Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … The mawquf narrations on this subject will also be given the ruling of marfu‘, because they have no connection with opinion or ijtihad (independent reasoning). Isma‘il says: I asked Sayyiduna Ibn Abi Awfa radi Allahu anhu whether he had seen the son of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Ibrahim. He replied: He passed away at a young age. If it had been decreed that a prophet would come after Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, then he (Ibrahim) would have been granted life, but after you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, no prophet will come. (Sahih Bukhari: 6194)

Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu says: When Sayyiduna Ibrahim radi Allahu anhu passed away, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ((Indeed, he has a wet nurse in Paradise, and if he had lived, he would have been a siddiq (truthful one) and a prophet.)) That is: Surely, he has a wet nurse in Paradise, and if this (my son) had lived, he would have been a siddiq and a prophet. (Ibn Majah: 1511, and for this portion of the hadith there are supporting narrations)

People of the Qadiani mindset have, in light of this hadith and these statements, denied the finality of prophethood of the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The first point is: what will be done with those most explicit legal proofs in which the cessation of prophethood and messengership upon you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has been clarified? The second point is: the result of a hypothetical conditional statement (ta‘liq bil-muhal) is also impossible, meaning neither did Sayyiduna Ibrahim radi Allahu anhu remain alive, nor was he granted prophethood. This type of conditional statement is also frequently used in the Noble Qur’an. For example:

The statement of Allah, the Exalted, is: {لَئِنْ اَشْرَکْتَ لَیَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُکَ وَلَتَکُوْنَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِیْنَ۔} (Surah Az-Zumar: 65) That is: (O Muhammad!) If you were to commit shirk (associate partners with Allah), surely your deeds would become worthless, and surely you would be among the losers.

It is further stated: {وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ اَھْوَائَ ھُمْ بَعْدَ مَا جَائَ کَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَکَ مِنَ اللّٰہِ مِنْ وَّلِیٍّ وَّلَا نَصِیْرٍ۔} (Surah Al-Baqarah: 120) That is: (O Muhammad!) If you were to follow their desires after knowledge has come to you, you would have no protector or helper from Allah.

The point to ponder is that neither were these matters ever going to occur from you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, nor were you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ever going to suffer their evil consequences. This is called ta‘liq bil-muhal (a conditional statement based on an impossibility), and in many places in the Noble Qur’an such examples are found. Therefore, the meaning of this blessed hadith regarding Sayyiduna Ibrahim radi Allahu anhu is that if, in the knowledge of Allah, it had been decreed that Sayyiduna Ibrahim radi Allahu anhu would remain alive, then he would have been a siddiq and a prophet. But since Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is the Seal of the Prophets (Khatam al-Anbiya), and after you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam the chain of prophethood has ended, therefore the will of Allah, the Exalted, required that he pass away in childhood. Thus, this does not negate the finality of prophethood of you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah said: These narrations, although mawquf, carry the ruling of marfu‘, because they pertain to such matters of the unseen in which there is no room for opinion. In any case, after knowing them, the Qadianis’ argument for the continuation of prophethood based on them becomes invalid; rather, this evidence actually goes against them, because it is clarified in it that the very reason for the death of Sayyiduna Ibrahim radi Allahu anhu in childhood was that after you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, no prophet was to come.

(Silsilah Da‘ifah: 220)

An example of this type is: It is narrated from Sayyiduna ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ((If there were to be a prophet after me, it would have been ‘Umar.)) (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi: 2/293, as-Sahihah: 327)

That is: If there were to be a prophet after me, it would have been ‘Umar (radi Allahu anhu). Since after you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam no prophet was to come, Sayyiduna ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu also could not attain this rank. In reality, this hadith points to the competence, capability, aptitude, worthiness, truthfulness, and closeness to the truth of Sayyiduna ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu.