With Love to Muhammad (sa) - The Khatam-un-Nabiyyin — Page 139
“I am the Last Brick and I am the Last of the prophets” 139 ّ K a َ و M`وFون a Fَہ a و M]جَبُون a بِہ a Cَال a اcFبeَِۃ a Kذِہ a وُ=ِ]تہ َ اeFبiِّiِن a خَاتم a وَأHا a اcFّبeَِۃ a BاHَا Narrated Ab ū Hurairah ra : All ā h’s Apostle sa said, “Surely, my similitude in comparison with the other prophets before me, is that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for a place of one brick in a corner. The people go about it and wonder at its beauty, but say: ‘Would that this brick be put in its place!’ So I am that brick, and I am the Kh ā tam-un- Nabiyy ī n. ” 135 These ah ā d ī th speak of a parable given by the Holy Prophet sa and parables are not meant to be understood literally. A literal understanding of these ah ā d ī th would make absolutely no sense. The status of the Holy Prophet sa is too high for him to be simply considered “a brick” in one of the corners! Ahmad ī Muslims strongly reject any such understanding as it violates the sanctity of the station of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa. If this had been a literal comparison, it would have placed the Holy Prophet sa in the best place of the palace, not somewhere in one of its corners. One of the narrations even explains that the brick is actually the kh ā tam (seal) which verifies and completes the palace. The kh ā tam or seal of authentication was not present before the advent of the Holy Prophet sa but when he came, the palace was completed. In other words, when the Kh ā tam-un-Nabiyy ī n – the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa – came, the palace representing the prophets was completed because he verified the truth of all the prophets. 135 Sah ī h Bukh ā r ī , Volume 4, Book 56, Had ī th Number 735