The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 126
126 Essence of Islam-III such a Prophet, particularly when he receives all grace from the Holy Prophet himself (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. ) What is most harmful is to believe that the followers of the Holy Prophet (peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him) are debarred from enjoying converse with God until the Day of Judgement. That re- ligion does not deserve to be called a religion nor is that Prophet worthy of being called a Prophet, whose follow- ers cannot come near enough to God to be honoured with His word. Accursed and detestable is the religion which teaches that human progress depends only on a few prin- ciples which are transmitted from generation to genera- tion, that all revelation is a matter of the past and there can be no further revelation, and that hearing the voice of the Ever-Living and All-Powerful God is to be wholly despaired of. [Brāhīn-e-Ahmadiyyah, part V, Rūķānī Khazā'in, vol. 21, p. 306] In Arabic and Hebrew, the word Nabi [Prophet] means one who makes prophecies on the basis of revelation re- ceived from God. As the Holy Qur'an does not close the door of Prophethood whereby a person through obedi- ence to the grace of the Holy Prophet (peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him) may be granted converse with God and may be informed of hidden matters through Di- vine revelation, then what is there to stop the appearance of such a Prophet among the Muslims? We do not be- lieve that such Prophethood is barred. Only that Prophethood is barred which is accompanied by the commandments of a new Shariah, or claims to be outside the following of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. ) But a claim to Prophethood by one whom Divine revelation describes as a follower of the Holy Prophetsa and who is also designated as a Prophet,