We receive many questions about Can a prophet can still come? This is mainly due to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claimed to be a prophet and the spiritual return of Jesus, but it is believed that the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was the final prophet, therefore this claim must be false! Thus people want to know what does the Holy Qur’an and the Ahadith say about this? Is it possible for a prophet to still come?
We first need to look at the condition of Islam today, is there a need for a prophet to come?
Sadly, Islam is very much divided, something which certainly Allah does not want, but that is the present state of the Muslim World, the question is how to change it? Allah wants unity and that is what every Muslim should be striving for and they constantly praying to Allah over 30 times a day, to ‘guide us to the right path’, therefore would Allah allow this poor state to continue?
For Islam to present itself as the best religion and for Muslims that they are the best people, then there must be unity, they have to lead by example. That means that first they must get their own house in order. Our beloved Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, made this very clear, he said that he was leaving behind two things and if we follow these two things then we will never go astray – the Holy Qur’an and his Sunnah (his practise).
Allah has protected the Holy Qur’an so that it is the same today as to when it was revealed – Guidance for the believers. We still have the Sunnah and Hadith of our beloved Prophet, therefore we have all the guidance that we need to keep on the right path and not be astray….but despite this wonderful guidance, Muslims are astray, they are disunited, they present a religion of hate and terrorism not peace, they present their own ideas as Islamic ideas. This is not the religion that was given to us by our beloved Holy Prophet. Therefore, despite still having all the guidance we need – Muslims are astray! So what is the answer?
Will Allah just give up and say ‘I have given you everything, it is your fault that you are not following it’? Or will Allah continue to answer your prayers and guide you back to the right path?
We believe that Allah will continue to guide us back to the right path and that is why he told our beloved Holy Prophet that He will send the Imam Mahdi and Promised Messiah in the latter days to achieve this. For this to happen, then it means that the Imam Mahdi and Promised Messiah would have to be more than a saint or a reformer, he will have to be a prophet, to receive guidance from Allah and to guide the Muslims back to the true teachings of Islam. There is no need for any more guidance, as we already have everything we need, but we need to follow that guidance properly. Therefore he will be a non-law giving Prophet and a Muslim – a submissive follower of our beloved Holy Prophet. Therefore the role of the Imam Mahdi is to guide Muslims back to the right path and the role of the Promised Messiah is to guide mankind to Islam.
So now to the question in hand, can a prophet still come?
First of all, if we turn to the Holy Qur’an there is in fact only one verse which is used to support this claim that no prophet can now come – the term Khataman Nabiyyeen – last of Prophets, but we translate this to mean not last but Seal or Best. The verse is Chapter 33, verse 41 (some Qur’ans it is verse 40, but we include Bismillah as the first verse so our numbering increases by one):-
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Khataman Nabiyyeen
and Allah has full knowledge of all things”
In Arabic each word has many meanings, some are primary – main meanings and some are secondary. Here the term Khataman Nabiyyeen doesn’t mean last (which is only a secondary meaning) and so must mean its primary meaning of best or seal. Now when we look at the context of the actual verse 33:41 then that becomes very clear, whereas last would seem out of place.
The verses are talking about Hazrat Zaid, the free slave of the Holy Prophet and his arranged marriage with Hazrat Zainab, the cousin of the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet was keen to try to show that there is equality in Islam and that a free slave can marry a person of noble family. Sadly, the marriage failed as the two of them couldn’t get past their former status and so the Holy Prophet decided to marry Zainab himself. This caused an uproar amongst the Quraish as it was a pre-Islamic custom that your adopted son (Zaid) is like your own son and therefore you cannot marry the wife of your son!
Allah answers this beautifully in the Holy Qur’an by declaring “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men”(33:41) meaning that Zaid is only an adopted son, not a real son and the Holy Prophet has not any sons (all his male children past away as babies). So Allah clearly states that it is fine for the Holy Prophet to now marry his cousin Zainab.
But that now opened up another problem – Why can’t this supposed Mighty God grant the Holy Prophet male children? Why should they worship such a God, when in their eyes, having male children was vital, whereas daughters were a pain (some tribes even killed their baby daughters as it was such a disgrace). So they should keep to their idols who can grant them male children and reject such a God who can’t even give His prophet male children, let alone anyone else!
So Allah also answers this objection “but he is the Messenger of Allah” (33:41) that being that although he is not the physical father of any men, but being a Messenger of Allah, he is the spiritual father of all men. Then to further this point Allah states “and the Khataman Nabiyyeen” (33:41) now we would understand this term to mean best of Prophets or seal of prophets and so it would give the understanding that not only is the Holy Prophet a messenger of Allah, but being the best or seal of prophets, he is far better than any other prophet that has come or will come! Alhamdulillah, (all praise is due to Allah) a very clear and positive statement of the high position of the Holy Prophet and every Muslim agrees with this.
But if we apply the general understanding of Khataman Nabiyyeen, this would mean that not only is the Holy Prophet the messenger of Allah but he is also the last of Prophets! Well when was last ever the best? If you are last in a race, are you then the best? Jesus was the last Jewish Prophet, was he the best? Or was he a follower of Moses, a law-giving Prophet. So what are we trying to say here. Surely, if this was the understanding then the Quraish would have turned around and said, ‘if we follow the book of Moses, then so many people became prophets after him – so it leads one to the position of prophethood, but if we follow the book of Muhammad, now no one can become a prophet! So which is better, a book that can lead you to prophethood or a book that can’t lead you to prophethood? Why would the Quraish be impressed with such a statement? They would just have mocked the Holy Prophet even more.
But fortunately, the Quraish understood Arabic and knew that this was a common term in those days, meaning that if someone was Khatam then he was the best of his contemporaries. Language changes over time, therefore it is important to understand the meaning of the Arabic in the time of the Holy Prophet not what is the general understanding these days. Many Arabic words are being used in other languages like Urdu, but the meaning is different. So in Urdu they understand the word Khatam to mean ‘last’, but in Arabic they use the word ‘Akhir’ for last. In the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings be upon him, and in Arabic dictionaries, the word Khatam primarily means a signet ring, a seal, a stamp, an impression or an imprint. It also signifies the one who verifies, an embellishment or ornament, the best and the most perfect. As a secondary meaning it means to reach the end of, covered the thing and protected by means of a seal. Whereas, the word Khatim could primarily mean ‘last’. But the Holy Quran uses a fatah not a kasra, therefore the best translation would be ‘the Seal of Prophets’ or ‘the Best of Prophets’.
In the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings be upon him, the word Khatam was used extensively to emphasise that such a person was the best of whatever they are doing. It was never used to say that such a person was the last to do such a thing.
The Holy Prophet was recorded to have said:
‘I am Khatamul Anmbiya (Best of Prophets) and O Ali you are Khatamul Auliya (Best of Saints) (Tafseer e Safi – Shi’ite Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an).
Again the Holy Prophet is recorded to have said to his uncle Hadhrat Abbas:
‘O my uncle! Verily you are Khatamul Muhajireen (Best of those who emigrated) just like I am Khatamun Nabiyyeen.’
(Kanzul Ummal Vol 6 p176) (Ahle Sunnat).
I can give you many examples of people being called by this title and it never meant that they were the last. So many saints came after Hazrat Ali and some of which were given the same title of Khatamul Auliya - Shiekh Ibn Arabi (Fatoohaat Makiah); Imam Shaafi (Al-Tohfa-tul-Sunnia p.45) and even to this day so many people are emigrating after Hazrat Abbas, so it is important to understand the language of that time, not this time. These titles never meant that no more saints, emigrants and poets would come, instead it is just to emphasise that they were the best of their contemporaries. It was a common title used in those days.
Again we see:
“Verily, I am the ‘Akhir’ – last of the Prophets and my Mosque is the ‘Akhir – last of Mosques
Here a different word is used for last - Akhir, but the sense is the same. If the Holy Prophet meant that no prophet would come after him, then he also means that no Mosque would be built after his Mosque. Yet we see thousands of Mosques that were built after this mosque. Therefore, this can only mean that as there will be no more new religions after Islam, and so there will be no other new places of worship after the Mosque.
If the term is understood as the last of Prophets, then they understand it only in the sense that no Prophet will directly follow the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, himself was clear in his mind as to the continuity of Prophethood after him. He is reported to have said: ‘If Ibrahim (his son) had remained alive, he would have been a Prophet’ (Ibn Majah, Kitab al Jana’iz) and‘Abu Bakr is best of men after me, except that a Prophet should appear’ (Kanzul Ummal).
Furthermore, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, re-emphasised the second coming of Jesus, may peace be upon him, and stated that when Jesus comes, he will be a Nabiyyulluh (a Prophet of Allah) (Muslim, Kitabul Fitan wa Ashratu As-sa’ah).
If the Holy Prophet informed us that ‘No prophet will come after him’, why did he inform us that Jesus, a Prophet, will come after him?
This is the dilemma that we have to solve? On the one hand, the Holy Prophet informs us that no prophet will come after him and on the other hand he tells us that Jesus, son of Mary, who Muslims recognise as a prophet, will be coming after him? Was he confused? Did he lie? Did he himself not understand? Why has he contradicted himself?
One solution to this problem is that what the Holy Prophet meant was that no prophet will directly follow him. He will not be succeeded by another prophet. This is supported by a Hadith, as told by Hadhrat Ayesha God be pleased with her:
“Certainly, do say, he (the Holy Prophet) is the Seal of all Prophets, but do not say, there is no prophet after him”
Takmala Majma-ulk Bahar p15
Why should Hadhrat Ayesha God be pleased with her say this, when after all she was the wife of the Holy Prophet, surely she would have known if no prophets could really not come after the Holy Prophet?
Then there is another problem. When the Holy Prophet’s son Ibrahim passed away at 16 months, the Holy Prophet is reported to have said:
“If he (Hadhrat Ibrahim) had survived he would have been a true prophet”
Ibn Majah, Kitab ul Janaiz
This incident happened four years after the Khatamun Nabiyyeen verse had been revealed. Why did the Holy Prophet say this when he knew that no prophets can come after him? He should have said that even if he lived he would never have been a prophet!
Another suggested solution to this problem is that when Jesus returns, he will no longer be a Prophet, but then what did Jesus do in heaven to lose his Prophethood? Has a prophet ever had his Prophethood taken away from him before? No that cannot be the answer!
Some scholars say that as he was a prophet before the Holy Prophet, therefore he is not a new prophet. This does not make sense. The fact is that whether he had already come or not, when he comes he will still be a prophet, therefore being a prophet after the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet has also supported this view by declaring four times that Jesus will be a‘Nabiyyullah’ - ‘Prophet of Allah’ when he returns, as said in the hadith book Muslim - Kitabul Fitan wa Ashratu As-sa’ah.
Now let us turn back to the Holy Qur’an, does it allow Prophets to come?
Every Muslim should pray at least five times a day. In their prayers they recite Sura Fatihah in every Raka’at, which means they recite this particular Chapter at least 30 times every day. It is a wonderful Chapter, full of meaning.
In Sura Fatiha, we continue to appeal to Allah to ‘Ihdinas-sirat al-mustaqeem’ which translates to ‘Guide us to the right path’, followed later by ‘Siratallathina an ‘anita ‘alai-him’. ‘The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings’.
What is this right path and the blessings that Allah has been bestowing?
The Holy Qur’an informs us:-
“And Who so obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings, namely the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. And an excellent companions are these.”
Holy Qur’an, Chapter 4. verse 70
We are told by Allah that the blessings that He bestows are the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs and the Righteous. So Allah is clearly informing us that the blessings of Prophethood are still open for us, why are we trying to close it. Do we not want this great blessing?
Again we are told in the Holy Qur’an:
“O children of Adam, if Messengers come to you from among yourselves, rehearsing My Signs unto you,
then whoso shall fear God and do good deeds, on them shall come no fear nor shall they grieve”
Holy Qur’an, Chapter 7 verse 36
Although Allah has addressed us by saying “O children of Adam”, it is obvious if you read the verse before and after it, that Allah is addressing the Muslims. Therefore, Allah is informing us that we should accept any Prophet when he comes to us! Some Muslims object that in this verse it says Messengers – rasool will come and that there is a difference between a Prophet Nabi and Messenger rasool. This is nonsense and is totally unsupported by the Holy Qur’an.
If we again refer to the first verse we quoted Chapter 33 verse 41, it says that ‘Muhammad is a Messenger (rasool) of Allah and Khataman Nabiyyeen (Prophet)’. These spiritual titles have been given to many prophets there is no difference between them, a Prophet is also a messenger and a messenger is also a prophet.
Therefore the Holy Qur’an and Ahadith (sayings of the Holy Prophet) support the claim that a prophet can still come, only a law-bearing prophet can’t now come, as the Holy Qur’an is final and complete, therefore there is no need for any new laws.