The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 142
142 Essence of Islam-III Prophethood by a person who is designated Muhammad and Ahmad, by way of reflection, our lord and master Muhammad would still be the Seal of the Prophets inas- much as this second Muhammad is his reflection and bears his name. But Jesus cannot come without breaking that Seal, since his Prophethood is distinct from the Prophethood of the Holy Prophets. If no one can be a Prophet or a Messenger, even by way of reflection, then what is the purpose of the prayer: اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ 112 I do not deny being a Prophet and a Messenger in this connotation. It is for the same reason that the Promised Messiah has been designated a Prophet in Şahih Muslim. If one who is bestowed knowledge of the unseen by God Almighty cannot bear the title of 'Nabi', how then should he be designated? If you say that such a one should be called Muhaddath, I would counter that no lexicon attrib- utes to the word 'Tahdith' the meaning 'disclosure of the unseen', but Prophethood has this connotation. The word 'Nabī' [Prophet] is common to Arabic and Hebrew. In Hebrew it is called Nābī and is derived from the root Nābā meaning to prophesize on the basis of knowledge derived from God. Nabī is not necessarily law-bearing. This is a Divine gift which carries with it knowledge of the unseen. [Eik Ghalaţī kā Izālah, Rūķānī Khazā'in, vol. 18, pp. 207-210] All doors are closed except the one which has been opened by the Holy Qur'an. Now there is no need to fol- low the Prophets and Books of the past, inasmuch as the 112 'Guide us in the right path-the path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings. '-Al-Fatihah, 1:6-7 [Publisher]