With Love to Muhammad (sa) - The Khatam-un-Nabiyyin — Page 21
Structure of the word Kh ā tam 21 ً َّۃZِB a ْ Gِن a خَاتdٍَا a َ Bَاتَّخَذ a َ و a ُ ُہXْ`َH a َّدdَُحG a إFَ a ُ أHْ\ُر a َاdَّHََاaَB a ِ اﷲ a ُ رَ:ُول ِ Mَدِہ a ِB a ِ بiََا=ِہ “Hazrat Anas bin Malik ra narrated: When the Prophet sa intended to write to the Byzantines, it was said to him, ‘Those people will not read your letter unless it is stamped. ’ So the Prophet sa took a silver ring ( kh ā tam) and got Muhammad, the Messenger of All ā h engraved on it. . . as if I am now looking at its glitter in his hand. ” 6 These are only two examples, among many, that are sufficient to shatter Farhan Khan’s opinion that kh ā tam does not mean seal of authentication and can only mean last. When the meaning of “seal” is applied to the phrase Kh ā tam-un-Nabiyy ī n , it means Seal of the prophets. This implies that the Holy Prophet sa is the seal of authentication for all of the prophets as , past and future. This is the simple, logical understanding of the position of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jam ā ‘at. The other objection that Farhan Khan raises against this meaning is: “. . . if the letters م ت خ meant seal of attestation as they [Ahmad ī Muslims] understand it, then to produce the meaning of best , or most attested, the word should have been as follows: ُ اخْتَم – best, highest of quality 6 Sah ī h Bukh ā r ī , Chapter: Taking a ring for stamping certain things or (for stamping) letters written to the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and other people