This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri's book Khatm-e-Nubuwwat.
The Religion of Some Sufis and Philosophers:
Ibn Arabi, may Allah have mercy on him (638 AH), wrote:
يتضمن هذا الباب المسائل التى لا يعلمها إلا الأكابر من عباد الله الذين هم فى زمانهم بمنزلة الأنبياء فى زمان ثبوت النبوة، وهى النبوة العامة فإن النبوة التى انقطعت بوجود رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إنما هي نبوة التشريع لا مقامها فلا شرع يكون ناسخا لشرعه صلى الله عليه وسلم، ولا يزيد فى حكمه شرعا آخر، وهذا معنى قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم : إن الرسالة والنبوة انقطعت، فلا رسول بعدي ولا نبي، أى لا نبي بعدي يكون على شرع يكون مخالفا لشرعي، بل إذا كان، يكون تحت حكم شريعتي فهذا هو الذى انقطع وسد بابه، لا مقام النبوة .
"In this chapter, there are issues whose knowledge is known only to the people of Allah. The people of Allah in our time are like the Prophets, and their prophethood is general. The prophethood that ended after the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is legislative prophethood. No law will come to abrogate the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, nor will any command of his Shariah be added to. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: 'I am the last Prophet; there is no Prophet after me.'
This means that after me, no Prophet will come who brings a Shariah contrary to mine. Rather, if any Prophet comes, he will come following my Shariah. This prophethood has ended, but the position of prophethood has not ended absolutely."
Reference: (Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyah: 3/2)
Ibn Arabi is an atheist and irreligious Sufi, opposing the Holy Quran, the texts of the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Ummah of Muhammad. The Holy Quran narrates the statement of our master Musa (Moses), peace be upon him:
فَوَهَبَ لِيْ رَبِّيْ حُكْمًا
"Allah granted me knowledge and wisdom (prophethood)."
Reference: (Surah Ash-Shu'ara: 21)
This verse makes it clear that prophethood and the knowledge of prophethood are bestowed (divine gifts), not acquired. Acquired prophethood does not exist in Islam, nor is it even conceivable; rather, it did not exist in the earlier Shariahs either.
Allama Zarqashi, may Allah have mercy on him (794 AH), writes:
لقوله تعالى : وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ ، وفي الصحيحين قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم : لا نبي بعدي، والإجماع على ذلك، ولم يخالف منه إلا فرقة من الفلاسفة زعموا أن النبوة مكتسبة، وفي هذا القول من الشناعة والخروج من الملة ما يكفر قائله .
"The command of the Exalted Allah: وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ and the hadith in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim: 'There is no Prophet after me,' and the consensus of the Ummah all indicate this. There is no other opinion on this. A group of philosophers say that prophethood is acquired; their statement is a misfortune and leads to leaving the Ummah of Muhammad, i.e., disbelief."
Reference: (Tashnif al-Masam'i bi Jam' al-Jawami': 764/4)
Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) and the Belief in the Finality of Prophethood:
Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Salih Harawi says:
أنكروا على أبى حاتم ابن حبان قوله : النبوة العلم والعمل، فحكموا عليه بالزندقة، وهجر، وكتب فيه إلى الخليفة فكتب بقتله وسمعت غيره يقول : لذلك خرج إلى سمرقند .
"People issued a verdict of heresy against Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, and boycotted him. According to them, Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, said that prophethood is the name of knowledge and action. When this verdict was conveyed to the Caliph, he decided to kill Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him. Some say that because of this verdict, he had to go to Samarkand."
Reference: (Tarikh Dimashq by Ibn Asakir: 253/52)
This is a false story.
The life details of Abdul Samad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Salih and his father could not be found.
Hafiz Abu Zur'ah, Ibn al-Iraqi, may Allah have mercy on him (826 AH), writes:
فرقة من الفلاسفة قالوا : إن النبوة مكتسبة . وفي ذم الكلام للهروي : أنكروا على ابن حبان قوله : النبوة العلم والعمل، وحكموا عليه بالزندقة، وهجر، وكتب فيه إلى الخليفة، فأخرج إلى سمرقند . قلت : وما أظن ابن حبان يقول : إن من حصل له العلم والعمل صار نبيا، ولٰكن العلم والعمل آلة للنبوة، ثم قد يؤتي الله العالم العامل النبوة وقد لا يؤتيه الله إياها : اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ ، وكان هٰذا قبل نبينا عليه الصلاة والسلام، أما الآن فقد علم بالدليل القطعي انتفاء ذٰلك، والله أعلم . وأما كونه عليه الصلاة والسلام مبعوثا إلى الخلق أجمعين، فالمراد المكلف منهم، وهٰذا يتناول الإنس والجن والملائكة، فأما الأولان فبالإجماع .
"A group of philosophers consider prophethood to be acquired. In Harawi's book 'Dhim al-Kalam' it is written that people issued a verdict of heresy against Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, and boycotted him. According to them, Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, said that prophethood is the name of knowledge and action. When this verdict was conveyed to the Caliph, he exiled him towards Samarkand. I do not believe that Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, said that whoever acquires knowledge and action can become a prophet. Knowledge and action are tools of prophethood. Allah sometimes grants prophethood to a knowledgeable and practicing person and sometimes does not. اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ Allah knows best whom He makes a Messenger. The granting of prophethood happened before our Prophet, peace be upon him. Now it is conclusively proven that prophethood is cut off. And Allah knows best! The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was sent to all creation, meaning those accountable under Shariah: jinn, humans, and angels. The accountability of humans and jinn is a matter of consensus."
Reference: (Al-Ghaith al-Hami Sharh Jam' al-Jawami': 766,765)
Hafiz al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him (748 AH), writes:
قلت : ولقوله هذا محمل سائخ إن كان عناه، أى عماد النبوة العلم والعمل، لأن الله لم يؤت النبوة والوحي إلا من اتصف بهذين النعتين، وذلك لأن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يصير بالوحي عالما، ويلزم من وجود العلم الإلهي العمل الصالح، فصدق بهذا الاعتبار قوله : النبوة العلم اللدني والعمل المقرب إلى الله، فالنبوة إذا تفسر بوجود هذين الوصفين الكاملين، ولا سبيل إلى تحصيل هذين الوصفين بكمالهما إلا بالوحي الإلهي ، وهو علم يقيني ما فيه ظن، وعلم غير الأنبياء منه يقيني وأكثره ظني ثم النبوة ملازمة للعصمة ولا عصمة لغيرهم، ولو بلغ فى العلم والعمل ما بلغ والخبر عن الشيء يصدق ببعض أركانه وأهم مقاصده، غير أنا لا نسوع لأحد إطلاق هذا إلا بقرينة، كقوله عليه الصلاة والسلام : الحج عرفة، وإن كان عنى الحصر ، أى ليس شيء إلا العلم والعمل ، فهذه زندقة وفلسفة .
"There is a valid possibility in his statement if he meant that knowledge and action are the pillars of prophethood. Allah gives knowledge and action to whom He grants prophethood. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, became knowledgeable with revelation, and the existence of divine knowledge necessitates righteous action. In this sense, Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, is correct in saying that prophethood is the name of divine knowledge and action that brings one closer to Allah. Prophethood is the perfection of these two qualities, and their perfection is only attained through divine revelation. Revelation is certain knowledge, not speculative, and the knowledge of a non-prophet is sometimes certain but mostly speculative. Moreover, prophethood requires infallibility; a non-prophet is not infallible, no matter how much knowledge he acquires. Sometimes the term for something applies to some of its parts and important objectives, as the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: 'Hajj (standing) is the name of standing at Arafah.' If Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, meant exclusivity, that prophethood is only attained through knowledge and action, then certainly this is heresy and philosophy."
Reference: (Mizan al-I'tidal: 508/3)
He further writes:
قلت : هذه حكاية غريبة، وابن حبان فمن كبار الأئمة، ولسنا ندعي فيه العصمة من الخطا لكن هذه الكلمة التى أطلقها، قد يطلقها المسلم، ويطلقها الزنديق الفيلسوف، فإطلاق المسلم لها لا ينبغي لكن يعتذر عنه، فنقول : لم يرد حصر المبتدء فى الخبر، ونظير ذلك قوله عليه الصلاة والسلام : الحج عرفة، ومعلوم أن الحاج لا يصير بمجرد الوقوف بعرفة حاجا، بل بقي عليه فروض وواجبات، وإنما ذكر مهم الحج وكذا هذا ذكر مهم النبوة، إذ من أكمل صفات النبى كمال العلم والعمل، فلا يكون أحد نبيا إلا بوجودهما، وليس كل من برز فيهما نبيا، لأن النبوة موهبة من الحق تعالى، لا حيلة للعبد فى اكتسابها ، بل بها يتولد العلم اللدني والعمل الصالح وأما الفيلسوف فيقول : النبوة مكتسبة ينتجها العلم والعمل، فهذا كفر، ولا يريده أبو حاتم أصلا، وحاشاه .
"This is a strange story. Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, is a great Imam. We do not claim his infallibility, but this phrase can be used by a Muslim as well as a philosopher or heretic. Even for a Muslim, it is not correct to use this phrase without understanding its meaning. The meaning of the subject is not solely dependent on the words of the report, as the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: 'Hajj (standing) is the name of standing at Arafah.' But we know that performing standing only at Arafah does not complete Hajj; other obligations and duties are also present. Here, the important pillar of Hajj is mentioned. Similarly, Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned an important component of prophethood because these are essential parts of prophethood. It is not that whoever has knowledge and action becomes a prophet; prophethood is by divine grant, given by Allah to whom He wills. There is no way to acquire it. However, with prophethood comes divine knowledge and righteous action. Philosophers say that prophethood is acquired through knowledge and action. This is disbelief. Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, did not mean this, may Allah protect him."
Reference: (Siyar A'lam al-Nubala': 96/16)
Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him (774 AH), writes:
قد حاول بعضهم الكلام فيه من جهة معتقده، ونسبه إلى القول بأن النبوة مكتسبة، وهى نزعة فلسفية، والله أعلم بصحتها عنه .
"Some people have disputed his belief and attributed to him that he considered prophethood to be acquired. This is a philosophical dispute. Allah knows whether this is proven from Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, or not."
Reference: (Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya: 281/15)
Allama Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) and the Finality of Prophethood:
Allama Abdul Raouf Munawi, may Allah have mercy on him (1031 AH), says:
هذه قاعدة لا يحتاج فى إثباتها إلى شيء لانعقاد الإجماع عليها، ولا التفات إلى ما زعمه بعض فرق الضلال؛ من أن النبوة باقية إلى يوم القيامة، وبنوا ذلك على قاعدة الأوائل أن النبوة مكتسبة، ورمي بذلك جمع من عظماء الصوفية كالإمام الغزالي، افتراه عليه الحسدة، وقد تبرأ رحمه الله من القول به، وتنصل منه فى كتبه، وأما عيسى عليه الصلاة والسلام، فقد أجمعوا على نزوله نبيا لكنه بشريعة نبينا صلى الله تعالى عليه وآله وسلم .
"This is a principle that requires no proof because there is consensus on it. The claims of some misguided sects that prophethood will continue until the Day of Judgment are insignificant. Their basis is the earlier philosophers' assertion that prophethood is acquired. A group among the great Sufis was accused of adopting this view. Imam Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him, was also among them; his enemies falsely accused him of this, but he disavowed it and expressed his disassociation from it in his books. As for Jesus, peace be upon him, the Ummah is unanimous that he will be a prophet at the time of his descent, but he will follow the Shariah of our Prophet, peace be upon him.
Reference: (Fayz al-Qadeer: 341/2, At-Taysir bi Sharh al-Jami' as-Saghir: 236/1)
Allama Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him (671 AH), writes:
ما ذكره الغزالي فى هذه الآية، وهذا المعنى فى كتابه الذى سماه بالاقتصاد، إلحاد عندي، وتطرق خبيث إلى تشويش عقيدة المسلمين فى ختم محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم النبوة، فالحذر الحذر منه والله الهادي برحمته .
"What Allama Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him, said under this verse in his book Al-Iqtisad, I consider it atheism. It is a conspiracy to sow doubt in the finality of prophethood. Avoid it, may Allah envelop you in His mercy."
Reference: (Tafsir al-Qurtubi: 197/14)
Abu Hayyan al-Andalusi, may Allah have mercy on him (745 AH), writes:
من ذهب إلى أن النبوة مكتسبة لا تنقطع، أو إلى أن الولي أفضل من النبي، فهو زنديق يجب قتله، وقد ادعى النبوة ناس فقتلهم المسلمون على ذلك، وكان فى عصرنا شخص من الفقراء ادعى النبوة بمدينة مالقة، فقتله السلطان بن الأحمر، ملك الأندلس بغرناطة، وصلب إلى أن تناثر لحمه .
"Those who say that prophethood is acquired, does not end, or think that a wali (saint) is superior to a prophet, are heretics; it is obligatory to kill them. Whenever anyone claimed prophethood, the Muslims killed him. In our time, a faqir from the city of Malqa claimed prophethood, so the Andalusian king Sultan Ibn Ahmar had him killed in Granada and hanged until his flesh was scattered."
Reference: (Al-Bahr al-Muheet: 485/8)
Mulla Ali Qari Rahimahullah and the Belief in the Finality of Prophethood:
Allama Ibn Battal (may Allah have mercy on him) (449 AH) writes:
إن العرب تقول فى لو: إنها تجيء لامتناع الشيء لامتناع غيره، كقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم : لو كان بعدي نبي لكان عمر، ولا سبيل أن يكون بعده نبي كما لا سبيل أن يكون عمر نبيا .
"According to the Arabic lexicon, the word لو indicates that two things are inseparable, meaning if one thing does not exist, the other will not exist either. As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: If there were to be a prophet after me, it would have been Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). Since Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was not a prophet, no one else can be a prophet."
Reference: (Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari: 42/3)
After understanding this premise, it will now be easier to comprehend a statement by Mulla Ali Qari. Regarding the finality of prophethood, Mulla Ali Qari holds the same position as the entire Ummah: that after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), no prophet of any kind can come. Whoever claims prophethood after him will be a disbeliever and apostate. However, some people have tried to derive a meaning from one of his statements that was not intended by Mulla Ali Qari.
He discussed a hadith attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): لو عاش لكان نبيا "If Ibrahim (may Allah be pleased with him) were alive, he would be a prophet."
He quotes scholars such as Hafiz Ibn Abdul Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) and Hafiz Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), who consider this hadith weak, but Mulla Ali Qari accepts it as authentic and explains its meaning by writing:
إنه يومي إليه بأنه لم يعش له ولد يصل إلى مبلغ الرجال فإن ولده من صلبه يقتضي أن يكون لب قلبه كما يقال : الولد سر أبيه ولو عاش وبلغ أربعين وصار نبيا لزم أن لا يكون نبينا خاتم النبيين .
"This indicates that none of the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) sons would live to reach maturity, because the offspring of the loins are the essence of the heart. It is said that a son is the essence of the father. So if Ibrahim (may Allah be pleased with him), the son of the Messenger (peace be upon him), had lived and reached the age of forty and become a prophet, then the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would not have remained the Seal of the Prophets."
Here he is assuming a hypothetical situation: if this had happened, then that would have happened. But since none of this occurred, it is only assumed for the sake of explanation.
As Allah Almighty says:
لَوْ كَانَ فِيْهِمَاۤ اٰلِهَةٌ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ لَفَسَدَتَا
"If there were many gods besides Allah in the heavens and the earth, there would have been disorder."
Reference: (Al-Anbiya: 22)
This verse does not mean that there are other gods, but rather that if there were, disorder would ensue. But there are no other gods, so this is not the case. Mulla Ali Qari writes in the same context:
لو عاش إبراهيم وصار نبيا وكذا لو صار عمر نبيا لكانا من أتباعه عليه الصلاة والسلام كعيسى والخضر وإلياس عليهم السلام فلا يناقض قوله تعالى: وخاتم النبيين إذ المعنى أنه لا يأتى نبي بعده ينسخ ملته ولم يكن من أمته .
"If Ibrahim (may Allah be pleased with him) or Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had become prophets, they would still have been followers of you (peace be upon him), just as Jesus (peace be upon him), Khidr (peace be upon him), and Elias (peace be upon him) are. This would not contradict Allah’s command وَخَاتَم النَّبِيِّينَ, and the meaning would be that no prophet will come after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who would annul his prophethood and who would not be from his Ummah."
Now here the word لو is used: if Ibrahim (may Allah be pleased with him) had lived or Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had become a prophet, then the meaning would be like this; otherwise, the meaning remains that no prophet will come after the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The coming of any prophet after him contradicts the finality of prophethood.
In the previous statement, he himself said that Ibrahim (may Allah be pleased with him) living and becoming a prophet would contradict the finality of prophethood, but hypothetically, if it had happened, then the meaning of the verse would be interpreted accordingly.
Consider Mulla Ali Qari’s other statements, where he writes:
دعوى النبوة بعد نبينا كفر بالإجماع .
"Claiming prophethood after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is unanimously disbelief."
Reference: (Sharh al-Fiqh al-Akbar, p. 380)
He also writes:
المعنى أنه لا يحدث بعده نبي لأنه خاتم النبيين السابقين وفيه إيماء إلى أنه لو كان بعده نبي لكان عليا، وهو لا ينافي ما ورد فى حق عمر صريحا، لأن الحكم فرضي وتقديري، فكأنه قال : لو تصور بعدي نبي لكان جماعة من أصحابي أنبياء، ولكن لا نبي بعدي .
"The meaning is that no prophet will be born after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), because he is the Seal of the Prophets. This hadith indicates that if there were to be a prophet, it would have been Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). The same statement is made about Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). This is a divine decree and hypothetical, as if the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: If the concept of prophethood existed after me, then a group of my companions would have been made prophets, but after me, there is no prophet."
Reference: (Miraqat al-Mafatih Sharh Mishkat al-Masabih: 3932/9)
He also writes:
(وأنا العاقب) أى الآتي عقب الأنبياء ليس بعدي نبي ، ففي الصحاح العاقب يعني آخر الأنبياء وكل من خلف بعد شيء فهو عاقبة .
"I am the 'Aqib' (the last), meaning I came after the prophets; after me, there is no prophet. It is authentic that 'Aqib' means the last prophet. Anything that comes after someone is called 'Aqib'."
Reference: (Sharh al-Shifa: 490/1)
He also explains the meaning of 'Muqaffi' by writing:
المعنى أنه آخر النبيين فإذا قفى فلا نبي بعده .
"The meaning is that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last prophet; when you are the last, then certainly no prophet will come after you."
Reference: (Sharh al-Shifa: 495/1)
Furthermore, he writes:
إنه آخر الأنبياء الآتي على أثرهم، لا نبي بعده .
"That Prophet (peace be upon him) is the last to come after the prophets; after him, there is no prophet."
Reference: (Miraqat al-Mafatih: 3697/9)
