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The Exalted Station of Khaatamul Anbiyaa’ in the Eyes of the Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at

ne cannot fully grasp the intense devotion and enlightned perception of the Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at about the status of the Khaatamul Anbiyaa’ wal Asfiya (Seal of the Prophets and the Elect of God), unless one reads his writings. Some excerpts from his writings in this context are reproduced below. He states:

“The accusation levelled against me and my followers that we do not believe the Messenger of Allah^sa to be Khaatamun Nabiyyeen, is a colossal calumny against us. The force, certainty, perception and insight with which we believe the Holy Prophet^sa to be Khaatamun Nabiyyeen is such that the other people’s belief in this regard is not even the millionth part, in strength, as compared to ours. But then they do not have the requisite capability for it either. They do not have any genuine understanding of the truth and essence of the Khaatamul Anbiyaa’'s fact of being the Seal of Prophets (Khatme Nubuwwat). They have simply been handed down this verbal expression from their forefathers, but they are oblivious of its real meaning, and do not know what “Khatme Nubuwwat” is, and what the implication of affirming one’s belief in it is ? But we believe the Holy Prophet^sa to be Khaatamul Anbiyaa’ (the Ultimate Prophet) with perfect insight (let Allah the Exalted be the best witness over it). And God has manifested the truth of Khatme Nubuwwat to us in such a manner that we particularly savour the elixir of its perception which has been given to us to drink. None can imagine it except those who have been given to drink from this fountain.” [Malfoozaat, vol. I, pp. 227-228, new edition]

"I have no book except the Holy Quran, and I have no Messenger except Muhammad, the chosen one^sa, and I have no religion except Islam. I firmly believe that My Prophet^sa is the Ultimate Prophet (Khaatamul Anbiyaa’) and the Holy Quran is the Ultimate Book (Khaatamul Kotub). So no one should turn religion into a child’s play. Let it be remembered that I have no claim except that of being the servant of Islam. I have no claim to rivalry, and he who attributes such a claim to me, levels a calumny against me. I receive the munificence of blessings from my Holy Prophet^sa and receive the munificence of profound perception from the Holy Quran. Therefore, it is befitting that no one must entertain in his heart anything contrary to this declaration of mine, otherwise he will be liable to be accountable to God for it. If I am not a servant of Islam, then all my enterprise is futile, fit for rejection, and entails punitive liability.” Sincerely,

[Maktoobaat-e-Ahmadiyya, vol. 5, no. 4]

Arabic Qaseedah

I certainly see such glory in your sparkling face,
Which transcends all (known) human attributes
The presence of (Allah) the Protector is reflected in the (blessed) face (of the Holy Prophet^sa);
And his entire manner (and moral conduct) sparkles with the same (characteristic) magnificence
(The Holy Prophet of Islam) possesses superiority (over all creation) due to his (spiritual) excellence, his (elegance and) grace;
And his majesty, and his ever-fresh (and spiritually refreshing) heart (and soul).
No doubt, it is Muhammad^sa who is the best of all creation;
He is the essence (and vital force) of the elect of God.
All (noble) qualities (pertaining to) every kind of superiority, have reached perfection in him;
And (also) the (spiritual) bounties for all times have reached their climax in him (sic. and Allah will now grant these only to those who truly follow him)
He is preferred over everyone who is front-ranking and has (achieved) nearness (to Allah)
And (remember that) excellence (of spiritual rank) is because of virtues, not because of priority in time.
O my Lord! Shower Thy eternal blessings on Thy Prophet - In this life, as well as in the Next Life.”

“That light of high degree that was bestowed on the Perfect man was not in angels, was not in stars, was not in the moon, was not in the sun, was not in the oceans and the rivers, was not in rubies or emeralds, or sapphires, or pearls; in short, it was not in any earthly or heavenly object. It was there in man only, i.e, the perfect man whose highest and loftiest and most perfect example was our lord and master, the chief of the Prophets, the chief of all living ones, Muhammad, the chosen one, peace be on him.”

Poem in Persian Language

“The Chief of this group (of Godly people) is the one whose name is (Muhammad) Mustafa; He is the guide of every category of the people of truth and purity.
The Countenance of God shines in his blessed face. His person and his environs breathe the fragrance of God Himself.
All the excellences of guidance and leadership reached their maximum limit in him; He is holy and is the leader of the holy ones.”

“In Surah Aal-Imran, part three, there is a detailed description of how a firm covenant was taken (by Allah) from all the Prophets that it was incumbent upon them to believe in the greatness and majestic grandeur of the Khatmur-Rusul (the Ultimate among Prophets) viz. Muhammad, the chosen one^sa, and extend full devotion and support in the dissemination of his greatness and majesty. It is for this reason that all the Prophets and Messengers who have existed from Hadhrat Adam, Safi Ullah, upto Hadhrat Masih, Kalimatullah—all of them have, respectively, affirmed their belief in the greatness and majesty of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him)." [Surmah Chashm Aaryah, footnote, Roohaani Khazaa’in vol. 2, p. 279-281]

“A perfect man and Chief of all the Prophets, none was ever born like unto him, nor shall one be ever born; he came for the guidance of this world and brought that sparkling Book for the world, the like of which was never beheld by any eye.” [Braaheen-e-Ahmadiyya, Roohaani Khazaa’in, vol. 1, p. 419, footnote ]

“As the Holy Prophet^sa was higher than all the other Prophets in the purity of his soul and the expansion of his mind, and his chastity and modesty and sincerity and trust and fidelity and love of the Divine, God, the Glorious, anointed him with the perfume of special excellence in excess of any other Prophet. His bosom and heart which were broader and holier and more innocent and brighter and more loving than the bosom and heart of any who had passed before him, and who were to come after him, were considered worthy that such Divine revelation should descend upon him as should be stronger and more perfect, higher and more complete, than the revelation vouchsafed to all those who were before him and all those who were to come after him, and which should serve as a clear and wide and large mirror for reflecting Divine attributes.” [Surma Chashm Aarya, footnote Roohaani Khazaa’in vol. 2, p. 71]

“The man who in his person and his attributes and his actions and through his spiritual and holy faculties set an example of perfection, in knowledge and action and in sincerity and steadfastness, and was called the perfect man was Muhammad, peace be on him… The man who was most perfect as man and as Prophet, and came with perfect blessings, and who through spiritual revival and resurrection manifested the first Judgement in the world and revived the dead world, that blessed Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets, the leader of the righteous ones, the pride of the Prophets, was Muhammad, the chosen one, peace be on him. Our Lord, send down on that beloved Prophet that mercy and blessing that Thou hast not sent down on anyone since the beginning of the world. Had that grand Prophet not appeared in the world then we would have no proof of the truth of lesser Prophets like Jonah, Job, Jesus son of Mary, Malachi, John, Zakaria, etc. Though they were favourites and honoured and were beloved ones of Almighty God, they are under obligation to this Prophet that they were accepted in the world as true Prophets.

O Allah, send down Thy blessings on him and on his followers and on his companions, all of them. Our last word is that all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.”

“I have been divinely taught that out of all the Prophets, the one who gave the perfect teaching, and the one who gave a teaching which had the highest degree of wisdom, and the preceptor of human excellences through the exemplary demonstration from his own life, is only one: our lord and master, Hadhrat Muhammad, the chosen one,^sa.” [Arba’een, Roohaani Khazaa’in vol. 17, p. 345]

“The time of the advent of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, needed a grand Divine Reformer and heavenly guide, and the teaching that he set forth was true and was greatly needed and comprised everything that fulfilled the needs of the time. That teaching was so effective that it drew hundreds of thousands of hearts to the truth and impressed on hundreds of thousands of minds the creed that there was no one worthy of worship save Allah. He fulfilled the ultimate purpose of Prophethood, that is to say, teaching the principles of salvation so perfectly that no other Prophet was able to fulfil it to such perfection in any age.” [Braaheen-e-Ahmadiyya, Roohaani Khazaa’in vol. 1, pp. 112-113]

“Our lord Hadhrat Muhammad, the chosen one^sa, was endowed with the largest and preponderant share of the nature of the Holy Spirit… (It was the one and only Muhammad, the chosen one^sa, who appeared in this world as the perfectly innocent person)… The one and only totally innocent person ever to appear in this world is Muhammad, the chosen one alone, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.” [Tohfa Golarhviyya, footnote to footnote, Roohaani Khazaa’in vol. 17, p. 324]

“When we estimate justly, then out of the whole series of Prophets, we find the only one of the highest courage and alive and greatly dearest of all dear ones to God, the Chief of the Prophets, the pride and crown of Messengers, his name is Muhammad Mustafa and Ahmad Mujtaba. By walking under his shadow for ten days one obtains that light which before him could not be obtained in thousand years.” [Siraaj-e-Munir, Roohaani Khazaa’in vol. 12, p. 82]

“Glory be to Allah! Again Glory be to Allah, how magnificent is the Prophet—Hadhrat Khaatamul Anbiyaa’ (the Ultimate among Prophets), peace and blessings of Allah be upon him! Allah be glorified! How grand is the light! His insignificant servants, most humble followers, and minor functionaries attain to the aforementioned spiritual station [sic. via dialogue with the Divine and revelation of the unseen]:

O, our Allah! Send benedictions and blessings on Thy Prophet, the loved one, the chief of the prophets, the best of them all, the foremost and the ultimate of all the Prophets—Muhammad, peace be on him—and his followers, and his Companions; and bless them and grant them prosperity and success.”

“I always wonder at the high rank of this Arab Prophet, whose name is Muhamamd, thousands of blessings and peace be upon him. One cannot apprehend the limit of his lofty status and it is not given to man to estimate correctly his spiritual effectiveness. It is a pity that his rank has not been recognized as it should have been. He was the champion who restored to the world the Unity of God which had disappeared from the world; he loved God in the extreme and his soul melted out of sympathy for mankind. Therefore God, Who knew the secret of his heart, exalted him above all the Prophets and all the first ones and the last ones and bestowed upon him in his life-time all that he desired. He is the fountain-head of every grace and a person who makes any claim without acknowledging his grace, is not a man but the spawn of Satan. He has been bestowed the key to every exaltation and he has been given the treasury of every understanding. He who does not receive through him is deprived forever. I am nothing and possess nothing. I would be most ungrateful if I were not to confess that I have learnt of the true Unity of God through this Prophet. The recognition of the Living God we have achieved through this Perfect Prophet and through his light. The honour of converse with God, through which we behold His countenance has been bestowed upon me through this great Prophet. The ray of this sun of guidance falls like sunshine upon us and we remain illumined only so long as we are adjusted towards it.” [Haqiqatul Wahi, Roohaani Khazaa’in vol. 22, pp. 118-119]

O, ye who are ignorant and visionless, Our Prophet and our lord and master (may countless peace and blessings of Allah be on him), has excelled all the prophets in respect of his munificence, because the munificence of previous prophets reached a limit and then ended, and those nations and their religions are dead, and without any life. But the spiritual munificence of the Holy Prophet^sa will continue till the end of days. So, on account of the Holy Prophet’s munificence, his followers are not in need of any Messiah to come from outside (sic. the pale of Islam). Rather, receiving spiritual nourishment under the Holy Prophet’s shadow can transform an ordinary mortal into Massiah: just as it transformed me.” [Chashma-e-Masihi, Roohaani Khazaa’in Vol. 20, p. 389]

“The Holy Prophet^sa embodies the consummation of the totality of morals, and now God has established them as the final criterion of his morals.” [Al-Hakam, 10 March, 1904]

“Only Islam is the straight path, and now there is only one Prophet and only one Messenger under the sun, i.e., Muhammad, the chosen one^sa, who is elevated above and superior to all Prophets, and is the most complete and perfect of all the Messengers, and Khaatamul Anbiyaa’, and the best of all the human beings: by following whom one finds God, and the curtains of darkness are lifted and the indications of true salvation become apparent in this very world.”

“Allah, the Exalted, made the Holy Prophet^sa the Possessor of the Seal, viz. He gave him the Seal, for the dissemination of (his) excellence, which was certainly not given to any other Prophet. It was for this reason that he was named Khaatamun Nabiyyeen, viz. following him imbues one with the excellences of Prophethood, and his spiritual attention is Prophet-carving. And this particular faculty of holiness was not granted to any other Prophet.” [Haqiqatul Wahi, Roohaani Khazaa’in vol. 22 p. 100]

“Another aspect of the Holy Prophet’s being Khaatamun Nabiyyeen^sa is that God, due to His pure grace, has embodied the followers of the Holy Prophet with marvellous capabilities; so much so that it is stated in a Hadith that:

[1]

Although the compilers of Ahadith have called it into question but the light of my heart declares this Hadith to be authentic, and I accept it without demur. And none has negated this Hadith through the medium of vision either; if anything, it has only found confirmation.” [Al-Hakam, 17-24 August, 1904]

“The institution of all kinds of Prophethood and Messengership found culmination in the person of our lord and master, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.”

“Doubtless, the Holy Prophet was the second Adam and indeed was the true Adam for the establishment of spirituality through whom all human excellences reached their perfection, and all good faculties were devoted to their proper tasks and no branch of human nature was left barren. Prophethood ended with him not only because he was the last Prophet in point of time, but also because all the excellences of Prophethood reached their climax in him. As he was the perfect manifestation of Divine attributes, his dispensation had the qualities of majesty as well as beauty.” [Lecture Sialkot, Roohaani Khazaa’in vol. 20, p. 207]

The holy person of the Holy Prophet^sa is the cause of fulfilment and fruition for all Prophets; it was in this august person that whatever pertaining to Jesus and other Prophets had remained in doubtful and obscure became illuminated and explicit. And God brought revelation and Prophethood to the climax through his holy personage in the sense that all excellences reached their highest point in this beneficent personage.

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“The perfect man to whom the Holy Quran was revealed, was not limited in his vision, nor was there any deficiency in his sympathy in the sharing of sorrows. Both in terms of time and place, his soul was charged with profound sympathy. He was, therefore, bestowed a full share of the manifestations of providence and he was made Khaatamul Anbiyaa’, meaning not that no one would henceforth receive any spiritual grace from him, but that he possessed the Seal of Prophethood and that henceforth without the attestation of that seal, no grace would be bestowed on anyone and that for the Ummah, the door of converse with the Divine would never be closed. Except him, there is no Prophet who possesses the Seal of Prophethood. It is only by the testimony of his seal that a Prophethood can be bestowed for which it is a condition precedent that the recipient must be a follower of the Holy Prophet. His courage and compassion did not wish to leave his people in a condition of deficiency and were not reconciled to the door of revelation, which is at the root of all understanding, being closed. But, in order to preserve the sign of the Seal of his Prophethood, he desired that the grace of revelation should be bestowed through obedience to him and that this door should be closed to any one who was not his follower. It was in this sense that God appointed him Khaatamal Anbiyaa’. Thus it was established till the Day of Judgment, that a person who does not prove to be his follower through true obedience and who does not devote his entire being to obeying him, can not receive perfect revelation. Since independent Prophethood has been ended with the Holy Prophet, peace be on him; but Prophethood by way of reflection, which means the receipt of revelation through the grace of Muhammad^sa, will continue till the Day of Judgment, so that the door of human perfection should not be closed and this sign should not disappear from the world that the high resolve of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, desired that the doors of converse with the Divine should remain open till the Judgment Day and the understanding of the Divine, which is the basis of salvation, should not disappear.”

[Haqiqatul Wahi, Roohaani Khazaa’in vol. 22, pp. 31-32]

“I affirm it with full confidence that the excellences of Prophethood attained their perfection in the Holy Prophet, peace be on him. The person who sets up a movement in opposition to him and puts forward some verity outside his Prophethood and withdraws from the fountain of Prophethood is false and an impostor. I say it plainly that a person who believes in any one as a Prophet after the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, and breaks the seal of his Prophethood, is accursed. That is why no Prophet can come after the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, who is without the Seal of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa.”

[Al-Hakam, 10 June, 1905, p.2]

“Where God has foretold that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is Khaatamul Anbiyaa’, He has also pointed out, in that context, that due to his spirituality the Holy Prophet^sa is like a father to those righteous people whose own consummation is achieved by following him truly, and Divine revelation and the privilege of Divine converse is granted to them. In this context, God of Exalted Majesty states in the Holy Quran:

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Now, it is obvious that the word (laakin) is used in the Arabic language as an article of compensation, i.e., to compensate for what has foregone. In the first part of this verse, the matter which was declared as expired, which was subtracted from the person of the Holy Prophet^sa was “being the father of any man, in the physical sense.” Now this expired matter was compensated through the use of the word (laakin), by declaring the Holy Prophet^sa to be the Khaatamul Anbiyaa’, which means that after him the blessings of direct Prophethood are discontinued; from now onwards, the high Prophethood shall only be granted to the person whose actions bear the Seal of being a true follower of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).” [Review ber Mubahasah Bataalvi wa Chakrhaalvi, Roohaani Khazaa’in vol. 19 pp. 213-214]

“Can an unfortunate fabricator of lies who directly claims to be a Prophet or Messenger of his own, have faith in the Holy Quran? And a person who believes in the Holy Quran—and firmly holds that the verse:

is the Word of God—can he ever assert that, "I, too, am a Messenger and Prophet after the Holy Prophet^sa?” A seeker after justice must remember that my humble self has never—never—claimed to be a Prophet or Messenger in the real and literal sense of the term. And employing a word in its figurative sense and using it as part of everyday parlance consistent with lexical usage does not mean disbelief (kufr). For my part, I wouldn’t have used this term for it is likely to mislead the lay Muslims. But since I am the Appointed One from God, so I could not have concealed those instances of Divine dialogues and converse which Allah, in His Grand Majesty, granted to me and in which the words Prophet and Messenger have repeatedly occurred. But I repeat it over and over again that the word Mursal (one who is sent), or Rasool (Messenger) or Nabi (Prophet) which has been used in those revelations in reference to me, is not meant in its literal and real meaning. The real truth which I solemnly affirm on the basis of evidence is that Our Prophet^sa is Khaatamul Anbiyaa’ and no prophet will appear after him neither any of the old ones nor any new ones:

[4]

So our faith is simply this that a person who has a claim to Prophethood in its real sense, and alienates himself from the source of the grace of the Holy Prophet^sa and, after disassociating himself from this holy fountainhead, tries on his own, directly, to become a Prophet of Allah is an infidel and a faithless one. And, most likely, such a person will invent his own, new, Kalima (statement of basic creed), innovate in the rituals of worship, and modify or change the injunctions. So he is, without a doubt, a fraternal associate of Mosailemah Kazzaab and there is no doubt about his being a kaafir. How can one say about such an evil one that he believes in the Holy Quran?”

I am a Prophet and a Messenger—though without a new law (Shariah)—in the sense that I have received inner munificence from my Prophet, my Leader, and by receiving the appellation of his name, and by his instrumentality received knowledge of the unseen from God. I have never disallowed being addressed as a Prophet of this particular kind; as a matter of fact, it is in this very sense that God has proclaimed me to be a Prophet and Messenger. Therefore, even at this moment I do not deny being Prophet and Messenger in this sense. As to my statement:

[5]

It only means that I am not law-bearing. And, of course, another point must also be remembered, and must never be forgotten, that despite being proclaimed as Prophet (Nabi) and Messenger (Rasool), I have been informed by God that all these favours on me are not direct in nature; rather, there is a holy personage in heaven whose spiritual grace has blessed me viz Muhammad, the chosen one. Keeping in view my relationship with the Holy Prophet^sa, and being part and parcel of his being, and after being figuratively named Muhmmad and Ahmad, I happen to be a messenger and prophet. I have not only been sent by God but am also the recipient, through God’s grace, of the news of the unknown. And in this way the Seal of Khaatamun Nabiyyeen remains intact because I received the same name by way of reflection and image with the help of the mirror of love. If someone were to show his displeasure at this divine revelation, and ask why has God named me Prophet and Messenger, then this is his foolishness because my being a Prophet and Messenger does not break the Seal of God.”

“It may be contended that since the Holy Prophet^sa is Khaatamun Nabiyyeen, therefore how can another Prophet come after him? The answer to that is simply this that indeed no Prophet—new or old—can come in the manner in which you purport to cause Hadhrat Isa, on whom be peace, to descend in the latter days, and you believe that he will remain a Prophet in that situation—rather, you believe that he will continue to receive Divine revelation under his Prophethood for a period of forty years—far exceeding the tenure of the Holy Prophet^sa! No doubt, such belief is a sin, and the verse:

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as well as the Hadith:

[7]

constitute perfect evidence that such a belief is unqualified falsehood. But I am strongly opposed to such beliefs and truly and completely believe in this verse which declares:

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And this verse contains a prophecy which our opponents are unaware of, and that is as follows. Allah, the Exalted, says in this verse that, after the Holy Prophet^sa, all the doors to prophesies have been closed and it is impossible, now, for any Hindu, Jew, Christian or, for that matter, any nominal Muslim to prove the application of the term "Prophet" in respect of himself. All the windows of Prophethood have been shut with the exception of one window, namely, of being the Siddique— the absolute follower of the Holy Prophet and Fana Fir Rasool— merging and losing one’s own self in the love of the Holy Prophet.

So a person who approaches God through this window, is donned, by way of reflection, the same mantle which is the mantle of the prophethood of Hadhrat Muhammad^sa. Therefore, his becoming a prophet is not an outrage because he seeks not from his own self: instead, he partakes of the fountain of his Prophet^sa—nor does he do so for any self-aggrandizement, but only for demonstrating the majesty of the Holy Prophet. It is for this reason that he is named in the heaven as Muhammad and Ahmad^sa. This signifies that the Prophethood of Muhammad ultimately went to Muhammad^sa—even though by reflection and in a figurative sense—but went to none else. So, this verse:

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means that Muhammad is not the father of any of the men who hanker after this world, but he is the father in relation to those who seek the blessing of the Hereafter, by virtue of being the Khaatamun Nabiyyeen; and there is no transmission of munificence from Allah (to any one) except through the Holy Prophet’s instrumentality). In other words, my Prophethood and Messengership is in the name of Muhammad and Ahmad^sa, and not in respect of my own self. And this name was granted to me on account of my love-laden total loss of personal identity, into the Holy Prophet^sa—therefore, without violating the meaning of Khaatamun Nabiyyeen. But the descent of (Hadhrat) Isa, on whom be peace, will definitely violate it. Furthermore, do remember that the meaning of the term Nabi, according to the lexicon is: One who receives information about the unseen from God, and then passes it on. So wherever this meaning is found congruent, the term Nabi will also become applicable. And it is inevitable for a Nabi (Prophet) to be, simultaneously, the Rasool (Messenger), because if he were not to be the Rasool then he cannot be the recipient of information about the pristine parity of the unseen, as pointed out in the following verse:

[10]

If in terms of this particular signification, one refuses to believe in a Prophet after the Holy Prophet^sa, then one will inevitably have to believe that this ummah is deprived of the experiences of Divine converse and dialogue. Because a person at whose hands will be manifested the knowledge of the Unseen granted from Allah, the interpretation of the term "Prophet" will perforce become applicable to him in accordance with the verse In this way, we shall call only that person a ‘Rasool’ who is sent from God, the Exalted. The point of difference which is involved here, is that after our Holy Prophet^sa, there will be no Prophet upto the Doomsday to whom a Shariah may be revealed, or who may on his own be entitled to Prophethood—without the medium of the Holy Prophet or without being characterised by a love-inspired merging and forming of personal identity in the person of the Holy Prophet culminating in his also being named, in heaven, as Muhammad and Ahmad^sa.

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The real secret behind this is that the connotation of Khaatamun Nabiyyeen requires that, as long as there still exists a divisive screen of otherness (sic. from the Holy Prophet), if someone is called a Nabi—while there still intervenes a divisive screen of duality—then he would amount to being one who tampers with the seal of Khaatamun Nabiyyeen. However, if someone is so completely lost in love for the Khaatamun Nabiyyeen, on account of perfect harmony and self-abnegation, he may be granted his name—and, like a crystal-clear mirror, reflects the countenance of Muhammad^sa, then such a one will figuratively be called Nabi who has not tampered with the Seal: because he is Muhammad, albeit by way of reflection. Therefore, despite the claim to Prophethood by this person—who was named Muhammad and Ahmad, by way of reflection—our Chief, Muhammad^sa, is really the one who still remains Khaatamun Nabiyyeen, because this second manifestation of Muhammad is the reflection of the real Muhammad^sa, and is only in name. On the other hand, (Hadhrat) Isa, on whom be peace, cannot come without breaking the Seal.”

Remember, that it is our belief that the last book and the last revealed law is the Holy Quran, and after this, until the day of Resurrection, there will be no prophet in the sense of being a law-bearer, or one who could receive revelation directly and independently of following the Holy Prophet^sa. Rather, up to the Resurrection Day, this avenue is shut. Subordination to the Holy Prophet^sa enables one to be vouchsafed with the blessings of revelation. The door to such blessing will forever remain open till the Resurrection Day. The revelation which is the result of subordination (to the Holy Prophet) will never be terminated, but the law-bearing Prophethood or Prophethood independent of the Holy Prophet^sa will be cut off.

“The detailed import of it is that here Allah promises that the Holy Prophet^sa is Khaatamul Anbiyaa’, He also indicates at the very place that from the spiritual point of view, the Holy Prophet^sa, is a Father, as it were, to the righteous ones, and subordination to him can make perfect personages and grant divine revelation and communion just as Allah, the Almighty says in the Holy Quran:

Now, it is clear that in the Arabic language, “Laakin” is used for something which is understood. That is, to regain or make amends for what is missing or has passed.

As a result, what was considered inapplicable in the first part of this verse, i.e., what had been negated in the person of the Holy Prophet, that, physically speaking, he was not the father of a male issue. Therefore, by using the term ‘laakin’, this negation was made good by declaring that the Holy Prophet is Khaatamul Anbiyaa’, which means that after him, the favours of prophethood by direct means are sealed, and now, only that person can be granted the excellence of prophethood, who will have his conduct authenticated or attested to, by the Seal of servitude and obedience to the Holy Prophet^sa. Such a one will become as it were, the son of the Holy Prophet and his heir.

In short, in this verse, negation of the prophet being a father has been made on the one hand and on the other, his being a father too has been confirmed, so that the objection which has been mentioned in the verse

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may be completely refuted.

The import of this verse is that prophethood, even if non-law bearing, is terminated in that no person can directly or independently attain to the rank of prophethood. But it is not prohibited that prophethood may be gained or benefited from the lamp of the Prophethood of Muhammad^sa. That is to say, such a man is the follower of the Holy Prophet, on the one hand, and on the other, after having absorbed the prophetic light of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa, comes to have the excellences of prophethood within him.

If perfection of such receptive souls of the Community is also denied in this way, then God forbid, the Holy Prophet^sa from both perspectives is confirmed as issueless. Neither physically nor spiritually shall he have a son; and the critic who calls the Holy Prophet^sa issueless, will be proved right.

Now, when it has been affirmed that after the Holy Prophet^sa the door to absolute and independent prophethood which is achieved directly is closed up to the Day of Resurrection; and unless a person establishes the fact of his being an ‘Ummati’ i.e. follower of the Holy Prophet and subscribes to being his slave or servant, until then, he cannot make his appearance as a prophet.

There is no need to follow prophethoods and scriptures which have gone before the Holy Prophet, because the prophethood of Muhammad^sa embraces and encompasses them all. All paths are now close except the path of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa. All truths which help one to reach God are found only in that teaching. Neither shall any new truth come after it, nor was there any truth before which is not found in it. Thus all previous prophethoods end in this prophethood. And indeed this is how it should have been, since there is a culmination and an end for everything that has a beginning. In grace and efficacy, the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa is not in any way less than or inferior to any other prophethood. In fact, it possesses more usefulness and efficacy than any other prophethood. Obedience to this teaching takes one to God by a very simple and easy path making it possible for man to win a greater and higher prize than was available before. Only its perfect follower cannot be called a Nabi (prophet) alone, for that would imply a slight to the perfect Prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa. But to be a prophet, he also has to be an ummati (follower) and a prophet at the same time. For if a follower of the Holy Prophet^sa becomes a Nabi while he remains a follower of the Holy Prophet^sa all the time, such a prophethood does not in any way detract from the exalted station of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa. In fact, where a follower of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa attains, through obedience to him, the rank of prophet, it would bring added lustre to the Master. And when communion with God reaches a state of perfection in point of its quality, and when there is no impurity left in it, nor any defect, and when it clearly comprises matters concerning the Unknwn, only then is it rightly called prophethood. This is the view on which all the Prophets agree. It is inconceivable that a whole lot of people, of whom it had been said in the Holy Quran:

[13]

and who had been taught to pray:

[14]

Viz, if all the faithful were to fall short of attaining this exalted rank, and not even one among them was to size up to this station, not only would the Ummah remain imperfect and incomplete, as a community of the blind, but the added disadvantage was that it would have detracted from the spiritual grace and favour of the Holy Prophet^sa. Moreover, if no follower of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa could ever rise to the rank of prophethood while being his follower, then what of the prayer which the Muslims observe five times every day? Also, had it been possible for anyone to attain to this rank directly, without submission to the Holy Prophet^sa, then Khatm-e-Nubuwwat would have become a meaningless term. So, in order to safeguard against this twofold difficulty, Allah bestowed this rank of perfect and pure and holy Communion with Him on some persons who in their love had completely merged themselves into the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa where no dividing curtain remained between the two. The sense and meaning of being ‘followers’ imbued their being to the fullest, even to an extent where their own being remained not their own. Rather, so to say, in the intensity and clearness of their wrapt absorption, the being of the Master, the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa, was fully reflected in them, while on the other hand, perfect communion with God bestowed on the Prophets was extended to them as well." [Al-Wasiyyat, Roohaani Khazaa’in vol. 20, p. 311-312].

Had I not been of the ummah of the Holy Prophet^sa and had I not so obediently followed him, I would never have been blessed with Divine dialogue and converse, even if my own deeds were equivalent to all the mountains of the earth, because now all prophethoods have stopped, with the sole exception of the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa.

1	The scholars among my followers will be akin to the Israelite Prophets.
2	And this is the bounty of Allah which He bestows upon whomsoever He pleases.
3	(33:41)
4	And whoever said after Our Prophet and Our Chief, that I am a Prophet or a Messenger, in the real and literal sense—fabricates a lie, and abandons the Holy Quran and the injunctions of the Shariah, is indeed a disbeliever (kaafir) and a great liar (kazzaab).
5	I am not a Messenger and I have not brought a book.
6	… but he is a Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. (33:41)
7	There is no Prophet after me.
8	… but he is a Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. (33:41)
9	Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is a Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. (33:41)
10	He reveals not His secrets to anyone, except to him whom He chooses from among His Messengers. (72:27-28)
11	And whoever claims as such, he certainly disbelieved.
12	And whoever claims as such, he certainly disbelieved.
13	You are the best people raised for the good of mankind. (3:111)
14	Guide us in the right path — the path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings. (1:6)