The Finality of Prophethood in Islam

IMRAN SHAYKH

The Muslim view point on the finality of Prophethood stems from the 40th verse of the Chapter of Ahzab

مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ
وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا

\"Mohammed (pbuh) is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah
and the seal of the Prophets\"

In this verse, Allah unconditionally announces that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is the final prophet and consequently the bearer of the last message from Allah. The view of Muslim scholars is unanimous that belief in the finality of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is a fundamental belief - so much so that one who denies it goes out of the fold of Islam.

Since finality of Prophethood (Khatme Nabuwwat) is the most perplexing issue that thwarts the Baha’i dispensation in reaching out to Muslims, it has gained disproportionate coverage in Baha’i writings. In their bid to interpret Khatme Nabuwwat in a manner that allows for multiplicity of interpretive methods to encourage religious pluralism,

Baha’is have erred seriously on two fronts - they have taken an unusually high number of liberties with the Quran, Sunnah and Arabic literature, something they will not put up with when it comes to interpreting the Iqaan and Aqdas. The other lapse on the part of the Baha’is is that the discussion on Khatme Nabuwwat is seen as the all-important debate as a consequence of which other equally important issues have been given the short-shrift. Some of these issues have already been tackled threadbare on my website and I plan to take up the other topics soon.

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