An Elementary Study of Islam — Page 31
Mirza Tahir Ahmad 31 account of the qualities that they had been gifted with. They remained human despite having ascended to great spiritual heights, and their conduct as such is inimitable by other human beings. On the issue of continuity of prophecy, Islam categorically declares the Holy Prophet sa of Islam to be the last of the law-bearing prophets and the Quran to be the last divine book of law, perfected and protected till the end of time. Obviously a book which is perfect and also protected from interpolation transcends alteration. No change is warranted on both counts. As long as a book is perfect and protected from human interpolation, no change is justified. As far as prophecy other than law-bearing prophecy is concerned, the possibility of its continuity is clearly mentioned in the Quran. Again there are clear prophecies about such divine reformers as would be completely subordinate to the Holy Founder of Islam and the Holy Book—the Quran. The following verse of Surah Al-Nisa leaves no ambiguity about this: B<9#* # :% B # ;E # % @ WL;C # ) W FX @9Y#% Z 1[%\( N6 # &% # ) Z ] 9@ + # :% =* L#S% <;( 1[% @ $ ? B And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings, namely, the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. (Quran 4:70) In short, Islam is declared in the Quran to be the last perfected religion for the benefit of mankind, after which no new teaching would be revealed to annul the teachings of Islam, nor would a new independent prophet be born outside the domain of Islam; any new prophet would be completely subordinate to the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa.