With Love to Muhammad (sa) - The Khatam-un-Nabiyyin — Page 159
Statements of Hazrat Muhy-ud-d ī n Ibn ‘Arab ī rh 159 Saf ī writes regarding the same word, “ ُ اeَdFَام a او a ُ اﻻgFَِام a َ Kو a و ”, which means that wah ī refers to either ilh ā m or communication through dreams. Hazrat Im ā m R ā zi rh writes regarding the same word, “ اeَdFَامِ a او a ِ ْبcَ`Fا a ِB a ُ اF`َذف a و a ُ اﻻgFَِام a وKو ” 156 , which means that wah ī is ilh ā m or inspiration to the heart or (seeing dreams during) sleep. In other words, wah ī and ilh ā m are interchangeable words with the same meaning. If ilh ā m was a different type of communication of All ā h, the Exalted, He would have mentioned it in the above verse. Thirdly, it is important to note that Farhan Khan has assumed that there are only two kinds of nubuwwah – nubuwwah at-Tashr ī ‘ ī and nubuwwah al-‘ Ā mah. The main issue of dispute is regarding the nubuwwah of the Promised Messiah of the Latter Days. What kind of nubuwwah would he have? If Farhan Khan says that it would be nubuwwah At-Tashr ī ‘ ī ( Law bearing prophethood ), then this is wrong. Hazrat Muhy-ud-D ī n Ibn ‘Arab ī rh has himself written that the prophethood of the Promised Messiah would not be law-bearing. It would be subordinate to the law of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa. This is proven with the presentation of a complete quotation of Hazrat Ibn ‘Arab ī rh later in this chapter. On the other hand, if Farhan Khan says that the nubuwwah of the Promised Messiah would be nubuwwah al-‘ Ā mah ( prophethood for the common man ), he would still be wrong. Hazrat Muhy-ud-D ī n Ibn ‘Arab ī rh has not termed the prophethood of the Promised Messiah as “common” prophethood. He has spoken of its grand status and of it being a “special” kind of prophethood. Seeing this prophethood as no greater than the “prophethood” of the mother of Hazrat M ū s ā as or the “prophethood” of the 156 At-Tafs ī r Al-Kab ī r , Part 7, Page 406