This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri's book Khatm-e-Nubuwwat.
Does Khatam al-Nabiyyin mean the best or most virtuous prophet?
In some places, titles such as Khatam al-Shu'ara (Seal of the Poets), Khatam al-Kiram (Seal of the Noble), Khatimat al-Mujahideen (Seal of the Mujahideen), Khatimat al-Huffaz (Seal of the Huffaz), Khatimat al-Fuqaha (Seal of the Jurists), Khatimat al-Muhaddithin (Seal of the Hadith Scholars), and Akhir al-Shu'ara (Last of the Poets) have been used. From this, it is argued that Khatam and Akhir do not mean the last but rather the one who is superior.
However, this argument is completely wrong and indicates ignorance of the Arabic language. Every word has a literal meaning and a figurative meaning.
The true meaning of Khatam is the last, and figuratively it includes many meanings. Now, the context will show when the figurative meaning is intended and when the literal meaning is intended. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself used Khatam in its literal sense, saying: لا نبي بعدي "There is no prophet after me." He further said: ذهبت النبوة "The chain of prophethood is sealed." He also said: إن الرسالة والنبوة قد انقطعت "Prophethood and messengership have come to an end."
The statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him) clearly indicate that Khatam refers to the last prophet. Similarly, the consensus of the Companions, the consensus of the Ummah, and the lexicographers all say that Khatam al-Nabiyyin means the last prophet, after whom there is no prophet, as we have explained.
Therefore, baseless terms such as shadow, manifestation, Ummah, caliph prophet, and non-permanent prophet are against the Quran, Hadith, and the consensus of the Ummah.
Does Khatam mean Excellence?
Mufassir Razi, may Allah have mercy on him (606 AH), writes:
عند هذه الدرجة فازوا بالخلع الأربعة، الوجود والحياة والقدرة والعقل، فالعقل خاتم الكل والخاتم يجب أن يكون أفضل ألا ترى أن رسولنا صلى الله عليه وسلم لما كان خاتم النبيين كان أفضل الأنبياء عليهم والإنسان لما كان خاتم المخلوقات الجسمانية كان أفضلها .
"At this level, man acquired four qualities: existence, life, power, and intellect, and thus surpassed all creatures. Intellect was acquired last, and since it was acquired last, it necessarily means it is superior to all the previous qualities. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is the last Prophet, therefore he is superior to all the Prophets. Man is the last among physical creatures, therefore he is also superior to all physical creatures."
Reference: (Tafsir al-Razi: 31/22)
Mufassir Razi discusses a topic, the summary of which is that first there were inanimate objects, then from inanimate objects animals were created. In inanimate objects, there was only one quality, which is existence. When animals were created, they had the quality of existence and additionally the quality of life, so they had two qualities: existence and life.
When one quality was added, certainly animals became superior to inanimate objects. Then some animals were given power as well, here animals were divided into two types: those which had the qualities of existence and life, and those which had existence, life, and power. Certainly, the second type is superior to the first because they have the additional quality of power. Then some animals were given intellect as well.
Now, among animals, there are three types in terms of qualities: existence and life; existence, life, and power; existence, life, power, and intellect.
Here he writes that since intellect was acquired last, it is therefore the most superior. The culmination of the quality of life is intellect, which is why intellect is the most superior, meaning that something coming last necessarily implies its superiority.
Consider Mufassir Razi’s next statement:
والإنسان لما كان خاتم المخلوقات الجسمانية كان أفضلها .
"When man came last among physical creatures, he is necessarily the most superior among them."
Similarly, when the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, came last among all the Prophets, he is certainly the most superior. This means that finality (Khatmiyyah) necessarily implies superiority; it does not mean that the word "Khatam" itself means superior.
The meaning of Khatam as "last" was given by the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, who said: لا نبي بعدي "There is no Prophet after me."
There is consensus among the linguists that Khatam means last, and similarly, the consensus of the Ummah of Muhammad is that the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, is the last Prophet. Whoever believes that after him there is a prophet from his Ummah, a shadow prophet, a manifest prophet, or a non-permanent prophet, is unanimously a disbeliever.
Allama Bakir bin Najm al-Din Nasiri Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him (652 AH), writes:
صرح فقهاء الملة رحمهم الله بكونه خاتما، حسما لدعوى المتنبئين والدجالين، ولهذا المعنى قال مشايخنا رحمهم الله : إذا ادعى أحد بعد نبينا محمد صلوات الله عليه النبوة لا يقال له : ما آيتك على ما تدعي، بل يقابل بالتكذيب والر، لقيام الأدلة القاطعة على أنه لا نبي بعد محمد صلوات الله عليه، فثبت أن من ادعى النبوة، فهو كذاب دجال .
"The jurists of the Ummah have explicitly stated the finality of the Prophet, peace be upon him, so that there remains no room for the Dajjal and false claimants of prophethood. Therefore, our elders say that if anyone claims prophethood after Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, no proof will be sought from him; rather, he will be rejected and denied, because there are definitive proofs that there is no prophethood after Muhammad, peace be upon him. Thus, it is established that anyone who claims prophethood after him is a liar and the Dajjal."
Reference: (Al-Noor al-Lami' Q-64-B)
Note:
Interpreting Khatam an-Nabiyyin to mean that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the father of all prophets is a distortion of the meaning of the Quran; the Arabic language and the consensus of the Ummah do not support this.
