With Love to Muhammad (sa) - The Khatam-un-Nabiyyin — Page 276
276 With Love to Muhammad sa the Kh ā tam-un-Nabiyy ī n them then the people should not oppose him but support him and assist him and believe in him. The prophets are being placed under obligation to enjoin their people not to reject a claimant to prophethood in the future who meets these criteria. What a remarkable covenant! Having said this, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of All ā h be on him) is addressed directly in this verse: “And remember when we took from the prophets their covenant, and from thee…” 274 That is to say the Holy Prophet sa was pointedly charged with the responsibility to place his ummah under obligation to believe in the prophet appearing after him with the condition that this prophet would support the Book and Wisdom previously bestowed on the people and would devote himself to the service of the Faith. This covenant was taken from the Holy Prophet sa even when the teaching and prophethood had achieved perfection. Commenting on this verse, All ā ma Fakhr-ud-D ī n R ā z ī says in At-Tafs ī r-ul-Kab ī r , Volume 8, Page 114 (published in Tehran): “The only meaning of this verse is to clearly state that All ā h had made it incumbent on all prophets (and their followers) to believe in every prophet who comes ‘fulfilling that which is with them’. ” All ā ma R ā z ī has made a very subtle point. It means that as long as a Divine Dispensation remains operative and it is not abrogated by God, a false prophet would not come and work towards the 274 Ibid.