Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 54
54 AHMADIYY AT phets. According to their interpretation, the verse would mean that though Muhammad was not the father 'of any males but with his advent prophethood of every type had been terminated. Surely this would not import any pre- eminence for the Holy Prophet but would amount to deni- gration of him. At the very best it would be meaningless and disjointed. We shall proceed to consider some of the sayings of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, which have a bearing on this question. On the death of his son Ibrahim, he said: Had Ibrahim lived he would have certainly been a righteous Prophet (Ibne Maja, KitabaIJanaiz). This is all the more remark- able as Ibrahim died five years after the revelation of the verse in which the Holy Prophet was designated the Seal of the Prophets. Hazrat Mullah Ali bin Muhammad Sultanal Qari, a highly respected and most eminent divine. of the Hanafi sect has said: If Ibrahim had lived and had become a prophet, he would have been one of the followers of the Holy Prophet and his Prophet- hood would not have been in contradiction of the divine word that the Holy Prophet was the Seal of the Prophets, as the meaning of this expression is there would not arise after the Holy Prophet any Prophet who would abrogate his law and may not be one of his followers [Mauzuat Kabir, pp. 66-7]. Again the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, is reported to have said: 'Abu Bakr is the best of my followers except anyone who might be a prophet' (Dalmy quoted by Kanazul Haqaiq of Imam Monadi, p. 7); or: 'Abu Bakr is the best of the people except one who may be a prophet' (Tabrani Kabir Kamil Ibne Adi quoted in Jame Saghir by Imam Suyuti, p. 5). This is a clear indication of the possibility of prophets arising among Muslims after the Holy Prophet, peace be on him. Another tradition reported on the authority of Abu Hur- airah states that the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, said: 'There will be no Prophet between me and Jesus [meaning in his second advent]; he will surely appear, so as you see him