Supplement to the
Evidence
Section 3:
Issue of Khatam an-nabiyyin
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In addition to the references from Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad given
in Section 3.2, the following may also be quoted
to show the meaning he gave to the term Khatam an-nabiyyin:
- “It does not befit God that He should send a prophet after
the Khatam an-nabiyyin, or that He should re-start the system
of prophethood after having terminated it.” (Ainah Kamalat
Islam, p. 377)
- “In brief, God by naming the Holy Prophet Muhammad as Khatam
an-nabiyyin in the Quran, and the Holy Prophet himself by saying
‘There is to be no prophet after me’ in Hadith, had
settled the point that no prophet can come after the Holy Prophet,
in terms of the real meaning of prophethood.” (Kitab al-Barriyya,
p. 185)
- “God says: ‘He is the Messenger of God and the Khatam
an-nabiyyin.’ And it is in the Hadith: ‘There is
to be no prophet after me.’ ... If another prophet were to
come, whether new or old, how could our Holy Prophet be the Khatam
al-anbiya.” (Ayyam as-Sulh, p. 74)
- “The Holy Quran, in the verses ‘This day I have perfected
for you your religion’, and ‘he is the Messenger
of God and the Khatam an-nabiyyin’, has ended prophethood
with the Holy Prophet Muhammad. And it has said in plain words that
the Holy Prophet is Khatam al-anbiya.” (Tuhfa Golarwiya,
p. 83)
- “Allah is the Being Who ... made Adam and sent messengers
and scriptures, and last of all sent Muhammad — may peace and
the blessings of Allah be upon him — who is the Khatam al-anbiya
and the best of messengers.” (Haqiqat al-Wahy, p. 141)
- “It should be believed from the bottom of the heart that prophethood
has terminated with the Holy Prophet Muhammad, as God Almighty says:
‘He is the Messenger of God and the Khatam an-nabiyyin’.
To deny this verse, or to belittle it, is in fact to separate oneself
from Islam.” (Letter dated 17 August 1899, published in Al-Hakam,
August 1899, vol. iii, no. 29)
- “The Torah contained the promise for the Israelites that,
if they believed in the Last Prophet (akhari nabi), then in
the last days, after many calamities, they would attain worldly rule
and kingship. This promise was fulfilled in this manner, that the
ten tribes of Israel [settled in Afghanistan and Kashmir] embraced
Islam, and for this reason, there arose great kings among the Afghans
and also the Kashmiris.” (Masih Hindustan Main, footnote,
chapter 4, section 1)
- “The fact that our Holy Prophet is the Khatam al-anbiya
(last of the prophets) also requires the death of Jesus because if
another prophet comes after him, he cannot remain the Khatam al-anbiya,
nor can the ‘revelation of prophets’ (wahy nubuwwat)
be considered as terminated.... The return of Jesus is not mentioned
anywhere in the Holy Quran, but the ending of prophethood is mentioned
perfectly clearly. To make a distinction between the coming of an
old prophet [i.e. Jesus] and a new prophet is mischievous. Neither
the Hadith nor the Quran make such a distinction, and the negation
contained in the hadith report ‘There is to be no prophet after
me’ is total. What audacity, boldness and insolence it is to
depart from the clear meaning of the Quran, in pursuit of one’s
feeble conjectures, and believe in the coming of a prophet after the
Khatam al-anbiya!” (Ayyam as-Sulh, p. 146)
We may also quote the following statements, further to those given
in Section 3.3, in which Hazrat Mirza has denied
claiming to be a prophet:
- “I have heard that some leading Ulama of this city Delhi are
giving publicity to the allegation against me, that this person lays
claim to prophethood. ... So to make the truth known, I respectfully
state to all venerable gentlemen, the high as well as the low, that
these allegations are an entire fabrication. I do not make a claim
to prophethood. ... After our leader and master Muhammad, peace be
upon him, the last of the messengers, I consider anyone who claims
prophethood and messengership to be a liar and kafir.”
(Statement issued in Delhi, 2 October 1891, p. 1. See Majmu‘a
Ishtiharat, vol. ii, p. 230)
- “Other allegations made against me are that this man denies
the Lailat al-Qadr and miracles and the Mi‘raj,
and further that he makes a claim to prophethood and denies the finality
of prophethood. All these allegations are entirely untrue and false.
... Now I make a clear and plain affirmation of the following matters
before Muslims in this house of God: I believe in the finality of
prophethood of the Khatam al-anbiya, peace be upon him, and
I consider the person who denies the finality of prophethood as being
without faith and outside the pale of Islam.” (Speech in Delhi
Central mosque, 23 October 1891; Din al-Haq, p. 29)
- “Let it be clear to them that I too curse the person who claims
prophethood. I hold that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is
His Messenger, and I believe in the finality of prophethood of the
Holy Prophet. ... So there is no claim of prophethood on my part either.”
(Majmu‘a Ishtiharat, vol. iii, p. 224)
- “Question: In the booklet Fath-i Islam a claim
to prophethood has been made.
“Answer: There is no claim of prophethood. On the
contrary, the claim is of sainthood (muhaddasiyyat) which
has been advanced by the command of God.” (Izala Auham,
pp. 421–422)
- “One of the objections of those who call me kafir is
that they say: This man claims prophethood and says that I am one
of the prophets. The answer is that you should know, O brother, that
I have not claimed prophethood, nor have I said to them that I am
a prophet. But they were hasty and made a mistake in understanding
my statement. ... It does not befit me that I should claim prophethood.
... How could I claim prophethood when I am a Muslim.” (Hamamat
al-Bushra, p. 79; new edition pp. 281–283)
- “Look how far this is from a claim to prophethood. O brother,
do not think that what I have said contains even the aroma of a claim
to prophethood. ... God forbid that I should claim prophethood after
God has made our Prophet and master Muhammad, peace be upon him, as
the Khatam an-nabiyyin.” (ibid., p. 83; new edition pp.
293–294)
- “If the objection is that I have made a claim to prophethood,
and such a thing is heresy, what else can I say except that may
the curse of God be upon liars and fabricators.” (Anwar
al-Islam, p. 34)
- “I do not claim prophethood. ... I firmly believe that our
Holy Prophet Muhammad is the Khatam al-anbiya, and after him
no prophet shall come for this nation (umma), neither new nor
old.” (Nishan Asmani, p. 28)
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