This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri's book Khatm-e-Nubuwwat.
Meaning of Khatam
In the above lines, the meaning of "Khatam an-Nabiyyin" has been explained that there is no prophet after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself explained this that there will be no prophet after me. The Companions, the Followers, and the permanent scholars of Hadith, may Allah have mercy on them, have also given the same explanation, and there is consensus of the Ummah on this. However, the people of deviation have always had the habit of imposing their own meanings on words and expressions.
Allama Shatibi, may Allah have mercy on him (790 AH), writes about a false claimant of prophethood:
لقد سمعت بعض طلبة ذلك البلد الذى احتله هذا البائس ، وهو مالقة، آخذا ينظر فى قوله تعالى : وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وهل يمكن تأويله؟ وجعل يطرق إليه الاحتمالات، ليسوع إمكان بعث نبي بعد محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، وكان مقتل هذا المفتري على يد شيخ شيوخنا أبى جعفر بن الزبير رحمه الله .
"I heard a poor student from the city of Malqa who used to interpret وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ. He created semantic possibilities in it to justify the possibility of prophethood after Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Then our teacher of teachers, Abu Ja'far ibn Zubayr, may Allah have mercy on him, killed this fabricator."
Reference: (Al-I'tisam : 593/2)
In view of this concern, further discussion is being made on the word Khatam, so that all its layers of meaning are peeled off and clarified, and no atheist can distort its meaning.
Imam al-Lughah, Zajjaj, may Allah have mercy on him (311 AH), writes:
قرأت : وخاتم النبيين وخاتم النبيين .
فمن كسر التاء فمعناه ختم النبيين، ومن قرأ : وخاتم النبيين بفتح التاء ، فمعناه آخر النبيين، لا نبي بعده صلى الله عليه وسلم .
"Khatam an-Nabiyyin, when read with a fatḥah (a) or kasrah (i) on the tā’ (t), if read with kasrah, it means that the Prophet (peace be upon him) ended the chain of prophets; if read with fatḥah, it means that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the last prophet, and there is no prophet after him."
Reference: (Ma'ani al-Qur'an wa I'rabuh : 230/4)
Abu Mansur Azhari, may Allah have mercy on him (370 AH), writes:
الختام والخاتم : قولك للرجل : هو كريم الطابع والطباع . قال : وتفسيره أن أحدهم إذا شرب وجد فى آخر كأسه ريح المسك . وقوله جل وعز : مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ اَبَاۤ اَحَدٍ مِّنْ رِّجَالِكُمْ وَ لٰـكِنْ رَّسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ وَ خَاتَمَ النَّبِیّٖنَ معناه : آخر النبيين ، ومن أسمائه العاقب أيضا، معناه آخر الأنبياء .
"Al-Khitam and Khatam are said of a person with a pleasant nature and refined temperament. It means that when someone drinks water, he smells the fragrance of musk in his last cup. Allah says: مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ اَبَاۤ اَحَدٍ مِّنْ رِّجَالِكُمْ وَ لٰـكِنْ رَّسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ وَ خَاتَمَ النَّبِيّٖنَ which means that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the last prophet. Among the blessed names of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is also the name 'Aaqib', which means the last prophet."
Reference: (Tahdhib al-Lughah : 138/7)
Imam al-Lughah, Abu Mansur Azhari, may Allah have mercy on him (370 AH), writes:
من قرأ : وخاتم النبيين بالكسر، فمعناه : أنه ختم النبيين بنفسه، ومن قرأ : وخاتم النبيين فمعناه : آخر النبيين، لا نبي بعده .
"If Khatam an-Nabiyyin is read with kasrah, it means that the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself ended prophethood. If read with fatḥah, it means that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the last prophet, and there is no prophet after him."
Reference: (Ma'ani al-Qira'at : 284/2)
Imam al-Lughah, Abu Ali Farsi, may Allah have mercy on him (377 AH), writes:
أما قول الكسائي : خاتمه، فإن معناه : آخره، كما كان من قرأ : وَخَاتِمَ النَّبِيِّينَ كان معناه : آخرهم .
"According to Imam Kisa'i, the meaning of Khatmah is that he is the very last, as according to some Qira'at وَخَاتِمَ النَّبِيِّينَ means that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the last prophet."
Reference: (Al-Hujjah lil-Qurra' as-Sab'ah : 387/6)
Linguistic Imam Abu Nasr Johari, may Allah have mercy on him (398 AH), writes:
خاتمة الشيء آخره، ومحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم خاتم الأنبياء عليهم الصلاة والسلام .
"Khatmat al-shay’ means the end of something, and the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) is the last prophet."
Reference: (Al-Sihah Taj al-Lughah wa Sihah al-Arabiyyah : 1908/5)
Imam al-Lughah, Ibn Faris, may Allah have mercy on him (395 AH), writes:
ختمت الشيء أختمه، إذا بلغت آخره، والنبي صلى الله عليه خاتم الأنبياء .
"The chapter of Khatm means being the last, and the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) is the last prophet."
Reference: (Mujmal al-Lughah p. 313)
Abu Abdullah Halimi, may Allah have mercy on him (403 AH), writes:
أما الخاتم : فالذي لا نبي بعده، كما ليس بعد خاتمة الأمر منه شيء، وليس بعد ختم الكتاب بشر، ولا بعد ختم الكيس إخراج شيء منه، والله أعلم .
"Khatam is that after whom there is no prophet, just as after something is finished, nothing remains; after the end of a book, nothing remains in it; and after a vessel is emptied, nothing can be taken from it."
Reference: (Al-Minhaj fi Shu'ab al-Iman : 49/2)
Allama Abu Umar Wudani, may Allah have mercy on him (444 AH), writes:
فتح التاء على أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم هو الذى ختم به الأنبياء كما قرأه عاصم وكسره على أنه هو الذى ختمهم، فهو خاتمهم .
"If the tā’ is given fatḥah, it means that the chain of prophets ended by the Prophet (peace be upon him); this is the Qira'at of Asim. If the tā’ is given kasrah, it means that the Prophet (peace be upon him) ended the chain of prophethood."
Reference: (Jami' al-Bayan fi al-Qira'at as-Sab'ah : 1495/4)
Imam al-Lughah, Ibn Sīdah, may Allah have mercy on him (458 AH), writes:
ختم الشيء يختمه ختما : بلغ آخره، وخاتم كل شيء، وخاتمته : عاقبته وآخره، وختام القوم، وخاتمهم : آخرهم، عن اللحياني، وفي التنزيل وَ لٰـكِنْ رَّسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ وَ خَاتَمَ النَّبِیّٖنَ ، أى آخرهم .
"ختم الشيء means: he reached the end of something. خاتم كل شيء, وخاتمته means: the end and final outcome of everything. وختام القوم, وخاتمهم means: the last person. In the Holy Qur'an it is: وَلٰـكِنْ رَّسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ وَ خَاتَمَ النَّبِيّٖنَ 'You are the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets,' meaning you (peace be upon him) are the last prophet."
Reference: (Al-Muhkam wal-Muheet al-A'zam : 156/5)
He also writes:
أما قوله تعالى : وَ خَاتَمَ النَّبِیّٖنَ ، فخاتم اسم فاعل من ختمهم أى صار آخرهم .
"Khatam an-Nabiyyin means the last prophet. Khatam is the active participle form derived from the root Khatm."
Reference: (Al-Mukhasas : 231/1)
Allama Raghib Asfahani, may Allah have mercy on him (502 AH), writes:
وَ خَاتَمَ النَّبِیّٖنَ ، لأنه ختم النبوة ، أى تممها بمجيبه
"You (peace be upon him) are the Seal of the Prophets because you ended prophethood, meaning that with your coming, prophethood was completed."
Reference: (Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Qur'an p. 275)
Linguistic Imam, Ibn Manzur Afriqi, may Allah have mercy on him (711 AH), writes:
ختم الشيء يختمه ختما بلغ آخره، وختم الله له بخير، وخاتم كل شيء وخاتمته : عاقبته وآخره، واختتمت الشيء نقيض افتتحته ، وخاتمة السورة آخرها .
"The chapter of Khatm means being the last. Allah said its ending is good. Khatam means the one who comes last, the end, as opposed to the beginning. The end of a Surah means the last part of the Surah."
Reference: (Lisan al-Arab : 164/12)
He also writes:
مثل الخاتم والختام قولك للرجل : هو كريم الطابع والطباع، قال : وتفسيره أن أحدهم إذا شرب وجد آخر كأسه ريح المسك، وختام الوادي : أقصاه، وختام القوم وخاتمهم وخاتمهم : آخرهم، عن اللحياني، ومحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم خاتم الأنبياء، عليه وعليهم الصلاة والسلام .
"Al-Khitam and Khatam are said of a person with a pleasant nature. Its explanation is that when someone drinks water, he smells the fragrance of musk in his last sip. ختام الوادي means the last part of a valley. ختام القوم وخاتمهم وخاتمهم means the last person of a nation. Lahyani, may Allah have mercy on him, says that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last prophet."
Reference: (Lisan al-Arab : 164/12)
Allama Tayyibi, may Allah have mercy on him (743 AH), writes:
الخاتم من ختمت الشيء إذا أتممته وبلغت آخره، وخاتمة الشيء وختامه : آخره، ومنه ختم القرآن، سمي صلى الله عليه وسلم خاتم النبيين، لأنه آخرهم فى البعثة إلى الخلق، وإن كان فى الفضل أولا .
"In Arabic lexicon, a phrase is said: ختمت الشيء, which means I have ended something and reached its end. Khatam is also a word from the same family. Similarly, خاتمة الشيء وختامه means the end of something. The completion of the Qur'an is also from this category, meaning the Qur'an has been completed. The name Khatam an-Nabiyyin was given to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) because although he is the foremost in virtue, he is the last in the mission."
Reference: (Sharh al-Mishkat lil-Tayyibi : 3686/12)
Famous linguist, Allama Abu Tahir Muhammad ibn Ya'qub Firuzabadi, may Allah have mercy on him (817 AH), writes:
وخاتم النبيين لأنه ختم النبوة أى تممها بمجيئه .
"You (peace be upon him) are the Seal of the Prophets because you ended prophethood, meaning that with your coming, the chain of prophethood was completed."
Reference: (Basā'ir Dhawi al-Tamayyuz fi Lata'if al-Kitab al-'Aziz : 527/2)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him (852 AH), writes:
وخاتم النبيين أى آخرهم .
"Khatam an-Nabiyyin means the last prophet."
Reference: (Hadi al-Sari p. 110)
Hafiz Suyuti, may Allah have mercy on him (911 AH), writes:
قوله تعالى : وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ، فيه أنه لا نبي بعده، وأن من ادعى النبوة بعده قطع بكذبه .
"Allah Almighty's command: وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ means that there is no prophet after the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him), and whoever claims prophethood after him is definitely a liar."
Reference: (Al-Iklil fi Istinbat al-Tanzil : 212)
Abu al-Yaman Ilmi, may Allah have mercy on him (928 AH), writes:
ختم النبيين ، فهو خاتمهم، أى لا ينبأ نبي بعده أبدا، وإن نزل عيسى بعده، فهو ممن نبا قبله، ولانه ينزل بشريعته، ويصلي إلى قبلته، فكأنه من أمته .
"Khatm an-Nabiyyin means the Seal of the Prophets. The meaning is that no one will be given prophethood after you, although Sayyiduna Isa (peace be upon him) will descend after you, but he was given prophethood before the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him). Now he will come as a follower of your Shariah, pray facing your Qiblah, and will descend like one of your Ummah."
Reference: (Fath al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an : 370/5)
Allama Ibn Hajar Haytami, may Allah have mercy on him (974 AH), writes:
وَخَاتِمَ النَّبِيِّينَ بكسر التاء بمعنى أنه ختمهم أى جاء آخرهم، فلا نبي بعده، أى لا يتنبا أحد بعده، ونزول عيسى آخر الزمان، إنما هو بشريعة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، حكما مقسطا، عاملا بها، مصليا إلى قبلته، مستمدا من القرآن والسنة، وبفتحها بمعنى أنهم ختموا به، فهو الطابع والخاتم لهم .
"If وَخَاتِمَ النَّبِيِّينَ is read with kasrah on the tā’, it means that you (peace be upon him) ended prophethood; you are the last prophet, and no one will receive prophethood after you. However, in the end times, Sayyiduna Isa (peace be upon him) will descend, who will be a follower, ruler, and just according to the Shariah of Mustafa. He will pray facing the Qiblah of the Muhammadan Ummah and will argue from the Qur'an and Sunnah. If read with fatḥah on the tā’, it means that prophethood was ended after them; you (peace be upon him) are the seal and the one who ended it."
Reference: (Ashraf al-Wasa'il p. 57)
Mulla Ali ibn Sultan Muhammad Qari Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him (1014 AH), writes:
الحاصل أن كسر التاء بمعنى أنه ختمهم، أى جاء آخرهم، فلا نبي بعده، أى لا يتنبأ أحد بعده، فلا ينافي نزول عيسى عليه السلام متابعا لشريعته، مستمدا من القرآن والسنة، وأما فتح التاء؛ فمعناه أنهم به ختموا، فهو الطابع والخاتم لهم .
"The summary is that if read with kasrah on the tā’ (Khatim), it means that you (peace be upon him) ended the chain of prophets, meaning you came at the end of all of them and there is no prophet after you. The descent of Isa (peace be upon him) on earth and his following your Shariah and benefiting from the Qur'an and Sunnah does not contradict the finality of prophethood. If the tā’ is read with fatḥah (Khatam), it means that the chain of prophets ended by you, meaning you are the seal for them."
Reference: (Jami' al-Wasa'il fi Sharh al-Shama'il : 27/1)
Murtada Zabidi, may Allah have mercy on him (1205 AH), writes:
الخاتم : آخر القوم كالخاتم، ومنه قوله تعالى : وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ أى آخرهم .
"خَاتِم and خَاتَم both mean the last person of a nation, and from this Allah Almighty's command is: وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ, meaning you (peace be upon him) are the last prophet."
Reference: (Taj al-'Arus, entry Kha Ta Mim)
