Muslim Scholars Explain Khatam an-Nabiyyin

Introduction

Critics of Ahmadi Muslims make two contradictory claims about our beliefs. Some say we reject the Quranic verse “Khataman Nabiyyin” and the hadith “La Nabiyya Ba’adi” (no prophet after me). Others say we’ve invented our own twisted interpretation.

Both claims are completely false.

Here’s what happened: Early heretical groups like the Mutazilites and Jahmites rejected the idea that the Messiah would return in the latter days. Their argument? “The Quran says Muhammad ﷺ is the Seal of Prophets, and the hadith says there’s no prophet after him. So no prophet can ever come again.“

Islamic scholars had to respond to this denial. They clarified that “La Nabiyya Ba’adi” doesn’t mean no prophet will ever come. It means no prophet bringing a new law (Shari’a) will come after Muhammad ﷺ. This interpretation protects the Islamic belief in the Messiah’s return while still affirming that Muhammad ﷺ is the final law-bearing prophet.

This is exactly what Ahmadi Muslims believe today. On the other hand, the anti-Ahmadis are following the ways of the Jahmites and Mutazilites.

In this article,

• We will show how the scholars of Islam understood the verse about Khataman Nabiyyin
• We will also show how their scholars believe that La Nabiyya Ba’di means that no prophet will come that will abrogate the Shari’a of Islam.
• Lastly, we will prove that Khataman Nabiyyin is a title of the superiority of Muhammad (SAW)

Imam Hazrat ibn Qutaibah (d. 267H)

وأما قول عائشة ﵂:”قولوا لرسول الله ﷺ خاتم الأنبياء، ولا تقولوا لا نبي بعده”؛ فإنها تذهب إلى نزول عيسى ﵇، وليس هذا من قولها، ناقضا لقول النبي ﷺ:”لا نبي بعدي”لأنه أراد: لا نبي بعدي، ينسخ ما جئت به، كما كانت الأنبياء صلى الله عليهم وسلم تبعث بالنسخ، وأرادت هي:”لا تقولوا إن المسيح لا ينزل بعده”.

“As for the statement of Aisha ﵂: “Say that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the Seal of the Prophets, and do not say there is no prophet after him”; she is referring to the descent of Jesus. 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.

He critiques the simplistic interpretation that “خاتم النبيين” (Seal of the Prophets) merely means “the last to be sent” (آخرهم مبعثا). He argues that such an interpretation is shallow and does not capture the true spiritual significance of the title. He emphasizes that the true meaning is not simply chronological finality, but that prophethood reached its perfection and completion in the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and then was sealed—no further prophethood can arise because the reality and perfection of prophethood was fully manifested and completed in him. This is a deeper, spiritual interpretation, focusing on the qualitative finality and perfection, not just the order of appearance 

وأما الحجة، فكأنه يقول للأنبياء، عليهم السلام: معاشر الأنبياء، هذا محمد، جاء في آخر الزمان؛ ضعيف البدن، ضعيف القوة، ضعيف المعاش، قليل العمر. أتى بما قد ترون: من صدق العبودة، وغزارة المعرفة والعلم. وأنتم، في قواكم وأعماركم وأبدانكم، لم تأتوا بما أتى. ويكشف الغطاء عن الختم، فينقطع الكلام، وتصير الحجة على جميع خلقه، لأن الشيء المختوم محروس. وكذلك تدبير الله تعالى لنا في هذه الدنيا: أنه إذا وجد الشيء يختمه زال الشك وانقطع الخصام فيما بين الآدميين. فجمع الله تعالى أجزاء النبوة لمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وتممها له، وختم عليها بختمه. فلم تجد نفسه ولا عدوه سبيلا إلى ولوج موضع النبوة، من أجل ذلك الختم. ألا ترى إلى حديث الحسن البصري، رحمه الله، عن أنس بن مالك، رضي الله عنه، في حديث الشفاعة، عن رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم ، أنه قال: ((فإذا أتوا آدم، يسألونه أن يشفع لهم إلى ربه، قال لهم آدم: أرأيتم لو أن أحدكم جمع متاعه في غيبته ثم ختم عليها، فهل كان يؤتى المتاع إلا من قبل الختم؟ فأتوا محمدا، فهو خاتم النبيين)) ومعناه عندنا: أن النبوة تمت بأجمعها لمحمد، صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فجعل قلبه، لكمال النبوة، وعاء عليها، ثم ختم

ينبؤك (هذا)، أن الكتاب المحتوم والوعاء المختوم، ليس لأحد عليه سبيل، في الانتقاص منه، ولا بالازدياد فيه مما ليس منه. وأن سائر الأنبياء عليهم السلام، لم يختم لهم على قلوبهم، (فهم غير آمنين أن تجد) النفس سبيلا إلى ما فيها.

ولم يدع الله الحجة مكتومة، في باطن قلبه حتى أظهرها، فكان بين كتفيه، ذلك الختم، ظاهرا كبيضة حمامة. و(هذا) له شأن عظيم تطول قصته.

فإن الذي عمي عن خبر هذا، يظن أن ((خاتم النبيين)) تأويله أنه آخرهم مبعثا. فأي منقبة في هذا؟ وأي علم في هذا؟ تأويل البله، الجهلة!

وقرأ العامة ((خاتم)) بفتح التاء. وأما من قرأ من السلف بكسر التاء، فإنما تأويله أنه ((خاتم)) على معنى فاعل، أي: أنه ختم النبوة، بالذي أعطى من الختم. ومما يحقق ذلك، ما روي في حديث المعراج، من حديث أبي جعفر الرازي، عن الربيع بن أبي العالية فيما يذكر من مجتمع الأنبياء في المسجد الأقصى: ((فيذكر كل نبي منة الله عليه)). فكان من قول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، أنه قال: ((وجعلني خاتما وفاتحا. فقال إبراهيم، عليه السلام: بهذا فضلكم محمد))!.

“As for the proof, it is as if He is saying to the prophets (peace be upon them): “O assembly of prophets, this is Muhammad, who came at the end of time – weak in body, weak in strength, weak in livelihood, short in lifespan. He brought what you see: truthfulness in servitude, abundance of knowledge and learning. And you, with your strengths, lifespans, and bodies, did not bring what he brought.” Then the covering is removed from the seal, so speech is cut off, and the proof is established against all His creation, because the sealed thing is protected. Likewise, Allah’s arrangement for us in this world is that when something is found to be sealed, doubt is removed and dispute is cut off among human beings.

So Allah gathered the components of prophethood for Muhammad (peace be upon him), completed them for him, and sealed them with His seal. Thus neither his soul nor his enemy found any way to enter the place of prophethood, because of that seal. Do you not see the hadith of al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him), from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), in the hadith of intercession, from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), that he said: “When they come to Adam, asking him to intercede for them with their Lord, Adam says to them: ‘What if one of you gathered his belongings in his absence and then sealed them – would the belongings be accessed except through the seal? Go to Muhammad, for he is the seal of the prophets.'” Its meaning to us is: that prophethood was completed in its entirety for Muhammad (peace be upon him), so his heart was made, due to the perfection of prophethood, a vessel for it, and then it was sealed.

This informs you that the decreed book and the sealed vessel – no one has any way to it, neither to diminish from it nor to add to it what is not from it. And that the rest of the prophets (peace be upon them) were not sealed upon their hearts, so they were not secure from the soul finding a way to what was in them.

Allah did not leave the proof concealed in the interior of his heart, but rather manifested it, so that seal was between his shoulder blades, visible like a dove’s egg. This has great significance whose account would be lengthy.

Whoever is blind to the knowledge of this imagines that “Seal of the Prophets” (khatam al-nabiyyin) means that he was the last of them to be sent. What merit is there in this? What knowledge is there in this? This is the interpretation of the foolish and ignorant!

The majority read “khatam” with an open ta’. As for those among the predecessors who read it with a kasra on the ta’, its interpretation is that he is the “sealer” in the sense of an active participle, meaning: he sealed prophethood by virtue of the seal that was given to him. What confirms this is what is narrated in the hadith of the Mi’raj, from the hadith of Abu Ja’far al-Razi, from al-Rabi’ ibn Abi al-Aliyah, regarding what is mentioned about the gathering of the prophets in al-Masjid al-Aqsa: “Each prophet mentions Allah’s favor upon him.” Among the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was his saying: “And He made me a sealer and an opener.” So Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said: “By this, Muhammad, you have been given superiority over us!”

[‘Khatam ul Auliya’, pg. 31]

Qadi ‘Iyad (d. 544H)

Imam Nawawi quotes Qadi Iyad where he is refuting the Muslim sects like Jahmites and Mutazalites. These sects used the hadith “There is no prophet after me” and the Quran 33:40 “he is the seal of the prophets” to reject the Nuzul of the Messiah in the latter days.

Qadi Iyad claims that the hadith does not mean that no prophet will ever come after the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Rather, it means that no prophet with a NEW law will not come. His Ta’wil (interpretation) of this hadith is exactly like how Ahmadi Muslims do.

قَوْلُهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ (فيبعث الله عيسى بن مريم) أى ينزله من السماء حاكما بشر عنا وَقَدْ سَبَقَ بَيَانُ هَذَا فِي كِتَابِ الْإِيمَانِ قَالَ الْقَاضِي رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى نُزُولُ عِيسَى عَلَيْه السَّلَامُ وَقَتْلُهُ الدَّجَّالَ حَقٌّ وَصَحِيحٌ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ لِلْأَحَادِيثِ الصَّحِيحَةِ فِي ذَلِكَ وَلَيْسَ فى العقل ولافى الشَّرْعِ مَا يُبْطِلُهُ فَوَجَبَ إِثْبَاتُهُ وَأَنْكَرَ ذَلِكَ بعض المعتزلة والجهيمة وَمَنْ وَافَقَهُمْ وَزَعَمُوا أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْأَحَادِيثَ مَرْدُودَةٌ بقوله تعالى وخاتم النبيين وَبِقَوْلِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا نَبِيَّ بعدى وباجماع المسلمين أنه لانبى بَعْدَ نَبِيِّنَا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَنَّ شريعته مؤبدة إلى يوم القيامة لاتنسخ وَهَذَا اسْتِدْلَالُ فَاسِدٌ لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ الْمُرَادُ بِنُزُولِ عِيسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَنَّهُ يَنْزِلُ نَبِيًّا بِشَرْعٍ ينسخ شرعنا ولا فى هذه الأحاديث ولافى غَيْرِهَا شَيْءٌ مِنْ هَذَا بَلْ صَحَّتْ هَذِهِ الْأَحَادِيثُ هُنَا وَمَا سَبَقَ فِي كِتَابِ الْإِيمَانِ وَغَيْرِهَا أَنَّهُ يَنْزِلُ حَكَمًا مُقْسِطًا بِحُكْمِ شَرْعِنَا وَيُحْيِي مِنْ أُمُورِ شَرْعِنَا مَا هَجَرَهُ النَّاسُ

Al-Qāḍī, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated: The descent of ʿĪsā, peace be upon him, and his slaying of the Dajjāl (Antichrist) is a true and established belief according to Ahl al-Sunnah, due to the authentic hadiths regarding this matter. There is nothing in reason nor in the Sacred Law that invalidates it, therefore it must be affirmed.

However, some of the Muʿtazilah, the Jahmiyyah, and those who followed them denied this. They claimed that these hadiths are rejected based on Allah’s statement “the Seal of the Prophets,” and based on his saying, peace and blessings be upon him, “There is no prophet after me,” and based on the consensus of the Muslims that there is no prophet after our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and that his Sacred Law is perpetual until the Day of Resurrection and will not be abrogated.

This is faulty reasoning, because the intended meaning of the descent of ʿĪsā, peace be upon him, is not that he will descend as a prophet with a Law that abrogates our Law. Nothing of this sort exists in these hadiths or in any others. Rather, these hadiths here, and what preceded in the Book of Faith and elsewhere, have authentically established that he will descend as a just judge ruling by our Sacred Law, and he will revive aspects of our Sacred Law that people have abandoned.

[Sharh Nawawi Sahih Muslim]

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 محمدًا على أعدائه، وقال: في كل الدهور سلطانه كامل ليس له فناء، وهذا صفة خاتم الرسل الذى لا يأتي بعده نبى ينسخ شرعه وسلطانه بالحجة واليد كامل لا يحتاج فيه إلى الاستعانة بشرع آخر، وشرعه ثابت باق إلى آخر الدهر

Just as Allah granted victory to Muhammad over his enemies, and said: ‘In all ages his authority is perfected, having no end.’ This is the attribute of the Seal of the Messengers, after whom no prophet comes to abrogate his law. His authority, through proof and power, is perfected, needing no assistance from another law. His law is firm and enduring until the end of time.

[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]

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)

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]

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-Lucknawi (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.

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]

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،

“[The objection] is refuted by the statement of Allah (the Exalted): ﴾وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّنَ﴿ (and the Seal of the Prophets), and by his (the Prophet’s) statement: «لا نبي بعدي» (There is no prophet after me), and by the consensus of the Muslims that there is no prophet after our Prophet and that his shariah is permanent until the Day of Judgment and will not be abrogated. This [contrary] argument is invalid, because the meaning of the descent of Jesus (peace be upon him) is not that he will descend as a prophet with a law that abrogates our law.”

[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،

[This is] refuted by Allah the Exalted’s saying: ‘and Seal of the Prophets,’ and by his [the Prophet’s] saying: ‘There is no prophet after me,’ and by the consensus of Muslims that there is no prophet after our Prophet, and that his law is perpetual until the Day of Resurrection and will not be abrogated. This [objection] is a corrupt argument because what is not intended by the descent of Jesus, peace be upon him, is that he descends as a prophet with a law that abrogates our law.

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

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

Al-Ashqar said in ‘The Minor Resurrection’: ‘Al-Nawawi says in his refutation of those who deny the descent of Jesus, claiming that if his descent were true, it would contradict his [the Prophet’s] saying, peace be upon him: ‘There is no prophet after me,’ and that he would thereby be abrogating the law of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This reasoning is corrupt, because what is not intended by the descent of Jesus, peace be upon him, is that he descends as a prophet with a law that abrogates

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