View of Scholars – Khataman Nabiyyin

Introduction

While some non-Ahmadis allege that the Ahmadi Muslims reject the verse of Khataman Nabiyyin, others allege that we have a heretical interpretation of the verse. Both of these statements are entirely false.

In this article,

• We will show how their own scholars understood the verse of Khataman Nabiyyin exactly how we understand.
• We will also show how their scholars believe that La Nabiyya Ba’di means that no prophet will come that will abrogate the Shariah of Islam.
• Lastly, we will prove that Khataman Nabiyyin is a title of the superiority of Muhammad (SAW) and does not merely say that he was the last prophet ever.

Twitter thread:

Imam Hazrat ibn Qutaibah (d. 267H)

وليس هذا من قولها ناقضا لقول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: لا نبي بعدي، لأنه أراد لا نبي بعدي ينسخ ما جئت به

“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. 236]

Hakim al-Tirmidhi (d. 318H)

Note, this is not the same person who compiled the hadith collection, Jamiah Tirmidhi.

فإن الذي عَمِيَ عن خبرِ هذا يظنّ أن خاتم النبيين تأويله أنه آخرهم مبعثا. فأي منقبة في هذا؟ وأي علم في هذا؟ هذا تأويل البُلْهِ الجَهَلة

“According to us, it means that prophethood manifested itself in its full and complete manner in the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him . His heart became a vessel for the complete perfection of prophethood an d then hisheart was sealed. How can the glory and superiority of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, be manifested if we claim that he was the last to appear in the world. This is, no doubt, an interpretation of the foolish and the ignorant.”

[‘Khatam ul Auliya’, pg. 31]

Abdul Karim al-Qushayri (d. 464H)

He agrees that obedience to the Prophet (SAW) can lead to the station of prophethood.

[4:70] That is bounty from God. God suffices as Knower.

He made obedience to the Chosen One (al-Mustafa) the key to attaining the stations of the prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs in a manner that is suitable for the community and appropriate for the high rank of [the Prophet] .

[Laṭāʾif al-Ishārāt, pg 416]

Ibn ʿArabī (d. 637H)

Ibn Arabi also explains there will be no prophet after Muhammad (SAW) that will abrogate his Shariah as it is a complete and final law.

فإن النبوة التي انقطعت بوجود رسول الله إنما هي نبوة التشريع لا مقامها، فلا شرع يكون ناسخاً لشرعه ، ولا يزيد في حكمه شرعاً آخر، وهذا معنى قوله : (إِنَّ الرسالة والنبوة قد انْقَطَعَتْ فَلا رَسُولَ بَعْدِي ولا نبي أي لا نبي بعدي يكون على شرع يخالف شرعي، بل إذا كان يكون تحت حكم شريعتي، ولا رسول أي لا رسول بعدي إلى أحد من خلق الله يشرع يدعوهم إليه، فهذا هو الذي انقطع وسدّ بابه لا مقام النبوة

That the Prophethood that ended by the Holy Prophet (SAW) is only a law bearing prophethood … Therefore, no law can come to abrogate the Shariah of Prophet (SAW), nor add any command to it, and this is the meaning of the saying of Prophet (SAW) that prophethood and messengership has been terminated. “لا رَسُولَ بَعْدِي ولا نبي” i.e no prophet can come after me who is on another Shariah other than mine. But yes, a prophet can come in such a case that he comes under the command of my Shariah…

[Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya, vol. 3, pg. 6]

فما ارتفعت النبوة بالكلية، ولهذا قلنا: إنما ارتفعت نبوة التشريع، فهذا معنى لا نبي بعده، وكذلك من حفظ القرآن فقد أدرجت النبوة بين جنبيه فقد قامت به النبوة بلا شك فعلمنا أن قوله : لا نبي بعده أي لا مشرع . يكون بعده نبي، فهذا مثل قوله : إذا هلك كسرى فلا كسرى بعده، وإذا هلك قيصر فلا قيصر بعده

That prophethood has not been taken away completely. That is why I said that only law bearing prophethood has ended and this is the meaning of لا نبي بعده. Thus, I have understood that the purpose of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) saying لا نبي بعده and it is in the same meaning that no one will one will be after me who brings a new Shariah because there is no prophet after Muhammad (SAW). It is exactly same as the Prophet (SAW) saying that after this Khosrau dies, there will be no Khosrau after him and after the Caesar dies, there will be no Caesar after him.

[Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya, vol. 3, pg. 88]

فَالنُّبُوَّةُ سَارِيَةٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فِي الْخَلْقِ وَإِنْ كَانَ التَّشْرِيعُ قَدِ انْقَطَعَ فَالتَّشْرِيعُ جُزْءٌ مِنْ أَجْزَاءِ النُّبُوَّةِ

Prophethood will continue until the Day of Judgement, although, the bringing of a new Shariah (law) has ended. Thus, the bringing of Sharia (law) is one part among the many parts of prophethood.

[Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya, vol. 3, pg. 135]

Rumi (d. 671H)

The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him was the Khatam because no one had ever been like him, before, nor shall there be one after him. When an artist excels others in art, do not say “The art has ended with you.”

[Miftah ul Ulum, vol. 15, pg. 56-57]

حضرت مولانا روشی لکھتے ہیں:۔ محسن خدمت کی راہ میں تدبیر کرو تا کہ تم امتی ہو کر نبوت کے کمالات پاؤ۔ کیونکہ اے مرید اوہ مر شد کامل) اپنے عہد کا نبی ہے۔ اس لئے کہ وہ صاف طور پر نبی کا نور ہے۔

Strive hard in the path of virtue in a manner so that you may be blessed with prophethood while you are still a follower.

[Miftah ul Ulum, vol.13, pg. 98,152]

Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728H)

Ibn Taymiyyah also explains that the meaning of Khatam al-Rusul is that there will be no prophet after Muhammad (SAW) that will abrogate his Shariah as it is a complete and final law.

كما نصر الله محمدا على أعدائه، وقال فى كل الدهور سلطانه كامل ليس له فداء، وهذا صفة خاتم الرسل الذى لا يأتي بعده نبي ينسخ شرعه وسلطانه بالحجة واليد كامل لا يحتاج فيه إلى الاستعانة بشرع آخر، وشرعه ثابت باق إلى آخر الشهر

[Al-Jawāb al-Ṣaḥīḥ li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh, pg 500]

Abd al-Karim al-Jili bin Ibrahim Jillani (d. 831H)

Jili was a descendant of the Sufi saint Abdul Qadir Gilani, the founder of the Qadiriyya dervish order.

فَانْقَطَعَ حُكْمُ النُّبُوَّةِ التَّشْرِيْعِ بَعْدَهُ وَكَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَاتَمَ النبيين

The command of Law bearing Prophethood ended with the Prophet (SAW). Thus, this is why Prophet (SAW) is called Khataman Nabiyyin.

[Al-Insan-ul-Kamil, pg. 120]

Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf Sanūsī (d. 890H)

قوله: (خاتم النبيين) ، بكسر التاء وفتحها، أي آخرهم بحيث لا نبي بعده، ويلزم منه أن لا رسول بعده؛ لأن النبي أعم من الرسول ونفي الأعم يستلزم نفي الأخص، ولا يعترض بنزول عِيسَى عليه السلام آخر الزمان؛ لأنه إنما ينزل على أنه ناصر تشرع سيدنا ومولانا محمد

[Aqīdah al-wusṭá wa-sharḥuhā, pg. 31]

Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 910)

قلنا: هذا الحديث بهذا اللفظ باطل

قال الزاعم: الدليل حديث لا نبي بعدي

قلنا: يا مسكين لا دلالة على هذا الحديث بوجه من الوجوه لأن المراد : لا يحدث بعدي نبي بشرع ينسخ شرعي. كما فسره بذلك ثم يقال لهذا الزاعم : هل أنت آخذ بظاهر الحديث فإن هذا يلزمك أحد أمرين: اما نفي نزول عيسى عليه السلام ، أو نفي النبوة عنه ، وكلاهما كفر

What is meant is that “No prophet will come after me” with a Shariah that abrogates the Shariah [of Islam]…

Then this claimant will be asked: do you take this hadith literally and disagree with our interpretation? Then, you must choose one of two options-either deny Jesus’s descent or deny his prophethood when he descends. Both options are deemed to be kufr!

[Nuzūl ʿĪsā ibn Maryam ākhir al-zamān, pg 53]

Mujaddad Alf Thani (d. 971H)

“Following the advent of Hazrat Muhammad, the Chosen One, the Seal of the Prophets(sa), the attainment of the attributes of prophethood by his followers as subordinate or by way of inheritance, will in no way conflict with his status as the Seal of the Prophets. So do not be amongst the doubters.”

[Maktubat Imam Rabbani, Book 1, Maktub no. 301, vol. 2, p. 775]

Hazrat Imam ‘Abdul-Wahhab Sha’rani (d. 976H)

“نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي وَلَا رَسُولَ الْمُرَادُ بِهِ لَا مُشَرَعَ بَعْدِي”

“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 Al-Qari (d. 1013H)

Huge Imam of the Ahnaaf

ومع هذا لو عاش إبراهيم وصار نبيا، وكذا لو صار عمر نبيا لكانا من أتباعه عليه الصلاة والسلام كعيسى والخضر وإلياس عليهم السلام. فلا يناقض قولَه تعالى: (وخاتم النبيين) إذ المعنى أنه لا يأتي نبي بعده ينسخ ملته ولم يكن من أمته

Had Ibrahim lived and become a prophet, and likewise had Umar become a prophet they would be follower prophets of the Holy Prophet , peace and blesings of Allah be upon him, like Isa, Khidar and Ilyas upon whom all be peace. It does not contradict the divine word ‘Khataman Nabiyyeen’ which means that there shall not be a prophet abrogating his law nor one who was not of his Ummah.

[Al-Asrar Al-Marfu’a Fil-Akhbar Al-Mawdu’a, pg. 183]

Shah Waliyyullah Muhaddith Dehlavi (d. 1175H)

He is also a Mujaddid (reformer) of the 12th century and respected by almost everyone (Barelwis, Deobandis, Ahl-e-Hadith, Najdis, and Ahmadis)

فعلِمنا بقوله عليه الصلاة والسلام: لا نبي بعدي ولا رسول، وأن النبوة قد انقطعت والرسالة، إنما يريد بها التشريع

“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]

وخُتم به النبييون.. أي لا يوجد من يأمره الله سبحانه بالتشريع على الناس

“The closing of prophethood with the Holy Prophet^saw means that there can be no divinely inspired reformer after him who would be commissioned with a new law by Allah”

[Tafheemat-e-Ilahiyya, vol. 2, pg. 85]

Isma’il Haqqi al-Burusawi (d. 1137H)

Isma’il Haqqi al-Burusawi quoting Ibn Askar (d. 606H)

والمراد بقوله عليه السلام في الحديث : «والعاقب الذي ليس بعده نبي : لا يبعث بعده نبي ينسخ شريعته

The meaning of the hadith والعاقب الذي ليس بعده نبي (There is no prophet after me) is that no prophet will come after that will abrogate the Shariah [of Muhammad (SAW)].

[Tafsir Ruh al-Bayan, vol. 8, p. 271]

Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rasul al-Barzanji (d. 1103H)

In his Sharh of Mishkat al-Masabih, he writes

ورد “لا نبي بعدي” ومعناه عند العلماء أنه لا يحدث بعده نبي بشرع ينسخ شرعه

According to the Ulema, the meaning of the hadith لا نبي بعدي (There is no prophet after me) is that there will no prophet will be given a Shariah that abrogates the Shariah of Muhammad (SAW).

[Isha’ah li-Ashrat al-Sa’ah, pg. 139]

Maulana Qasim Nanotwi (d. 1297H)

Founder of the Deoband Movement.

سو عوام کے خیال میں تو رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کا خاتم ہونا بایں معنی ہے کہ آپ کا زمانہ انبیاء سابق کے زمانے کے بعد اور آپ سب میں آخری نبی ہیں مگر اہل فہم پر روشن ہوگا کہ تقدم و تاخر زمانی میں بالذات کچھ فضیلت نہیں۔ پھر مقام مدح میں وَلكِن رَّسُولَ اللهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ فرمانا اس صورت میں کیوں کر صحیح ہو سکتا ہے۔

According to the layman, the Prophet (SAW), being the KHATAM (seal) means that he must have appeared after all the previous prophets and that he is the last prophet. But men of understanding and the wise know it very well that being the first or the last, chronologically, does not carry any weight. How could, therefore, the words of the Holy Qura’n: ”But he is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the Prophets” (33:41) glorify him? But I know very well that none from among the Muslims would be prepared to agree with the common men.

[Tahzir un Nas, 14]

اگر بالفرض بعد زمانہ نبوی ﷺ بھی کوئی نبی پیدا ہو تو پھر بھی خاتمیت محمدیؐ میں کچھ فرق نہ آئے گا

Rather, if, hypothetically, after the time of the Prophet (SAW) another Prophet is born, even then it will make no difference to the Khaatamiyyat-e-Muhammadi (Seal of Prophethood of Muhammad) – similarly if another Prophet is his contemporary in another Earth, or even on this Earth another Prophet is made.

[Tahzir un Nas, 63]

Allama Abdul Hayee al-Lucknowi (d.1304)

Maulvi Abdul Hayee Lucknowi Firangi Mahali¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abd_al-Hayy_al-Lucknawi was a giant among the Ulema of the Ahnaaf residing in India. He was a supporter of Qasim Nanotvi, He Supported Tehzeer un Naas and wrote a book on the same topic. The Deobandi and Nadwi schools of thought particularly respect him.

He wrote the treatise Dafi’ ul-Waswas in order to defend the controversial Athar of Ibn Abbas (R.A):

سَبْعَ أَرْضِينَ ، فِي كُلِّ أَرْضٍ نَبِيٌّ كَنَبِيِّكُمْ ، وَآدَمُ كَآدَمَ ، وَنُوحٌ كَنُوحٍ ، وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ كَإِبْرَاهِيمَ ، وَعِيسَى كَعِيسَى

“There are Seven Earths, in each Earth there is a Prophet like your Prophet (Muhammad), an Adam like Adam, a Noah like Noah, an Abraham like Abraham, and a Jesus like Jesus.”

Maulvi Abdul Hayy, like Qasim Nanautawi (Founder of Deoband) staunchly defended this saying attributed to Sayyidina Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) even though Muhaditheen (scholars of Hadith) consider it as Shaadh (an oddity in the terminology of Hadith science).

The Deobandis in particular passionately defend this Athar and believe in its contents whole-heartedly, while other sects reject it.

One of the objections made against this Athar by those who deny it is that it contradicts the Holy Qur’an’s pronouncement that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the Khaatam an-Nabiyyeen (Seal of the Prophets) so there can not be any prophet after him.

بعد آنحضرت کے یا زمانے میں آنحضرت کے مجرد کسی نبی کا ہونا محال نہیں بلکہ صاحب شرع جدید ہونا البتہ منع ہے۔

After the demise of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, or even during his own lifetime, it is not an impossibility for someone to be exalted to the position of a simple prophet. But a prophet with a new Law is, indeed, forbidden.

[Dafi Ul Waswas Fi Asr E Ibn E Abbas, pg. 12]

علمائے اہل سنت بھی اس امر کی تصدیق کرتے ہیں کہ آنحضرت صلعم کے عصر میں کوئی نبی صاحب شرع جدیدہ نہیں ہو سکتا اور نبوت آپ کی تمام مکلفین کو شامل ہے اور جو نبی آپ کے ہمعصر ہو گا۔ پس ہر تقدیر بعثت محمد یہ عام ہے۔

The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah also confirm that no Prophet after Prophet Muhammad (SAW) could bring a new Shariah…

[Dafi Ul Waswas Fi Asr E Ibn E Abbas, pg. 3]

Ulemā Ahle Sunnat also subscribe to the view that following the advent of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be on him) no law-bearing prophet can come. The prophethood of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be on him) is wide in scope. Any prophet who would now come would be from the ummah and follow his sharī‘ah”

[Maulvi Abdul Haye, Majmū‘ah Fatā’wā, Volume 1, Page 17]

The position of Maulawi Abdul Hayy al-Hanafi of Farangi Mahal is identical to the belief of the Ahmadiyya Jam’aah; There is the possibility of a Prophet to appear after the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) provided such a prophet is a follower of the Shari’ah of Muhammad and not bringing his own Shari’ah (Law).

Maulana Abdul Hayee Lakhanwee was also asked if a prophet could come from among Indian Subcontinent (mard-e-Hindi) or Afghans who support Muhammad (SAW) and refutes the Christian doctrines and books.

He replied: Yes, It is allowed!

[Majmua al Fatawa Abdul Hayee Lucknowi page 112]

Nawab Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān (d. 1307H)

One of the most famous Salafi scholar.

مردودة بقوله تعالى ( وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّنَ )، وبقوله : (لا نبي بعدي) وبإجماع المسلمين أنه لا نبي بعد نبينا وأن شريعته مؤبدة إلى يوم القيامة لا تنسخ وهذا استدلال فاسد لأنه ليس المراد بنزول عيسى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أنه ينزل نبيا بشرع ينسخ شرعنا،

[Al-Siraj Al-Wahhaj Fi Kashf Matalib Muslim Bin Al-Hajjaj Sharh Mukhtasar Sahih Muslim Li Al- Hafiz Al-Mundhiri, vol.2, pg. 296]

Nūrul Ḥasan Khān (d. 1335H)

The famous and well-known religious leader of the Ahl-e-Hadith(Salafi), Nawab Siddiq Hassan Khan’s son, Nūrul Hassan Khan Ṣāḥib, who was also a prominent Islāmic scholar of his time states in his book, Iqtirab al-Sa’ah:

“The Hadees “La Wahi b’ada Mautee” has no foundation, although “La Nabiyya Ba’adee” is quite correct, which, according to the people of knowledge, means there shall be no prophet after me who shall bring an abrogating divine system of law.”

[Iqtarabus Sa’at, p.162]

The position of the real Ahlus Sunnati wal Jama’ah concerning Khatam an-Nubuwwah, since time immemorial has been that after Prophet Muhammad (SAW) the advent of law-bearing Prophets is forever terminated and now impossible, but the advent of Prophets who are in obedience and compliance with his Shari’ah has never been ruled out.

Salafi/Najdi scholars (Modern day)

These include notable scholars like Shaykh Abdul-Aziz bin ‘Abdullah bin Baz, Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih Al- Uthaimin, and Shaykh Abdullah bin Abdur-Rahman Al-Jibreen.

There is no contradiction between his descent and the fact that our Prophet. Muhammad is the Last of the Prophets, since ‘Isa will not bring a new Law and the Judgement belongs to Allah, from first to last; He does as He wills and He judges as He wishes, and there is no appeal against His Judgement, for He is the All-Powerful, Most Wise.

[Fatawa Islamiyah, vol 1, pg 307]

Mahmud Khattab al-Subki (d. 1352)

مردودة بقوله تعالى ( وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّنَ )، وبقوله : (لا نبي بعدي) وبإجماع المسلمين أنه لا نبي بعد نبينا وأن شريعته مؤبدة إلى يوم القيامة لا تنسخ وهذا استدلال فاسد لأنه ليس المراد بنزول عيسى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أنه ينزل نبيا بشرع ينسخ شرعنا،

[Ad Deen Al Khalis, vol. 1, pg. 95]

Sayyid Ḥusayn Bāghajawān

مردودة بقوله تعالى ( وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّنَ )، وبقوله : (لا نبي بعدي) وبإجماع المسلمين أنه لا نبي بعد نبينا وأن شريعته مؤبدة إلى يوم القيامة لا تنسخ وهذا استدلال فاسد لأنه ليس المراد بنزول عيسى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أنه ينزل نبيا بشرع ينسخ شرعنا،

[شيخ الإسلام ابن كمال باشا وآراؤه الاعتقادية]

[Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Kamāl Bāshā wa-ārā’uhu al-i‘tiqādīyah, pg. 436]

Muhammed Maftuhin Tamini

قال الأشقر في القيامة الصغرى: “يقول النووي في رده على المكذبين بنزول عيســى الزاعمين أن نزوله لو كان حقاً فإنّه يكون مناقضاً لقوله عليه السلام: لا نبي بعدي، وأنه يكون بذلك ناسخاً لشرع الرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلّم. هذا الاستدلال فاسد، لأنه ليس المراد بنزول عيسى عليه السلام أنّه ينزل نبياً بشرع ينسخ

[Ra’i al Jama’a fi Bayan Aqida al-Suwad al-A’dham min al-Ummah, vol.1 pg. 99]

Ahmad ibn ‘Imād Aqfahsī

لا ني بعدي وبإجماع المسلمين أنه لا بعد نبينا وأن شريعته مؤيدة إلى يوم القيامة لا تنسخ وهذا استدلال فاسد لأنه ليس المراد بنزول عيسى عليه السلام أنه ينزل نبيا بشرع ينسخ شرعنا ولا في هذه الأحاديث ولا في غيرها شيء من هذا بل صحت هذه الأحاديث هنا، وما سبق في كتب الإيمان وغيرها أنه ينزل حكماً مقسطاً بحكم شرعنا ويحيى من أمور شرعنا ما هجره الناس

[Kashf al-asrār ‘ammā khafiya ‘an al-afkār, pg. 68]