مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّين

Khatme Nubuwwat means that Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is the Last of the Prophets. The process and routine of appointing Prophets and Messengers by Almighty Allah has been terminated, finished, ended, stopped, and sealed. None will be appointed as prophet after Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H). His prophethood will continue until the judgement day and the day after, only that person can claim to be a Muslim who believes in Khatme Nubuwwat and confesses

Question No.1: What is the meaning and importance of Khatm-e-Nubuwwat? State clearly the characteristics of this status in relation to the personality of the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi WA Aalihi Wasallam.

Ans: MEANING OF KHATM-E-NUBUWWAT

Allah started the chain of Prophethood from Hazrat Adam Alaih-i-Salam and it ended with the Holy Prophet Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi WA Aalihi Wasallam. Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi WA Aalihi Wasallam is the last Prophet. There will be no Prophet after him. In the terminology of Shariah (Islamic law) having this faith is called the “Faith in Khatm-e-Nubuwwat”.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH IN KHATM-E-NUBUWWAT

Belief in Khatm-e-Nubuwwat is one of the basic and important article of faith. From the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam’s time to this day every Muslim has the belief that Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam is the last Prophet of God without any doubt.

A: Hundred Ayahs of the Holy Quran and

B: The Arabic Hadith (two hundred and ten Hadith) proves Khatm-e-Nubuwwat.

C: The first consensus of Muslim opinion (Ijmah) took place on this issue.

So, Hazrat Maulana Syed Muhammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Rahmatullah Alaih) writes in his last book “Khatm-e-Nubuwwat”that:

Translation “And the first ever consensus of Muslim opinion was the consensus on the murder of Muslima Kazab. Its only reason was just his claim of Prophethood. The reverend Sahaba (Razi Allah-o-Anhum Wa Razu An) (The companions of Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam came to know about his other evil doings later, as Ibne Khuldoon writes. And ages after ages there was always consensus on the infidelity, apostasy and killing of the claimer of Prophethood, and there was never debate on Nubuwwat Tashria or non-Tashria.”

(Khatam-un-Nabiyeen P.67. Translation P.197)

Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Idrees Kandhlvi (Rahmatullah Alaih) writes in “Mark-al-Khasam Fe Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Syed-ul-Nam SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam’ that “The first consensus of Muslim opinion occurred on the issue that the claimer of Prophethood be killed” (Ehtasab Qadianiyat v. 2 p.10)

In all the battles that were fought for the safety of Islam during the life of Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam only 259 Sahaba (Razi Allah-o-Anhum Wa Razu An) (The companions of Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam were martyred (Rahmatal-il-Aalameen v.2 p.213. By Qazi Salman Mansoor Puri (Rahmatullah Alaih) while in the first battle in Islamic history that was fought, in the reign of Hazrat Siddiq Akbar Razi Allah-o-Anho for the safety of Khatm-e-Nubuwwat faith 1200 Sahaba (Razi Allah-o-Anhum Wa Razu An) (The companions of Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam and Tabaeen (Rahmat Ullah Alaihim) were martyred. (Of these 700 were the Quran Conners (Hafiz) and scholars).

(Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Kamil p.304 part 3 by Mufti Muhammad Shafi).

The major assets of the Holy Prophet’s life were these valuable Sahaba (Razi Allah-o-Anhum Wa Razu An) (The companions of Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam, who gave their lives for the safety of this faith. This highlights the importance of Khatm-e-Nubuwwat faith. In the following is the account of the martyrdom of on of these Sahaba (Razi Allah-o-Anhum Wa Razu An) (The companions of Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam, Hazrat Habeeb bin Zain Ansari Khazraji Razi Allah-o-Anho:

“The Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam sent Hazrat Habeeb bin Zaid Ansari Razi Allah-o-Anho to Muslima Kazab, who belonged to Banu Haneefa tribe of Yamama. Muslima Kazab asked Hazrat Habeeb Razi Allah-o-Anho “do you testify it that Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam is the messenger of God?” Hazrat Habeeb Razi Allah-o-Anho replied, “Yes”. He further asked “do you testify it that I am also the messenger of God?” Hazrat Habeeb Razi Allah-o-Anho replied that “I am deaf. I cannot hear you”. Muslima continued to ask the question again and again and his reply was always the same. Muslima cut the parts of his body one by one. At last Hazrat Habeeb Bin Zaid’s Razi Allah-o-Anho whole body was cut into pieces and he was martyred”.

It shows that how the Sahaba (Razi Allah-o-Anhum Wa Razu An) (The companions of Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam were touchy in the matter of Khatm-e-Nubuwwat. There is another account of one of the Tabaeen (successors to the Holy Prophet’s SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam companions)”“Hazrat Abu Muslim Khulani (Razi Allah-o-Anho) whose real name is Abdullah bin Thob, is that holy man for whom God made fire ineffective, as was the case with Hazrat Ibrahim Alaih-i-Salam that fire set by Namrood became flowers for Ibrahim Alaih-i-Salam. He was born in Yemen. He accepted Islam during Holy Prophet’s SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam lifetime, but he could not get the opportunity to be present before the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam. In the last days of Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam there appeared a false claimer of Prophethood (Aswad Ansi) in Yeman. He forced people to believe in him. He also sent for Hazrat Abu Muslim Khulani Razi Allah-o-Anho and asked him to believe in his Prophethood. Hazrat Abu Muslim did not accept it. He asked, ‘do you have faith in the Prophethood of Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam’? Hazrat Abu Muslim replied in the affirmative. At this Aswad Ansi set a horrible fire and put Hazrat Abu Muslim (Razi Allah-o-Anho) in it. But God made the fire ineffective and he came out of it without any harm. The incident was so strange that Aswad Ansi and his companions were bewildered. His friends suggested him ‘to banish him, otherwise your followers will have no faith in you’. So, he was banished from Yeman. After leaving Yeman, there was only one refugee, Medina. So he set off with the intention of meeting the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam. But when he reached Medina he came to know the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam has passed away. Now Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Razi Allah-o-Anho) was the caliph. Hazrat Abu Muslim (Razi Allah-o-Anho) started saying prayer behind pillar in Masjid-e-Nabvi. Hazrat Umar (Razi Allah-o-Anho) was sitting there. When he saw a stranger saying prayer, he came near him. After he said prayer, Hazrat Umar (Razi Allah-o-Anho) asked him “from where you have come?” ‘From Yeman’ he replied. Hazrat Umar (Razi Allah-o-Anho) at once asked, ‘God’s enemy (Aswad Ansi) put our friend into fire and the fire had no effect on him. How Aswad Ansi treated him afterwards? Hazrat Abu Muslim (Razi Allah-o-Anho) said, ‘his name is Abdullah bin Thob’. Hazrat Umar’s intelligence at once worked and he asked, ‘I put you under oath to tell me whether you are not the same person?’ Hazrat Abu Muslim (Razi Allah-o-Anho) replied, ‘yes’. In love and happiness he kissed his forehead and took him to Hazrat Abu Bakr (Razi Allah-o-Anho) and made him sit between Hazrat Abu Bakr (Razi Allah-o-Anho) and himself. Hazrat Umar (Razi Allah-o-Anho) said ‘thanks God that before my death God gave me the opportunity to see the person to whom Allah Almighty treated like Hazrat Ibrahim. (Alaih-e-Salam).

(Hulya tul Aulya p.129 v.2 Tehzeb v.6 p.458. Tarekh Ibn Asaker p.315 v.7 Jehan Deeda p.293 and Terjuman-us-Sunnah p.341, v.4).

HONOUR OF THE STATUS OF KHATM-E-NUBUWWAT

In the Holy Quran ‘Rab-ul-A’lamin’ (the Lord of the universe) has been used for God, ‘Rahmatal-el-A’lamin’ (merciful to the universe) has been used for Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam. In the same way ‘Zikral-el-A’lamin’ (invocation of God’s name) has been used for the Holy Quran and ‘Hudal-el-Aalameen (guidance for the whole universe) has been asked for Baitullah. It proves not only universality of Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam, but also proves the speciality of Holy Prophet’s SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam being the last Prophet. Because all the other Prophets before Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam were sent by God in their particular regions and for specific nation and time period. With the coming of Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam God made the whole universe one unit for his Prophethood.

As God is the ‘Lord’ (Rab) for the whole universe, in the same way Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam is ‘Prophet’ for the whole universe. This is the honour and speciality only for Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam one of the six features that the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam described for himself is that:

“I have been sent as prophet for all the creatures and this chain of Prophethood comes to an end with me”

(Mishqat p.512 Chapter Fazail Syed-ul-Mursaleen. Muslim v.1 p.199 Kitabul Masajid).

Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam is the last Prophet. His Ummah is the last Ummah. His SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam Qiblah is the last Qiblah (Bait-Ullah Sharif). The Book that was revealed to Him SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam is the last Divine Book. All these specialities are related with the status of Khatm-e-Nubuwwat and the personality of the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam as well. So, because of Holy Prophet’s SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam seal of Prophethood Quran and Bait Ullah got the honour of being called ‘Zikral-e-Alamin’ and ‘Hudalel A’lamin’ respectively. And Holy Prophet’s SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam Ummah was declared the last Ummah, as the Holy Prophet says:

“I am the last Prophet and you are the last Ummah” (Ibne Maja p.297).

Hazrat Allama Jalal-Ud-Din Sayuuti writes in his famous book, Khasais-ul-Kubra, that to be the last Prophet is the feature specialized only for the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam.

(see v.2 pp.193, 197, 284).

In the same way Allama Syed Muhammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Rahmat Ullah Alaih) writes: to be the last of all the Prophets is due to the particular excellence and features of Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam personality”

(Khatam-un-Nabiyeen Urdu p.187).

Explanation of the Khatam-un-Nabiyeen Ayah:The Ayat says “Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam is not the father of anyone of your men, but the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of Prophets; God has knowledge of everything”

(Sura Ehzab: 40)

CONTEXT OF THE REVELATION:

The context of the Ayat is that before the Prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam the Arabs were suffering in many false rites. One of the rites was that an adopted child was considered to be a real son in each and every matter. He was called son and in matters of inheritance and marriage, he was taken as a real son. As in case of death of real son or if the son divorces his wife, the son’s wife is unlawful for the father. He cannot marry her afterwards. In the same manner the Arabs used to take the ex-wife of the adopted son unlawful for the father of the adopted son.

This custom consisted of many evil things, for example, the mixing of lineage, to make an unlawful person the lawful heir, to declare a lawful thing unlawful for one self, etc.

Islam’s basic purpose is to make the world free from illogical rites and customs. So Islam naturally tried to root out such an evil. It adopted two ways to get the aim saying and action. On the one hand it was said:

“neither has He made your adopted sons your son infact. That is your own saying, the words of your mouths; but God speaks the truth, and guides on the way”(Sura Ehzab: 4,5)

The purpose was that an adopted son should not be a part of lineage and should not be considered eligible for inheritance. Moreover, in matters of lawfulness and unlawfulness they should not be treated like real sons. To declare such custom unlawful it was ordered that the custom of adopting children be abandoned. So, it was said in the Ayah that while calling the adopted child, the name of the father should be attached with his name. Before revelation of the Holy Quran Hazrat Zaid Bin Harithah was Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam slave after setting him free Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam adopted him. So, all the people, including the Sahaba (Razi Allah-o-Anhum Wa Razu An) began to call him “Zaid bin Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam”, according to the tradition of the Arabians. Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (Razi Allah-o-Anho) says that after the revelation of this Ayah, they started calling him ‘Zaid bin Haritha’ instead of ‘Zaid bin Muhammad’. The companions of the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam abandoned the custom after the revelation of this Ayah. But because it is not easy to root an evil custom out easily, so God made the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam root this custom out practically with his own hands. So, when Hazrat Zaid (Razi Allah-o-Anho) divorced his wife, Bibi Zaneb Razi Allah-o-Anha, due to family dispute, God made the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam marry her, so that the evil practice is abolished forever. It was said:

“So when Zaid had accomplished what he would of her, then we gave her in marriage to thee (Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam, so that there should not be any fault in the believers, touching the wives of their adopted sons,

(Sura Ehzab: 37)

As soon as the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam married Hazrat Zaineb (Razi Allah-o-Anho), there was much uproar in Arabia that the Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam married the wife of his son. In response to the objections and taunts of people, the concerned Ayah was revealed, i.e.:

“Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam is not the father of anyone of your men, but the messenger of Allah, and the Seal of Prophets; God has knowledge of everything”.

It has been told in this Ayah that Hazrat Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam is not the father of any man, so he is not father of Hazrat Zaid (Razi Allah-o-Anho). In this way Holy Prophet’s SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam marriage with Hazrat Zaid’s (Razi Allah-o-Anho) ex-wife is lawful and commendable. So, to taunt Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam in this connection is foolishness. To negate their claim it was sufficient to say that Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam is not father of Hazrat Zaid (Razi Allah-o-Anho), but to negate it on the ground of exaggeration it was said that ‘Muhammad SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam is not the father of any of your men’. So, to accuse such a personality of marrying the wife of his son is crookedness and malignancy. All of His SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam sons died in their childhood. They could not be called ‘men’. That is why it is said in the Ayah that ‘not father of any of your men’. The purpose of the revelation of this Ayah is to reply the objections of the infidels and the hypocrites and to show the acquittal and greatness of the Holy Prophet SallAllah-o-Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wasallam. Then it is said in the Ayah”

“but the messenger of Allah, and the Seal of Prophets”

What is Qadiyanism (or so-called Ahmadiya)?

Qadiyanism is a movement started in a town called Qadiyan in India by a man called Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1839 – 1908). Initially, he declared himself as a Muslim writer; then he announced himself as a revivalist (Mujaddid); in 1891, he claimed to be the Promised Mehdi and the Promised Messiah; and in 1901, he proclaimed himself a prophet of God! In 1914 a split took place in the Qadiyani group with the accession of Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad, the 2nd successor; over definitions of doctrines forming the mainstream of Qadiani group. They are respectively known as Qadiani and Lahori sects. Both Qadianis group fraudulently claim to be one of the Muslim sects but infact they are unrighteous cult, kafir and non-muslim. Mirza Ghulam Qadiyani died on 26th May 1908 in Lahore (Pakistan) through illness being a victim of cholera. Mirza Ghulam was buried in a village of Qadiyan.

THE NAME OF BOOKS ON KHATM-E-NUBUWWAT SUBJECT:

On this holy subject, dozens of books have been written by the great scholars of the Ummah: The names of ten of these books are as follows: –

(1) “Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Kamil”
(Compiled by Mufti Muhammad Shafi (Rahmatullah Alaih)
(2) “Maskel Khatim Fe Khatme Nubuwwat Sayedul Anam”, including Ehtasab Qadianiat Volume-2
(Compiled by Maulana Muhammad Idrees Kandhelvi (Rahmatullah Alaih)
(3) “Aqeedatul Ummat Fe Maani Khatm-e-Nubuwwat”
(Compiled by Allama Khalid Mehmood (Rahmatullah Alaih)
(4) “Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Quran Ki Roshni Main”
(Compiled by Maulana Sarfraz Khan Safdar (Rahmatullah Alaih)
(5) “Felsafa Khatm-e-Nubuwwat”
(Compiled by Maulana Hifzur Rehman Seuharvi (Rahmatullah Alaih)
(6) “Masala Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Ilm Wa Aql Ki Roshni Main”
(Compiled by Maulana Muhammad Ishaq Kandelvi (Rahmatullah Alaih)
(7) “Khatm-e-Nubuwwat”
(Compiled by Professor Yousaf Saleem Chishti (Rahmatullah Alaih)
(8) “Khatam-un-Nabiyeen”
(Compiled by Maulana Muhammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Rahmatullah Alaih). Translated by Maulana Muhammad Yousaf Ludhyanvi (Rahmatullah Alaih).
(9) “Alamgeer Nubuwwat”
(Compiled by Maulana Shamsul Haq Afghani (Rahmatullah Alaih)
(10) “Aqeeda Khatm-e-Nubuwwat”
(Compiled by Maulana Muhammad Yousaf Ludhyanvi (Rahmatullah Alaih) (also including in Tohfa-i- Qadianiat V-1)

Official Website of Mufti Ayoub DB

مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّين

Mufti Nazir Ahmad Qasmi sb DB @ Aali Masjid

What is Khatm-e-Nabuvat?