Khataman Nabiyyeen – Interpretations by Eminent Learned Scholars of Islam — Page 20
The Decisive Verdict of the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings upon him). The verse containing the words Khataman-Nabiyyeen was revealed in the fifth year of the Hijra era. Four years later the. Holy Prophet's son Hazrat Ibrahim died in childhood. Despite the fact that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings on him, knew the true meanings of this verse very much better than anyone else, he still said after the child had died: 'Had Ibrahim lived he would have, no doubt, been a true prophet. '. Some of the Maulvis try to explain away this Hadith by saying that God caused the child to die for the very reason that he was not to be a prophet when he grew up. Evidently this explanation does not appeal to sound reasoning and is at the same time contrary to Divine tradition. Evidence is available from the Holy. Quran that if the child of a virtuous man was going to grow into a wicked person, such a child, for the sake of the noble and righteous parents, may be caused to die at an early age. This is a manifestation of a very special favour. But no evidence could be found in the Holy Quran where God caused someone to die because he had the making of a prophet inherent in him and that he was to become the recipient of God's special favours when he reached mature years. Such an assumption would be contrary to sound reasoning and to God's attributes of mercy and grace. . In this connection Hazrat Imam Ali Qari, God's mercy on him, a well-known authority, who died 1014 AH/1605 AD, has concluded in a way which could serve as a guiding light for the the ulema of the present age. While explaining this very Hadith, he says: 20 'The Holy Prophet's statement concerning Ibrahim becoming a true prophet does not in any way contradict the verse KHATAMAN. NABIYYEEN, because it means that (1) the said prophet should not abrogate his Law and (2) that he may be one of his followers. " (Mauzu'ati Kabeer, pp. 58–59)