 6990 but only this version is found with a unique wording that the prophet has been “terminated”. Other versions of the hadith are simple and straightforward.

“Nothing is left of the prophetism except Al-Mubashshirat.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 6990]

Thus, this confirms the meaning Ibn Abbas (RA) and Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani (RH) explained.

Thirdly, the hadith proves the continuation of a specific type of prophethood in the form of mubashiraat, a portion of prophethood. Thus, if a portion of prophethood continues, how can one say it is wholly terminated?

Fourthly, non-Ahmadi Muslims reduce the importance of Mubashirat by labeling it as merely true dreams. But they forget that Ayesha (RA) has called it Wahi (الْوَحْىِ).

Moreover, Muhammad (S.A.W) started receiving the glad tidings of his prophethood through mubashiraat i.e Roya (رُؤْيَا). If the best of the Prophet (S.A.W) was made a prophet through mubashiraat, then anyone after him can be appointed to the station of a prophet similarly.

أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ أَوَّلُ مَا بُدِئَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ الْوَحْىِ الرُّؤْيَا الصَّادِقَةُ فِي النَّوْمِ

Narrated `Aisha:
The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was in the form of good righteous (true) dreams in his sleep.

[Sahih al-Bukhari 6982]

Fifthly, the non-Ahmadis claim that revelation (wahi) has ended and only true dreams are left, then how come we have narrations upon narrations of Sahaba and the pious Muslim scholars receiving Wahi? For example, numerous Sahaba received a revelation at the time of burying Prophet Muhammad (SAW):

حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّهُ بَلَغَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم تُوُفِّيَ يَوْمَ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَدُفِنَ يَوْمَ الثُّلاَثَاءِ وَصَلَّى النَّاسُ عَلَيْهِ أَفْذَاذًا لاَ يَؤُمُّهُمْ أَحَدٌ . فَقَالَ نَاسٌ يُدْفَنُ عِنْدَ الْمِنْبَرِ . وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ يُدْفَنُ بِالْبَقِيعِ . فَجَاءَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ” مَا دُفِنَ نَبِيٌّ قَطُّ إِلاَّ فِي مَكَانِهِ الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ ” . فَحُفِرَ لَهُ فِيهِ فَلَمَّا كَانَ عِنْدَ غُسْلِهِ أَرَادُوا نَزْعَ قَمِيصِهِ فَسَمِعُوا صَوْتًا يَقُولُ لاَ
تَنْزِعُوا الْقَمِيصَ فَلَمْ يُنْزَعِ الْقَمِيصُ وَغُسِّلَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم .

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died on Monday and was buried on Tuesday and people prayed over him individually with no one leading them. Some people said that he would be buried near the minbar, and others said that he would be buried in al-Baqi. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq came and said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘No prophet was ever buried except in the place where he died.’ “So a grave was dug for him there. When he was about to be washed they wished to take off his shirt but they heard a voice saying “Don’t take off his shirt,” so they did not take off his shirt and he was washed with it on, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

[Mutawwa Malik, Book 16, Hadith 27]
[Sunan Ibn Majah 1466]
[Sunan Abi Dawud 3141]

For more narrations, check out our other article.

Sixthly, the hadith says “There is no prophet after me”. The word ba’adi is a reference in 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 rank cannot come after Muhammad (S.A.W). What kind of prophet is it? A law-bearing prophet i.e a prophet who brings a new law or shariah. This is the same explanation of numerous Muslim scholars of the past:

Conclusion

In short, instead of proving that the prophethood has ended, this hadith proves the opposite. It proves that a part of prophethood is open till the Day of Judgement and it is called Mubashiraat i.e true dreams/visions.

Moreover, the “There is no prophet after me” means that there will be no prophet of the same status as Muhammad (S.A.W). Furthermore, it can also mean that there is no prophet immediately after his death since Khilafat will succeed him, then 30 dajjal. After these two events have happened, Allah will send the Messiah, who is a prophet of Allah.