The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 141
Prophethood in Islam 141. If it were held that there could be no Prophet in this connotation after the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of. Allah be upon him), it would follow that the Muslims are deprived of converse with the Divine; for he who discloses the unseen on the basis of knowledge bestowed upon him by God, would necessarily be a Prophet within the meaning of the above verse. In the same way, he who is sent by God Almighty must be designated a Messenger. The only distinction is that, after the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), there cannot be any Prophet till the end of days who shall be the bearer of a new law, or who would be granted the title of a Prophet without having arrived at such a stage of utter devotion to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wherein he is named Muḥammad and. Aḥmad in heaven; وَ مَنِ ادَّعَى فَقَدْ كَفَرَ ". The key to this mystery is that the true connotation of the 'Seal of the Prophets' demands that if anyone calls himself a Prophet while there is the slightest distance between him and the Holy Prophets, will be guilty of contravening the Seal of Prophethood. But he who is so completely devoted to the Holy Prophets that, on account of his complete unity and the absence of any difference between them, he is given his name and reflects, like a bright mirror, the countenance of the Holy Prophets, then he would be called a Prophet without contravening the Seal, because he is Muḥammad, though only by way of reflection. Thus, despite the claim of chooses, namely a Messenger of His. '-Al-Jinn, 72:27-28 [Publisher] 111 He who falsely claims [to be a Prophet] is an infidel. ' [Publisher]