With Love to Muhammad (sa) - The Khatam-un-Nabiyyin — Page 316
316 With Love to Muhammad sa the Kh ā tam-un-Nabiyy ī n nothing is permissible after the perfection of the Faith [i. e. , Isl ā m], then, according to the critic, the Khil ā fah that continued for thirty years after the Holy Prophet sa would also be rendered unnecessary, as the Faith had been perfected and nothing more was needed. The citation of the verse ُْ دِﻳْﻨَمك ُْ ﻟَـمك ُ اَمكَْﻠْﺖ َ اَﻟْﻴَﻮْم 313 by the critic is out of place. We do not allege that a reformer or a muhaddath detracts anything from the Faith or adds anything to it. What we say is that when, after the lapse of time, the holy teaching of the Faith is covered with the dust of wrong thinking and the pure countenance of truth becomes hidden, then reformers, muhaddath ī n and spiritual successors appear to reveal the true and beautiful countenance of the Faith. We do not know whence our poor critic has learnt that reformers and spiritual successors arrive for the purpose of adding to or abrogating the Faith. Their purpose is not to abrogate but to display the light and brilliance of the Faith. The conception of the critic that there is no such need reveals that he does not have much regard for the Faith. He has never reflected on what Isl ā m is, what its progress signifies, how its real progress can be achieved, and who can be considered a true Muslim. That is why he considers it enough that the Holy Qur’ ā n being available, and there being a plethora of divines, the hearts of most people are automatically drawn to Isl ā m and no reformer is needed. He does not appreciate the fact that reformers and spiritual successors are needed among the Muslims, in the same way as prophets are needed among other people. It cannot be denied that Moses (peace be upon him) was a prophet and a messenger and that the Torah was a complete code for the children of Israel; and just as the Holy Qur’ ā n 313 Ibid.