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Sunnis don’t believe in Khatme Nabuwat

31 Oct, 2022 Khataman Nabiyyin

Introduction

مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَآ أَحَدٖ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٗا

Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah has full knowledge of all things.

[Quran 33:40]

Sunni Muslims interpret the above verse to mean that Muhammad (S.A.W) is the last prophet, and they often allege that Ahmadi Muslims deny this verse of the Holy Quran because they believed in a prophet after him (S.A.W). On the contrary, it is the Sunnis themselves, that deny this verse that says Muhammad (S.A.W) is the Seal of the prophets. Moreover, they also deny many of the hadiths that state “La Nabiyya ba’di” which translates to “No prophet after me”. Ahadith like:

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]

كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءُ، كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِيٌّ، وَإِنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي، وَسَيَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَيَكْثُرُونَ‏.‏ قَالُوا فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا قَالَ فُوا بِبَيْعَةِ الأَوَّلِ فَالأَوَّلِ، أَعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهُمْ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ ‏

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]

How Sunnis don’t believe in Khatme Nabuwat

Sunnis don’t believe in Khatme Nabuwat because they await the coming of Isa (A.S), after Muhammad (S.A.W) which would make him (A.S) the last prophet, instead of Muhammad (S.A.W). This contradicts the Sunni interpretation of verse 33:40 and the clear hadiths mentioned above where he says “There is no prophet after me”.

Isa (A.S)’s arrival according to the Sunni beliefs would make him the:

  1. Last prophet to be sent by Allah
  2. Last prophet to perform his mission
  3. Last prophet to teach people
  4. Last prophet to live
  5. Last prophet to die

When Isa (A.S) is the last prophet in almost every single manner, how can Sunnis claim to believe that Muhammad (S.A.W) is the last prophet?

There are two main takeaways from this:

  1. Sunnis are choosing the method of interpretation that aligns mostly with their narrative and to do this, they must have strong evidence from Quran and hadith.
  2. Sunnis do not interpret verse 33:40 and “no prophet after me” hadiths to believe Muhammad (S.A.W) as the absolute last prophet. They deny the true essence of the Quran verse and the hadiths by interpreting it to mean he was the last prophet only in the sense that he was the last to receive prophethood.

How do Sunnis answer this contradiction in their beliefs?

Sunnis have a few ways in which they try to justify this contradiction in their beliefs. Examples of this are:

  1. Isa (A.S) won’t be a prophet upon his coming.
  2. Isa (A.S) won’t be a new prophet.
  3. Isa (A.S) won’t get revelation.
  4. Isa (A.S) will be a follower of Muhammad (S.A.W). (will not bring shariah)

There are clear problems with these justifications:

1) Won’t be a prophet upon his 2nd coming:

The idea that Isa (A.S) won’t be a prophet upon his coming is disproven by the following hadiths which clearly mention the descent of Isa (A.S) as a prophet.

الْيَوْمَ فَيَرْغَبُ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ عِيسَى وَأَصْحَابُهُ فَيُرْسِلُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهُمُ النَّغَفَ فِي رِقَابِهِمْ فَيُصْبِحُونَ فَرْسَى كَمَوْتِ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ ثُمَّ يَهْبِطُ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ عِيسَى وَأَصْحَابُهُ إِلَى الأَرْضِ فَلاَ يَجِدُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ مَوْضِعَ شِبْرٍ إِلاَّ مَلأَهُ زَهَمُهُمْ وَنَتْنُهُمْ فَيَرْغَبُ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ عِيسَى وَأَصْحَابُهُ إِلَ

“…and Allah’s Apostle, Jesus, and his companions would supplicate Allah, Who would send to them insects (which would attack their necks) and in the morning they would perish like one single person. Allah’s Apostle, Jesus, and his companions would then come down to the earth and they would not find in the earth as much space as a single span which is not filled with their putrefaction and stench. Allah’s Apostle, Jesus, and his companions would then again beseech Allah,…”

[Sahih Muslim 2937a]

Narrated Abu Hurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: There is no prophet between me and him, that is, Jesus (ﷺ). He will descend (to the earth). When you see him, recognise him: a man of medium height, reddish fair, wearing two light yellow garments, looking as if drops were falling down from his head though it will not be wet. He will fight the people for the cause of Islam. He will break the cross, kill swine, and abolish jizyah. Allah will perish all religions except Islam. He will destroy the Antichrist and will live on the earth for forty years and then he will die. The Muslims will pray over him.

[Sunan Abi Dawud 4324]

Imam Suyuti (RH) further says that whoever denies that Isa (AS) will not be a prophet on his second coming has done Kufr.

فيلزمك عليه أحد أمرين : إما نفي نزول عيسى أو نفي النبوة عنه وكلاهما كفر؟

Whoever says He Will not be a prophet, he has committed kufr.

[al-Hawi li al-fatawi, pg. 157]

2) Won’t be a new prophet:

The idea that Isa (A.S) won’t be a new prophet contradicts verses of the Quran and certain hadiths which prove that Isa (A.S) was sent ONLY to the Children of Israel and his mission was to confirm the Torah. As Sunnis believe that Isa (A.S) will rule by the Quran, he will need new prophethood which is based on the Quran rather than the Torah.

And ˹remember˺ when Jesus, son of Mary, said, “O children of Israel! I am truly Allah’s messenger to you, confirming the Torah which came before me, and giving good news of a messenger after me whose name will be Aḥmad.”1 Yet when the Prophet came to them with clear proofs, they said, “This is pure magic.”

[Quran 61:6]

and ˹make him˺ a messenger to the Children of Israel ˹to proclaim,˺ I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I will make for you a bird from clay, breathe into it,…

[Quran 3:49]

The verses above prove unequivocally that Isa (A.S) was sent as a messenger to the Children of Israel, not to the Muslim ummah as a follower of the Quran and the law of Muhammad (S.A.W). Below are some hadiths, which prove that Isa (A.S) was sent exclusively/only to the Children of Israel and cannot be sent to the Muslim ummah.

“…Every Prophet used to be sent to his nation only but I have been sent to all mankind.”

[Sahih Buhkari 335]

“…Every apostle was sent particularly to his own people, whereas I have been sent to all…”

[Sahih Muslim 521a]

“Every Prophet used to be sent to his nation exclusively but I have been sent to all mankind.”

[Sahih Buhkari 428]

After reading these verses of the Quran that say Isa (A.S) was sent as a messenger to the children of Israel and reading the hadiths that prove Isa (A.S) was sent only to the Children of Israel, how can Sunnis claim that Isa (A.S) will be sent to the Muslim ummah as a follower of the Quran and Shariah?

3) Won’t get revelation:

The idea that Muhammad (S.A.W) was the last prophet to receive revelation and that Isa (A.S) will not receive revelation after he descends is also another belief of the Sunnis that contradicts certain hadiths which prove that Isa (A.S) will receive revelation/Wahi from Allah (S.W.T) in the latter days.

“…people whom Allah had protected would come to Jesus, son of Mary, and he would wipe their faces and would inform them of their ranks in Paradise and it would be under such conditions that Allah would reveal to Jesus these words: I have brought forth from amongst My servants such people against whom none would be able to fight; you take these people safely…”

[Sahih Muslim 2937a]

There is another hadith that proves Isa (A.S) will receive revelation.

“…Then they asked ‘Eisa bin Maryam, and he said: ‘I have been assigned to some tasks before it happens.’ As for as when it will take place, no one knows that except Allah. Then he mentioned Dajjal and said: ‘I will descend and kill him, then the people will return to their own lands and will be confronted with Gog and Magog people, who will: “swoop down from every mound.”[21:96] They will not pass by any water but they will drink it…”

[Sunan Ibn Majah 4081]

Although there are some issues that render this hadith weak, which is explained HERE, Sunnis often quote it to prove Isa (A.S) will descend in the latter days to fight against the dajjal. What they don’t realize is that this hadith goes against their belief that Isa AS won’t receive revelation because, in the hadith, Isa AS is quoting verses of the Holy Quran, which proves that the verses of the Quran would have been revealed to him. Both these hadiths presented above prove Isa (A.S) will receive revelation, which dismantles the Sunni argument that revelation has ended after the death of Muhammad (S.A.W).

4) Isa (A.S) will be a follower of Muhammad (S.A.W):

The final argument Sunnis present to justify their position regarding Khatme Nabuwat is that they say Isa (A.S) will be coming as a follower of Muhammad (S.A.W) and won’t bring new revelation but will rather propagate the teachings of Islam. To support this, Sunnis provide certain hadiths mentioned below:

كَيْفَ أَنْتُمْ إِذَا نَزَلَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ فِيكُمْ وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said “How will you be when the son of Mary descends amongst you and is your imam among you.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3449]

Another hadith further elaborates on the phrase “is your imam among you” and makes it clear that the Latter-day Messiah would lead according to the Quran and the Sunnah of our beloved prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

كَيْفَ أَنْتُمْ إِذَا نَزَلَ فِيكُمُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ فَأَمَّكُمْ مِنْكُمْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ لاِبْنِ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ إِنَّ الأَوْزَاعِيَّ حَدَّثَنَا عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ‏”‏ وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ تَدْرِي مَا أَمَّكُمْ مِنْكُمْ قُلْتُ تُخْبِرُنِي ‏.‏ قَالَ فَأَمَّكُمْ بِكِتَابِ رَبِّكُمْ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى وَسُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكُمْ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed:

What would you do when the son of Mary would descend amongst you and would lead you as one amongst you? Ibn Abi Dhi’b on the authority of Abu Huraira narrated: Your leader amongst you. Ibn Abi Dhi’b said: Do you know what the words:” He would lead as one amongst you” mean? I said: Explain these to me. He said: He would lead you according to the Book of your: Lord (hallowed be He and most exalted) and the Sunnah of your Apostle (ﷺ).

[Sahih Muslim 155f]

These two hadiths clearly support the idea that the coming of the Messiah does not contradict the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad (S.A.W). Sunnis use this argument, but what they don’t realize is that Ahmadi Muslims also use the same exact argument. Ahmadi Muslims believe that the coming of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (A.S) does not contradict the finality of prophethood because he did not bring new revelation, but rather propagated the teachings of the Quran and Muhammad (S.A.W).

Reality of Khatme Nabuwat

After reading this article it should be clear, that the only way to reconcile the coming of the latter-day messiah with the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad (S.A.W) is to uphold Muhammad (S.A.W) as the last law-bearing prophet, meaning the last prophet to bring a new religion and book and to believe that the Messiah will be a follower of Muhammad (S.A.W) and the Quran.

Another thing that should be clear from this article is that believing Muhammad (S.A.W) to be the last prophet in the absolute sense while also believing in the coming of the Messiah is contradictory to many hadiths and Quran verses and the only way to reconcile the two is to believe Muhammad (S.A.W) is the last law bearing prophet and the Messiah will be from his ummah.

Lastly, it can be seen that in reality, there is no difference between Ahmadi and Sunni Muslims when it comes to our understanding of Khatme Nabuwat. We both reconcile the coming of the Messiah with Khatme Nabuwat by saying the Messiah won’t come with a new law, but will rather be a follower of Muhammad (S.A.W)