Seal of the prophets

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Seal of the Prophets (ar. خاتم اﻟﻨﺒﻴﻴﻦ Khatim-an-Nabiyyin) is a title given to Muhammad by a verse in the Qur'an . Muslims traditionally interpret this verse as meaning that Muhammad was the last prophet.

History of the concept in traditional Islam

The main Qur'anic reference to this phrase comes from the chapter (surah) titled Al Ahzab; "The Confederates" or "The Allies". In this chapter, God answers criticism of Muhammad's marriage to Zaynab, who was divorced from Zaid, his adopted son. Since the Qur'an already distinguished between adopted and natural children, God, in response to the accusations, said:

"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of God and the Seal of the prophets. And God is ever Knower of all things." - Qur'an: "The Allies", verse 40.

While the primary focus of this narrative is to answer accusations that his marriage to Zaynab was immoral according to Arabic custom, (cf. note on adoption) this phrase is nonetheless taken as being especially significant.

Hadith

Sunnis claims to quote the Hadith of Umar and prophecy as proof of Muhammad's being the last prophet, while both Shi'a and Sunni quote the Hadith of position.

In Shia-Sunni dispute

Shia Muslims believe that Muhammad was succeeded through the sons of his daughter, Zahra. One argument in support of this, in words of Wilferd Madelung, has been that "Muhammad could not have seen his succession essentially other than in the light of the narrations of the Qur'an about the succession of the earlier prophets, just as he saw his own mission as a prophet, the resistance of his people with which he met, and his ultimate success by divine grace in the light of the experience of the former prophets as related in the Qur'an. The earlier prophets considered it a supreme favor to be succeeded by their offspring or close kin for which they implored the Lord." Sunnis however use the above verse to argue against this, saying that since Muhammad was the last prophet, he was not to be succeeded by any of his family. "In order to reveal this design, God also let all of Muhammad's sons die in infancy." According to Wilferd Madelung, the latter argument is based on a particular interpretation of "Seal of the Prophet", and that even if excludes the possibility of prophethood, it does not exclude a spiritual and worldly successor for Muhammad.

Academic view

According to Welch, Muslim interpretation of Khatam-an-Nabiyyin as the "last and greatest of the prophets", is most likely based on a later interpretation. Carl Ernst considers this phrase to mean that Muhammad's "imprint on history is as final as a wax seal on a letter". Wilferd Madelung states that the meaning of this term is not certain.

Views of other religions and sects

Manichaeism

Before Muhammad, the term was used in Manichaeism, a Persian faith whose founder Mani claimed to be the Last Prophet.

Doebandi

Founder of deobandi movement Maulana Qasim Nanotwi's belief that Khataman-Nabiyeen means ‘best of prophets’ instead of ‘last of prophets’ is proven from his book ‘Tehzeerunas’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sw6Qyqjh04.

Ahmadiyya

In recent history, the interpretation of the term “seal of the prophets” has been a cause of much contention between the traditional Islam and the Ahmadiyya Movement. The differences arose due to differences in the definition and usage of the terms “seal” and “prophet”.

The two branches of the Ahmadiyya movement differ in their interpretation of this term as well.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community while accepting Muhammad as the 'seal of Prophets' and the last prophet to have brought a complete and comprehensive universal law for humanity, believe that prophethood subordinate to Muhammad is still open. They believe their founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to be the promised Messiah and Mahdi, who claimed a certain kind of prophethood but never claimed to have brought a new divine law or change the law of Muhammad, but to have been sent to revive and universally establish the law/religion of Muhammad.

In contrast the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement believes that Mohammad was the last prophet and no new or old prophet can come after him.

Bahá'í Faith

The Bahá'í Faith regards Muhammad as the seal of the prophets, but does not interpret this term as meaning that no further messengers from God are possible. In particular, Bahá'ís regard the end-times prophecies of Islam (and other faiths) as being symbolic, and see the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh as symbolically fulfilling these prophetic expectations. The latter of these is the founder of the Bahá'í religion, which considers Islamic law to have been superseded by its own. These interpretive and legal differences have caused the Bahá'ís to be seen as heretics and apostates by many Muslims.

Sufism

The end-times prophecies of Islam point to a mahdi and those of Christianity to a messiah. That Muhammad calls himself the Seal of the prophets deals with the fact that any true prophet who arose would know of Muhammad's mission and bring out his true status and identity. The case of Uwais al-Qarni who was given Muhammed's mantle after his death in 632 was because this was given to him as his successor. It is because Elijah is the Seal of the prophets that Muhammad called himself the "last prophet" and other things to illustrate that he wore the Mantle of Prophecy: he was carrying out God's will as one having been "instructed" by Gabriel who also instructed Zacharias and Mary. Distinct from these, Muhammad's mission dealt with the fact that the Qur'an is at the same time the Curse of God upon Israel, and the Blessing of God upon Ishmael as Bani-Israel (or the "New Israel"). The arrival of the Messiah at the end can be better understood if one realizes that the Messiah will have his messenger who is "much more than a prophet", as Jesus Christ called him. This was John the Baptist's status as the 'friend of the Bridegroom'. He was the Messenger of Jehovah of hosts, as is written about in : "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts." In the Sufic philosophy it is as Muhammad once said in comparing external and internal struggle; to wit, "The ink of the Learned is holier than the blood of the martyr".

Most commonly held view about the phrase Seal of Prophets is that "seal" means finality and end.

Some scholars have translated and interpreted the word Seal in terms of honour and superiority. Most scholars although accept that both translations are correct.

Maulana Room in his famous Mathnawi writes ,

He has been raised to the station of Khatam by the grace of God. There can never be his like before him or after.

When a master excels all others in his art, don’t you use the word ‘khatam’ to convey the idea that he has excelled all others in his domain?

Ibn Arabi also followed the same line of reasoning in his futoohat He has even argued that possibility of a subordinate prophet is open according to the verse 33:40.

Non-Sufi Islamic interpretations

A majority of Salafi and Sunni scholars have adhered to the view that khatam means last . Ibn Kathir in his commentary states .

Hence this verse is a clear proof of the fact that no prophet will come after Muhammad and when it is said that no prophet will come after him it is a foregone conclusion that no messenger will succeed him either.

Muhammed Qasim Nanotwi, the famous founder of Deoband seminary seems to conform to the sufi idea of finality . He writes,

According to the layman, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings on him, being Khatam is supposed to have appeared after all the other prophets. But men of understanding and the wise know it very well that being the first or the last, chronologically, does not carry any weight. How could, therefore, the words of the Holy Quran 'But he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of Prophets (33.40)' mean to glorify him? But I know very well that none from among the Muslims would be prepared to agree with the common men.

Despite the more philosophical stance taken by Nanutuwi, all the Deoband scholars have take a more simplitic view of this concept.

The Barelvi sect of Sunni Islam has, however, criticised the Deoband school of denying the finality of prophethood on the basis of the writings of their leader.

References

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Last updated on Thursday March 13, 2008 at 11:48:18 PDT (GMT -0700)
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