A Review of the Debate between Batalavi and Chakrhalavi — Page 12
12 12 A REVIEW OF THE DEBATE BETWEEN BAT A LAV I AND CHAKRH A LAV I adopt a middle way as their guiding principle. That is to say, they ought not to consider the hadith the final authority on all matters of religion, and reject and abandon the Holy Quran. Nor should they consider the hadith redundant and worthless to the point that all the traditions of the Holy Prophet saw are laid to waste. In similar vein, they ought not to deny the Khatm-e-Nubuwwat [finality of the prophethood] of the Holy Prophet saw , nor inter- pret it in a way that would close the door of divine discourse and revelation on the ummah. Remember, our belief is that the Holy Quran is the Final Book and the Final Law, and until the Day of Judgment, no Prophet can appear who brings a new law or who receives revelation without having followed the Holy Prophet saw. In fact, this door is firmly closed until the end of time; however, the door to revelation received through obedience to the Holy Prophet saw is open until the Day of Judgement. That revelation which is the result of following the Holy Prophet saw can never be terminated. But law-bearing or independent Prophethood has now come to an end. 1. It will not be possible till the Day of Judgment. He who says he is not from among the ummah of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and claims that he is a law-bearing Prophet, or that he is a Prophet who does not bear a law but does not belong to the [Muslim] ummah, is like one who has been carried away by a fierce flood and thrown aside, and it shall pursue him to death. [Publisher] 1