Truth about Khatm-e-Nabuwat — Page 23
the status of prophethood on the basis of his personal capability, beauty of character and the need of the hour, and having attained communion with God is sent as a prophet to guide the people of the world. Another person attains to the status of Siddiqiyyat whose beliefs and actions become the very personification of right and truth and there is no disagreement between his words and deeds. Yet another gets the rank of Witness (Martyr), his life and death being a living testimony to the Faith. And still another becomes of the Pious whose life is dedicated to virtuous activity so that he is constant in the true path. Lo, here Allah the Supreme, enjoins on us through the Sura }'atiha the prayer thus ''O ye Muslims seek ye the way of the favoured ones who preceded you in r~ceiving those bounties. ; nay gather ye in you all the bounties granted severally to those who were before you". He has been at the same time pleased to explain to us that these favoured ones are the Prophets, the Righteous, the Witnesses and the Pious. Both these clear-cut verses read together, conclusively establish the fact that the door to the favour of Prophethood is wide open to the Prophet Muhammad's people, the best of all the peoples. It is inconceivable that while, on the one hand. Allah, the Supreme, should teach us the prayer "0 Lord enlist us among the favoured ones" and after explaining further that "by the favoured ones we mean the Prophets, the Righteous, the Witnesses and the Pious" and on the other hand should simultaneously shut the gate of these favours on the followers of His Chosen Prophet. We sincerely commend it to a dispassionate and cool consideration of our readers with an open mind. When Allah the Supreme enjoins on us a. prayer for enrolment among his favoured ones simultaneously categorizing these favoured groups as the Prophets, 28